Winning Bid: £101.90
VTA May Auction 1 Lot 3
This mysterious Fuel Contents Gauge manufactured by Simmonds Aerocessories Inc of the US. It measures in kgs, which implies it is for the European market but why manufacture in USA ?………….However that is not the full story !
This Fuel Contents Gauge has links to the Avro Vulcan XH558 but not in a way that you might expect.
Simmonds Aerocessories Inc were a part of Simmonds Aerocessories Limited created by Sir Oliver Simmonds who following work at the Royal Aircraft Factory became a flyer during World War l, after the war he obtained the licence to manufacture a new form of bolt incorporating a fibre washer. We now call it a nylock nut. this enabled Simmonds Aerocessories to grow a a rapid rate around the world including US and Canada. Just prior to the outbreak of World War ll production was rapidly expanded to meet demand not only in nuts but also with Fuel Gauging Systems for which the company also obtained a licence and a new patent during the war for an electronic measurement of fuel quantity based on electro-mechanical designs.
These new, and associated gauges, were to form the backbone of the company for the future. The company was sold in 1947 to Electric and General Trusts, later named as Firth Cleveland Group of Companies owned by Sir Charles William Hayward who also set up the Hayward Foundation for the purpose of enabling donations to charity. The Group was sold to GKN in 1970
His son, Sir Jack Haywood continued his father’s objectives and philanthropic activities and in 2006 Sir Jack donated £500,000 to enable the restoration programme to be completed. So there’s your link.
So this design of gauge, or gage in the US, manufactured 1960’s, used first in the Gloster Meteor proved to be a winner.
This gauge is described as ~
Name: Indicator for Gage Fuel Quantity Capacitor Type
Ser No: W2193
Pec No: MIE-G-7818
Manf Pt No: 383009-309-433
For this particular Gauge we have no records of date of manufacture nor aircraft that it was used in
