Odd RAF Specialist Tool?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

This large odd item came in an auction lot this week:

Clearly marked what it is but I have no idea what it might have been used for?

Any help much appreciated.

Cheers, Martin

 

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi Martin, no idea what it is used for, but RAF Marham on the box reminds me when a workmate and myself did some work inside one of their workshops, and from what I remember, it was modifying/repairing some security caged areas. They had some pretty and expensive Aircraft parts to to store in the place. Bit of a faff signing in and out of the camp though.

Regards Nick.

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

its a kit for probing a rad pulse

[peak4Participant @peak4]

A better view, or typed out version, of the NSN might assist.
I’m assuming it’s the NATO Stock Number.
There’s a few sites around which have search engines.
e.g. https://www.milspares.co.uk/products-services/nato-codified-commodities
or https://www.iso-group.com/Public/Search_Results.aspx?ss=01t-c-20900
I also have an ex RAF friend looking at this one.

Bill

[Nicholas Farr]

On Nicholas Farr Said:

… Bit of a faff signing in and out of the camp though.

Regards Nick.

Many strange experiences visiting MoD sites, forgivable because they had to be serious about security due to active terrorism and intrusive Foreign Intelligence Services!

My favourite occurred at Devonport Dockyard, where at 8am a packed waiting room and queue out the door was being processed by a portly and aged policeman.   He was unbelievably slow, apparently half asleep.  No one complained, perhaps because he was armed with a pistol.

After about 40 minutes, there was an audible sigh of relief when a sergeant appeared.  Until he said, in a strong Plymouth accent, ‘ere je-arge, would you like a cuppa tea?’   On the affirmative, he disappeared.  No tea turned up in the 30 minutes it took me to get my pass!   Perhaps a behind the scenes crisis, and the chap on duty was exhausted after a double shift, with no prospect of help.  Or was it typical?  I shall never know!

Dave

 

[jim1956Participant @jim1956]

Probably totally wrong, I’ve no specialist knowledge.

However it seems to be measuring very small deviations (dial is in mm) of something (with appropriate calibration required).

A search online turned up a page
https://dolphmicrowave.com/default/why-use-flexible-waveguides-in-radar-systems/
which mentions physical distortions in radar (RAD) systems cause by electro-magnetic pulse radiation(PULSE) from nuclear weapons.

Against that it doesn’t look like electronics, the heavy construction and the Rolls-Royce symbol (on the box of an identical tool currently on ebay) are suggestive of measuring changes inside an engine.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

It looks like the Baty dial indicator is measuring the position of the probe on the far right which probably moves relative to the body. I suspect it is measuring the position of a replaceable service item, eg magnetron, within a waveguide cavity. The services have a habit of partially naming things backwards so it is  “probe kit for pulse radar”.

[jim1956Participant @jim1956]

The Label on the ebay box for a similar unit suggests that it’s engine rather than radar.
Turbo-union was a consortium which made the RB199 engine for the Tornado aircraft.

A search on RB199 pulse probe turned up this on ebay.

 

Described as a Tornado RB199 LP Pulse Probe.

Looks similar in shape and length, maybe the kit was to aid in fitting this to the appropriate clearances in the engine.

 

 

 

[Paul KempParticipant @paulkemp46892]

Maybe read RAD(IAL) pulse rather than RAD(AR) pulse makes more sense as 2 of the entities on the second box (mtu & fiat) are mainly into engines.  (I am thinking speed pick up) as they need setting to reasonable limits on the clearance.  Through the murky world of acquisitions RR and mtu are closely linked although I didn’t find any evidence fiat were corporately linked with them?

Paul.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

🙁

So many references … So many dead-ends

MichaelG.

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[Michael Gilligan]

On Michael Gilligan Said:

🙁

So many references … So many dead-ends

MichaelG.

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A few cut/paste comments from my friends various replies to our off forum chat, who used to work on these engines something over 20 years ago.

NL is a name used for the first stage compressor on a RB199  (From Michael’s eBay photo)

Now I know what I’m probably looking for I’d say it is RB199.
Zooming into the top left of the photo in the box I recognise the adapter-that’s used to do up the outer nut of the engine casing.
IIRC the one at the top right does the probe its self into the inner casing just after the LP compressor.
Other bit is obviously torque wrench

Zoom in on the probe on eBay photo. You can see the fine thread about halfway up that’s what screws into the inner casing. The castle nut at the right hand end in the photo goes into the outer casing.

Mystery seems to be solved, kit appears to be;
RB199 LP compressor pulse probe fitting tool for a Tornado engine.

The 15 in the NATO code which came up in my earlier link shows Italian, as is Turbo Union.

Bill

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