Another Flight Engineer Wing Question

[Phroger46]

Hello.  I've been browsing the forum for a while looking for an answer but can't seem to find one.  I'm looking at purchasing a Flight Engineer wing with the post war engine and prop design and not the "E".  However, the back has an LGB and Sterling Hallmark but I can't find reference of another Flight Engineer wing with Balfour's hallmark on this particular design.  I will try to get pictures to upload but the ones I have are not the best. Does anybody know if they truly made them and if they did, does anybody have an example for comparison? Or would this be something that somebody added stamping to?

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Phroger46]

[ram957]

Patrick Frost ???

[Phroger46]

15 minutes ago, ram957 said:

Patrick Frost ???

 

No.  This is from an estate sale that somebody picked up recently.  Or if you are asking if I'm Patrick, then no to that as well.

[ram957]

7 minutes ago, Phroger46 said:

 

No.  This is from an estate sale that somebody picked up recently.  Or if you are asking if I'm Patrick, then no to that as well.

PF is the most knowledgeable person as far as LGB wings are concerned..I no expert but have collected LGB wings for years. I have never seen a LGB Flight Engineer Wing before. That’s not saying they don’t exist but this wing seems to be a crudely cast copy .You can tell by all the pitting on it..Perhaps I’m mistaken but I don’t think I am..

[Phroger46]

1 minute ago, ram957 said:

PF is the most knowledgeable person as far as LGB wings are concerned..I no expert but have collected LGB wings for years. I have never seen a LGB Flight Engineer Wing before. That’s not saying they don’t exist but this wing seems to be a crudely cast copy .You can tell by all the pitting on it..Perhaps I’m mistaken but I don’t think I am..

Ah!  Thank you for that information.  I think I saw Patrick's name on a few of the forums that I was reading looking for information.  I also thought it looked like a cast copy and other wings in the collection looked like modern or re-strikes which really made me question it.

[ram957]

7 minutes ago, Phroger46 said:

Ah!  Thank you for that information.  I think I saw Patrick's name on a few of the forums that I was reading looking for information.  I also thought it looked like a cast copy and other wings in the collection looked like modern or re-strikes which really made me question it.

The only LGB wing I don’t have is a F.E. , if they exist !

[pfrost]

Thanks for the nice words, but I am NO WHERE NEAR an expert.  There are many more gentlemen on this forum who know much more than I do--I just tend to give up my opinion for frequently than many.

 

This is another interesting thread:

 

 

As I said on this thread, it I had to guess, I would say it is postWW2/KW USAF time period for the FE wings.  They were authorized late in WWII and war time examples typically show up in the CBI/PTO with guys flying the B29s. I suspect that most other FE made wings were done in the post WWII/Cold war era.

 

[Phroger46]

17 hours ago, pfrost said:

Thanks for the nice words, but I am NO WHERE NEAR an expert.  There are many more gentlemen on this forum who know much more than I do--I just tend to give up my opinion for frequently than many.

 

This is another interesting thread:

 

 

As I said on this thread, it I had to guess, I would say it is postWW2/KW USAF time period for the FE wings.  They were authorized late in WWII and war time examples typically show up in the CBI/PTO with guys flying the B29s. I suspect that most other FE made wings were done in the post WWII/Cold war era.

 

 

This is interesting.  I notice that the pitting or flaking in the back seems almost identical to the ones in the pictures that I received.  Everything does seem very similar in detail as well.  I guess the final question is if it is worth trying to purchase and take the risk on it.

[5thwingmarty]

It is interesting that Balfour went to the trouble of making an entirely new die to produce FE wings, rather than just making a FE center device to attach to one of their base wings like their Flight Surgeon, Aerial Gunner and Bombardier wings.

[ram957]

5 hours ago, Phroger46 said:

 

This is interesting.  I notice that the pitting or flaking in the back seems almost identical to the ones in the pictures that I received.  Everything does seem very similar in detail as well.  I guess the final question is if it is worth trying to purchase and take the risk on it.

If the price is right it may be worth a closer look..I would ask for clearer pictures

[mtnman]

I've seen three of these including yours and the post alluded to by Patrick above. The pitting that you're speaking of is an oxidation process that I have seen on LGB Wings before that I think has to do with the final coating of the Wings with whatever it is they used as the "final layer" upon the silver. I have seen many LGB wings who's silver surface just has some kind of different aesthetic to it that I cannot pinpoint but that pitting that you're talking about is part of it on some of their productions. You've got a good Wing there and like Patrick said, you're moving into the later 40s and early fifties time horizon. It is a rare find though! Perfect LGB post WWII Maker's Mark.

[MikeK]

Another example, this one marked (stamped) LGB STER in tiny letters. The engine/prop and pelican peak areas are burnished, the remainder of the wing has more of a satin/matt finish.

 

I picked it up from a lady in Texas about 10 years ago. It came with a 20th AF patch but has no provenance.

 

 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

@MikeK, I offer this thread below. In the collective knowledge and memory of more advanced collectors here, these are L.G. Balfour restrikes made well after the war with original dies and findings. 

 

[MikeK]

Thanks for the heads up (again!)