Altimeter

[Avee8or]

The altimeter on 11A will have to be replaced or OH'd at annual. It is probably the original...the Kollsman knob is at 6:00. Any idea where I can get a replacement? I am assuming OH will be problematic since I think it has luminous markings. Does anyone have experience with this issue? Thanks!

[canav8]

Piper Aircraft Instruments redid mine reasonably.

[mit]

Send it in and get it overhauled.

[Kurt Aichele]

I know of someone who sent in their clock for an OH. It was original with the glow in the dark hands (radium paint). They would not repair it OR send it back, so he had to purchase a new clock. Check with the company that will do the OH first to see if they would even touch it or send it back, if you want to keep it original. Google "Radium Girls" for more info on this. Pretty interesting.

[bagarre]

Mine was an original Scout and had it overhauled at Keyston in Lockhaven PA without issue.

Is there a way to test for radium? Would it be marked on the back?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Send it to Keystone in Lockhaven, Pa

[cessna170bdriver]

...Is there a way to test for radium? ...

Yes, try to take it through Customs. Three guys here at Brighton picked up a Stinson 10A project over in Ontario a few months back, and U.S. Customs detected the radium in the instruments through a closed trailer. They let it through, but only after a very thorough search to make sure that's all it was.

[Avee8or]

Thanks for the responses--I'll call Keystone tomorrow!

[170C]

The post regarding the repair facility that accepted the clock with radium hands and would not return it sounds like an illegal act. Maybe the government/postal dept had rules that forbid its shipment?
My '56 172 has one of the altimeters with radium dials. I don't think they glow in the dark any longer (guess I should check). I suppose if mine needs repair I will be faced with purchasing a replacement rather than repair. I haven't heard of anyone (pilots) being sickened by exposure to those instruments. Maybe there is such a small amount of radium in any given instrument that it isn't harmful.

[Metal Master]

I was doing an engineering study a couple of years back at the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio concerning a T-33 they had there in the research and development area of the museum. I had a museum tech working with me opening the aircraft panels and examining the structure . Part of what I needed to do was take pictures of a refueling probe that had been attached to the front of the aircraft for the Air Force Test Pilots school to use. They opened the canopy for me but I was not allowed to enter the cockpit of any of the aircraft I examined because of radium used on the dials of the instrumentation. It was cool getting paid to go to the museum and spend a few days. Essentially I had to lean way over the cockpit rail to get the pictures I had to have of the viewing the refueling probe from the cockpit. As far as I know I do not glow in the Dark. But I am real worried about my 87 year old friend who flew T-33's in the Air Force.
Jim

[bagarre]

Unless you pop off the glass and chew on the dial, your risk to exposure is incredibly low.
It has to be ingested.

[Avee8or]

Your advice re Keystone is on-target. They can replace ANY dials, and if requested will use paint that matches the color of the glow-in-the-dark paint. They will return any radium dials/pointers to owner, or can send for safe disposal (around $150-200!) Turn around on the altimeter should be a couple of weeks. I will be sending it in at annual in a couple of months--will re post with results.

I will ensure I do not lick the dials!

[Avee8or]

Following up with my experience with Keystone--Mixed, but satisfactory on the altimeter. They sent a rebuilt on in exchange for mine--they had a unit with the Kollsman knob at 6 o'clock. As we were installing, we noted that the knob did not adjust anything--so back to the shop and a couple of weeks later it was returned functioning OK. Overall time from order to having a working unit was about 5 weeks. They took my old unit as core, no questions.

Shortly after my original post, my tach died--they sent a rebuilt unit in exchange, correctly marked, that has worked fine, and even set the hour meter to match the dead tach. Along the way, someone installed a unit with incorrect markings.

Throughout, Keystone was pleasant to deal with. I'll still use them even with the frustration on the altimeter.

[blueldr]

Metal Master,
Yuu're concerned about your eighty seven year old friend that flew T-33s with instruments with radium dials?. What the hell, I;m ninety four and spent twenty two years, starting in 1942, in all kinds of jobs as a pilot and flight engineer when all the stuff on all the panels was printed with radium paint. My late wife never seemed to complain that I glowed in the dark. I think she thought it was pretty neat because none of her friends husbands could compare.