Posted 14 years ago
popguru
(1 item)
On first appearance, this looks to be a Boeing sign. However, it is not flat. It is about 28.75" in diameter, and has a profile of 1.5". It's shape looks like it could be a hubcap, but I can't find any info on what it might be. You can see on the inside, there appears to be a circular wear pattern about 3 inches in from the edge, all the way around. Also, in faint grease pencil, it looks like "#1125". That could really be from anyone though. Please help.
Boeing is into a lot of things, this my have been a sign from a building or from a semi-truck.
it's from a 707 landing gear from the 1960's
Joy, would you happen to have any pictures or information to validate? I'd love to have a source to know the history of this. Thanks.
If it is off a landing gear, it could never be used full time for the obvious reason that it would fall off. At most, it would have a been used for ground displays. This would explain why it is so hard to find a photo of one. But as crazy as it sounds, it certainly has the appearance of being a wheel cover.
I disagree about hubcaps falling off.................look at pictures of the old Stearman Bi-Planes, they had hub caps.....so did many earlier aircraft. might send a pic to some avation group like the EAA for example....
look at the 737 to see what i'm talking about and on the 707 the landing gear get pulled up in the plane after take off ok
Joy, I found this photo of a 737, and I can see what you talking about and it makes sense : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Boeing_737-522_-_Smart_Wings_-_OK-SWU_-_LEMD_-20050410140058b.jpg
However, in this photo of a 707, it looks like the landing gear fully retracts into the belly and the wheel would not be exposed and there wouldn't be a need for an aerodynamic cover. http://www.airports-worldwide.com/img/wikipedia/general_958770751.JPG
But the 737 landing gear has definate possibility. I'll do some more digging and see what other models might have the same set up. The color of this disc reminds me of the old Southwest colors, but I think the belly was red, and this seems to predate that a bit.
The mystery deepens. The chief archivist at Boeing has no idea what it is either.
The wear pattern on the back???if it was laying in my barn it would be used as a cover on my 55 gal barrel to keep the mice out of the chicken feed. Wear pattern looks to be abut that size..just a guess.
OK, I'll bite...? :-) I think I see a few small holes near its edges, which make me wonder if it could have indeed been a 'building sign' mounted on standoffs with backlit neon (or etc) immediately behind it, making a 'silhouette' sort of display...???
There is only one hole at the bottom. Presumably to drain water however it was mounted.
Bringing this post around again just to get some fresh eyes on it. Even in this amazing time of reverse image search, I cannot find anything similar.
Here's a few examples if wheel caps. They should all have numbers on the back.
https://www.flyingtigerantiques.com/wwii-boeing-aluminum-control-wheel-center-cap-as-used-on-b-17-fs-and-earlier.html
https://www.oncealoft.com/product-page/genuine-b-52-control-wheel-cap
It could be a temporary cover for something used in the factory during assembly?
BOING BOING BURGERS RULE