RH28M

TEST FLIGHTS IMPROVE MAINTENANCE; by M/Sgt Rua C. Hayes 28th Sqd

Mother’s address: 1055 Valdes Ave, Akron, OH; Wife’s address: 2588 Slover St, Fontana, CA

Many missions were incomplete due to mechanical failure of the airplane. Equipment that would go out of commission couldn’t always be detected on the ground at engine run up. To overcome most of the mechanical troubles, a test crew was made up to take all planes on a test flight prior to missions, and check the function of all equipment. If any troubles were encountered at 27,000 ft, the airplane would usually be flown to 32,000 ft to test and adjust the malfunctioning equipment. After we started testing airplanes in this manner, mechanical failures dropped to a new low.

Capt Jerome Tartar was the pilot and cooperated very satisfactorily with the rest of the crew to test and adjust the improperly functioning equipment. Sgt Hayes tested and adjusted the bombsight, AFCE generator system, and instruments. Sgt Murdrosh checked on the general performance of the engines and superchargers. Sgt Kennedy or Sgt McMurtrey checked the power turrets and guns. Sgt Horstman and Sgt L. J. More checked all the radio equipment. All compasses were swung and driftmeters adjusted by Sgt Hayes.

Later on Capt Sargent took over S-4 (materiel) and became the pilot of the test crew, and still later Capt Beck succeeded as test pilot. A lot of troubles were found and corrected on these flights which helped the missions to be successful. It is estimated that 75% of turn-backs from the target due to mechanical failure were eliminated by test flights to these altitudes.

GENERATOR TEST SET; by M/Sgt Rua C. Hayes, 28th Sqd

By taking an electric motor from an old unused hydraulic pump set, it was possible to make the work of testing electric equipment very easy.

A flexible mount was made for the generator and two pulleys were secured from wrecked car fans. With a V-type belt the motor was made to operate the generator at 2200 rpm.

A wrecked P-40 supplied the generator regulator base and other small parts necessary to make an outfit that would test a generator after overhaul or minor repair, test and adjust voltage regulators, relays and supply current to charge batteries or to operate bombsight or power turrets.

It took better than six weeks to get the odd parts that were necessary for this test set, but the saving of parts; i.e., generators, regulators, and relays by being repaired and then adjusted, as well as labor saving, paid for this test set many times over.

There is no such test equipment in the Army for use in the various squadrons at present.

BOMBSIGHT TEST PANELS; by M/Sgt Rua C. Hayes, 28th Sqd

From a wrecked LB-30 the generator ammeter panel was salvaged, a few more instruments, a lot of different types of switches and a whole lot of wiring with the proper cannon plugs. These gave us a Bombsight Test Panel, which told us all we needed to know about the Bombsight and AFCE as a whole, or of any integral part, either in the shop or in the airplane.

This small test panel worked out so many troubles, was so handy with the Bombsight mechanics that it is aboard a ship being taken to the states to be presented to Wright Field with the suggestion that many similar test panels be made and shipped to various bombardment groups.

MY FIRST TRIP TO THE FOXHOLE; by M/Sgt Rua C. Hays, 28th Sqd

The first time the Japs strafed Djockkjakarta I took the time to go to the instrument building, close the windows, lock the doors and get my steel helmet. On locking the door I heard the tell-tale hum of bees, which signified the Zero’s were near. I stretched my stride so far and put my feet down so fast that I hurdled a barb wire fence, and passed Sgt Rhoton and Sgt Bunch to the fox hole. All the young soldiers were in the foxholes long before Rhoton, Bunch, or myself got there. Bunch was just naturally slow.

On entering the fox hole, I found it was very crowded. One boy pulled his .45 pistol out of the holster and said he was going to get the first Jap that went across the foxhole. His gun and arm were weaving so much from being scared, I guess, that he got dirt in the barrel and the mechanism. I told him to put it away before he killed one of us.

After the Japs left we came out and surveyed the damage and different fires. My liberator, 533, had a close shave as the oil drums around it were burning. Of course there were several shell holes in it. After damage to the field was surveyed business went on as usual.