With a sufficiently sensitive Geiger counter, Gamma radiation is detectable even through a metal or plastic instrument case and glass bezel. Radon gives off what your neighborhood nuclear physicist refers to as Alpha and Beta “daughter” particles. As it decays, radium emits Gamma energy (radiation) and also radon gas. Eventually radium decays into lead, among other things. Louis in the National Air and Space Museum.Radium is an unstable element, so it is in a constant state of radioactive decay. They are still installed in the Spirit of St. Charles Lindbergh sat behind military-type, radium-illuminated instruments when he flew solo from New York to Paris. The radioactive decay of radium caused the phosphorescent paint to glow in the dark. In order to help pilots see their instruments while flying at night, a very small amount of radium was added to phosphorescent paint on the faces of instruments. In fact it’s vital to this entire sordid tale of persecution of a guy who happened to engage in the heinous practice of buying, selling and preserving original instruments and related equipment for historically significant airplanes.Back in late 1910s - a.k.a., the dim, dark past (no pun intended) - aircraft electrical and related lighting systems were far less-than perfect or just plain non-existent. Those instruments had originally been manufactured for the Army and Navy to specifications set out by the U.S. government as it sold them off in the massive public surplus sales following the end of World War II. Fulks had purchased most of these instruments from our U.
#RADIUM DIALS FULL#
Jeff came to know a pretty unique guy, Alec Fulks, who had a very large warehouse stuffed full of instruments in North Hollywood, not far from Burbank Airport. While working for a company that sold and overhauled instruments, he often dealt with owners of antique and classic aircraft who needed original instruments to make their pride and joy as accurate as possible. Jeff Pearson moved to southern California about 25 years ago to continue his career in the aircraft parts business. that has or ever had any radium-dial instruments in it.Do I have your attention?Ī little background is in order.
military-surplus aircraft instruments continue to expand their horizons, it can lead to the condemnation and destruction of every airplane and museum in the U.S. If some very powerful bureaucrats who have had their way in the actions they are taking against a legitimate seller of U.S. (Actually, I would, because it’s truly, truly nasty.) What is frightening beyond his personal tragedy is the potential ramification for the entire historic-aviation community. Watching those machines snort and bellow does wonders for one’s perspective on the world.Unfortunately, Jeff is trapped in a situation that is so hideous and Kafkaesque that I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. His name is Jeff Pearson, and he flies out of the Chino, Calif., Airport, where I go as often as I can afford it to get my big-time, historic-airplane fix. Among other things, he is considered to be one of the gurus for those seeking knowledge regarding one of the classier of aviation’s classic airplanes, the Cessna 195. One of my favorite people on the planet is a guy I’ve flown with off and on for over 20 years. One of the nice things about the Pilot’s Lounge at the virtual airport is that I get to stay in touch with some very interesting pilots.
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