Connectors, Twin No. 327 ZA 32603

[Chris Suslowicz]

Ah, yes... the magic word is "twin", implying that the cable is 2-core.

I was thinking about bidding on them, just to find out which of the drop-lead wires are being brought out on the flying lead, but it's most likely to be the pressel line and earth.

Ignore the rest of this, see next post.

(Might, I suppose, be Phones & Earth for a loudspeaker, but I reckon it's for an early morse key for the WS62 or similar set that you can key via the pressel switch - requires having all the transmit voltages present and a fast enough keying relay, which does fit the WS62.)

Chris.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Second thoughts: it's for the pressel switch all right, but it's for use with the WS62 in the AOP role in Auster or Beaver aircraft. In that role a headset and throat microphone similar to the for the WS46 is used with the WS62, and it has no pressel switch so can't put the WS62 onto transmit. The 'T' connector shown is fitted between the headset/microphone and the WS62 droplead, and the flying lead connects to Terminal Block 8 in the aircraft, which connects to a pushbutton on top of the control column. The pilot and observer headgear plugs into the T connector and the second droplead.

The "Beaver" AOP aircraft has a VHF set as well, so there's an additional control box to allow both sets to coexist with the headsets.

I've seen the headgear assembly on eBay in the past, and was somewhat puzzled by it: it's a standard 5-pt droplead plug, with a throat microphone (low level, No.2) as used with the WS38 Mk.I & II and WS46, and a Y cable with earpieces but no headband - obviously for use with a flying helmet but it initially made no sense at all!

Anyway, Wireless for the Warrior Volume 2, pages W.S.62 - 28-30 have some diagrams and explanation.

I really don't know what we'd do without Louis Meulstee!

Chris.
(Pleased that I no longer need to bid on them.)