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Grumman S-2 Control Yoke


hink441
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Hello Swifter,

It's a small world these days! You did a cracking job with that P38 yoke. Did you see my PM on the Flypast forum? No worries either way.

 

Hi Ian: Just took a look at the PM on the FlyPast forum. Will contact you at the email address you left.

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Swifter,

 

Thanks for checking in. Really like your work. I would really enjoy seeing more of your collection. Please feel free to post your pics here!!

 

Looking forward to seeing more wheels!!

 

Chris

 

OK, well....here's the first P38L yoke I restored.....before, during & after shots. Don't own this one anymore either. It brought a nice price on Ebay....

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Thanks Ian!

 

That is a great looking Stoof-3 yoke!!

 

 

There was a C-2 Greyhound yoke that was on this forum a few years ago. Missed out on that one.

 

Chris

 

 

I got lucky and ended up with that C2 Greyhound yoke. Attached photos are after I did a minor refurb....retaining as much originalityas possible.

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Swifter,

 

Great collection and your refurb skills are outstanding.

 

That C-2 yoke looks really nice! I tried to purchase that one but was a little light on the funds!! :-)

 

Chris

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Thank you for posting, The P-38 yoke is fantastic, that was a great piece. It would be great if you could post some more from your collection since really have the WOW factor

 

 

OK. I do have some nice yokes in my collection that are interesting. I'll roll one out occasionally. Here are a few pics of the early style P-38 wheel I have. The wheel is "real" and its original coating is intact. But I had to fabricate a rear cover plate and spring loaded buttons that look like original switches from the outside. If any member of this forum can supply the part number and manufacturer's name for the correct original switches for this wheel....that would be fantastic.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks TLeo

You are right, finding the correct buttons for a proper restoration will be extremely difficult. There were less than 1300 of these built, so I would imagine parts are pretty scarce. I don't have any A-6 sticks. Would be nice to get one. I would really like to get a A-3 Skywarrior control yoke. That would awesome.

 

 

Hi Hink441:

 

A3 control wheels don't show up often on Ebay...but occasionally they do. Many A-3 Skywarriors were converted to fuel tankers. I think one of the ways to discern an A-3 wheel from a KA-3 wheel is that the latter have the "Bomb Rel" switch removed from the right spoke. I suspect the photo you posted is of a KA-3 wheel since the switch is replaced with a button-plug. I was happy that mine still had that Bomb Rel switch in place. Anyway, I've attached "before & after" photos of the A3 wheel in my collection. It didn't need heavy restoration as far as the coating goes. But it was missing the switches and one of the back cover plates. I got lucky and found the switches and scratch made a back cover plate. The real coup was finding (by pure accident) an original cap lens and emblem decal.

 

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Wow,

I am really impressed! I really need to find one of those.

 

I am consumed with envy right now!!! LOL

 

Chris

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Chris:

 

Thought you might like this one. The USAF version of the A-3 was the B-66. And it used an entirely different control wheel. The center-cap is actually a push-button switch. The wheel didn't come with a cap and switch assembly so I scratch-made them. Pretty happy with the result since, from the front you can't tell it isn't original.

Nick

 

 

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Chris:

 

Thought you might like this one. The USAF version of the A-3 was the B-66. And it used an entirely different control wheel. The center-cap is actually a push-button switch. The wheel didn't come with a cap and switch assembly so I scratch-made them. Pretty happy with the result since, from the front you can't tell it isn't original.

Nick

 

 

attachicon.gif 66 a.jpg attachicon.gif 66 b.jpg attachicon.gif 66 c.jpg

Nick,

Your work is amazing, great attention to detail. Is there any examples you don't have?????

 

Chris

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Nick,

Your work is amazing, great attention to detail. Is there any examples you don't have?????

 

Chris

 

Chris:

 

It took a long time but I have a fairly comprehensive collection of control wheels (no stick grips) for American Aircraft, limited basically to the period of late 1930's to late 1980's, and to military bombers and transport category aircraft as well as airliners and business class aircraft. There is a fair amount of overlap in these categories too....meaning many aircraft had both military and civilian applications. And some fighter aircraft used control wheels instead of stick grips (e.g.: P-38 and P-61), so had to add those to the collection B). I also have a few control wheels from foreign aircraft.

 

And yes, there are absolutely control wheel types I don't have and would like to get my hands on. Like the late (not early) model B-36 wheel and the wheels for the C-133 and C-5........and probably some others I can't think of right now. And there are MANY European and Russian control wheels to consider. If anyone on this forum knows of a B36J or C133 wheel for sale....feel free to let me know!

 

The most comprehensive collection of control wheels and yokes I'm aware of is owned by ex-UAL pilot Nick Louis. He has photos of much of his collection on his website at www.oncealoft.com . He also has some examples for sale on his site. Be aware though...the rarer/older ex-military yokes are definitely priced at a premium.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Here's an interesting contrast in control wheel design: Early B-17s (all from the model 299 prototype to partway through B-17F production) versus the iconic design that followed it for the rest of B17 production. Variations on the design theme of the latter wheel were used on the B-29, B-50 and C/KC-97 series of aircraft. Dimensionally, for width and spoke location, it's easy to see the influence the latter wheel design had on both the B-47 and B-52 control wheels. The earlier wood design wheel was also found on on the passenger-airline version of the B17, the model 307.

 

Swifter......

 

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  • 3 years later...

Chris!

 

Did you ever get your S-2 wheel restored? I just bought one so I'm curious...

 

-Derek

Hi Derek,

I still have not done anything else to the yoke. I did recently purchase another S-2 yoke in about the same condition. So now I need twice as many parts!!!

 

Chris

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