Aircraft Maintenance questions

Hello all

I found this interesting pic of P-51 armorers (and many others) while doing an internet search but did not find a lot of written background on WW2 aircraft maintenance:

a-PICT1583.jpg


I'm sure there are sites with info but all I could find were pictures and was wondering if anyone else has done any prior research and can direct me to some links/books on aircraft maintenence and/or armorers.

I was curious about time between engine rebuilds/overhauls both as by the book as was actually done in the field, how long general repairs to the skin/controls/airframe took between sorties, how long it would take to re-arm and re-fuel, how much damage could different aircraft generally take before they were taken of the line and cannibalized, etc.

My main interest would be on B-17s and P-51s because I knew some brave gentlemen who flew these (and of course they are pretty famous planes) but links to any and all types of aircraft maintenance discussion would be appreciated.

What piqued my curiosity was a recent article in WWII magazine about the "frankenplane" Avengers on Guadalcanal.

Thanks
Jeff

 

Michelle found this for P-51's in the Pacific theatre, so I will pass it on for you here.

Project Ivory Soap - Aircraft of World War II - Warbird Forums

 

Thank you for the link TA!

I was ready to start with the Buhler? Buhler? Buhler?

 

just a thought you have both P-38 and a P-51 pilot veterans that are forum members here.

let me share and please do not be offended as I do not wish to pirate your thread but an interesting antec. from a former Lightning pilot chatting about his chief mech.

THRE WERE MANY PROBLEMS ON THE P-38 H AND J'S IN LATE ''43 AND EARLY '44. HERE ARE A FEW; INTERNAL FUEL, FOR RANGE AND TO FIGHT AS WE WERE CONSTANTLY Bounced ON PENETRATION THROUGH WITHDRAWAL. NEITHER THE 'H OR THE EARLY SHIPMENT OF 'J'S HAD THE FUEL IN THE LEADING EDGE, ' OUR STAND DOWN ON FEB. 12,'44 WAS MAINLY TO MAKE THIS INSTALATION. MAX EFFORT CANCELED.

SAME TIME WE RECEIVED SHIPMENTS OF BAD FUEL AND LEARNING TO DEAL WITH EARLY 145OCT, REMEMBER WE ONLY HAD 91OCT STATESIDE....FOWELED PLUGS AND MIXTURE CONTROL. AUTO- mixture control ON THE BENDIX CARB AND SETUP THROUGH THE TURBO-CHARGER...Very SENSITIVE AND TYPICLY NOT UNDERSTOOD....NOTEVEN BY TECH-REPS.

THE BIGEST KILLER OF ALL; THE overloaded ONE GENERATOR INSTALATION, THE SECOND GENERATOR CAMF IN LATE SPRING OF '44. MEANWHILE; ITS LOSS AT -60F AND 30K FT YOUR BATTERY WAS COLDSOAKED DEAD SO WERE FUEL BOOST PUMPS, CURTIS ELECTRIC PR0PS WHICH WERE NOW GOING FULL LOW PITCH OR FEATHERING. THAT PILOT MIGHT MAKE IT BACK A HUNDRED MILES INTO FRANCE, IF LUCKY, BUT USUALY ALONE AND THE GERMANS WERE OUT ON THE STREAM LOOKING FOR STRAGELERS.

SOME PEOPLE WERE NATURALS AT WHAT EVER THEY DID, M. PYLES WAS ONE OF THESE, I ONCE ASKED HIM HOW HE MANAGED TO FIGURE EVERY THING OUT WHILE OTHERS WERE STILLSCHRTCHING THEIR HEAD OR COMPLEATLY OBLIBVIOS. MANY OF US PILOTS HAD BEEN THROUGH MECHANICS SCHOOL, HELPING US UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMS OF THE GOOD CREW-CHIEF. ORDERS WERE FOLOWED BY CREW=CHIEFS THAT WERE COMPLETELY WRONG, AND IF SOMEONE KNEW BETTER AND TRYED TO CORRECT IT HE WAS IN TROUBLE, BUT SOME LIKE M. PYLES WERE ALWAYS IN TROUBLE, BUT DID DEVIATIONS ANYWAY......AND ALWAYS ABOUT TO BE FIRED. MAX'S REPLY WAS "A BIG LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ANSWER JUST HITS MY MIND", WELL THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME AND I NEVER QUESTIONED HIM AGAIN.

A LACK OF SPARE PARTS WERELWAYS A MAJOR PROBLEM. MAX AND HIS CREW WAS ALWAYS FIRST TO A CRASH AND STRIPING PARTS BEFORE THE CRASH TRUCK ARRIVED. HE HAD DUG A COVERED CAVE TO HIDE THEM IN. HENCE HE WAS THE GO TO MAN FOR A PART. A PROBLEM, I ONCE BLEW A CARB DURING D-DAY OPS, SUPPLY WAS OUT, BUT MAX HAD ONE, BUT HADN'T KEPT IT SOAKING. HE PUT IT ON THAT NIGHT AND I WAS READY FOR TAKEOFF BEFORE SUNRISE. PROBLEM IT BLEW ON TO AND THE OPOSITE PROP RANAWAY. MANAGED TO DESERT THE RUNWAY WITHOUT BEING HIT,BUT SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ALL THE OTHERS.....6-ROLLING ALL THE TIME ON A 3500FT runway. NO POPULARITY IN THAT!
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M. WAS AN OLD HAND AND HAD BEEN THROUGH THE LOUSEANA MANUVERS AND KNEW ABOUT SUPPLY BREAK DOWN AND WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN HE WENT OVER SEAS WITH ORGANIZATION BREAKDOWN. HE EXPECTED POWDERED EGGS AND MILK. THE GREAT SPAM INVENTION WAS A HAPPY SURPRISE.

HE ALSO KNEW THE REAL SERVICE LIFE OF AIRCRAFT PARTS AND THAT THE OVERLOADED ONES SUCH AS THE SINGLE GENERATOR ON THE P-38 WOULD BE A PROBLEM,,,,,,,,,NONE WERE EVER LOST ON ANY OF HIS AIRPLANES NOR WAS THERE ANY FOULED SPARK-PLUGS. HE ALSO WHAT TO EXPECT FROM FUEL=PUMPS, PROP-REGULATORS, ANF HAD A SPARE IN HIS CAVE AND CHANGED OUT MANY PARTS ON HIS EXPECTATIONS.

PROBLEM WAS, BESIDES A LACK OF SPARES, ORDERS WERE THAT ANY PART THAT HAD WENT THROUGH A CRASH, HAD TO BE SENT THROUGH OVERHAUL BEFORE ANY USE ON AN AIRCRAFT. ANYONE WANT GUESS HOW LONG THAT WOULD TAKE. SUPPLY NEVER SEAMED TO NOTICE OR CARE ABOUT THE PARTS ON CRASHED AIRCRAFT, BUT GOOD CREW CHIEFS SUCH AS M. PYLES SURE DID.AND KEPT US FLYING.

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Thanx Erich for the info and I do consider that on topic and not a hijack in the least!