Aircraft Maintenance/Servicing Record Books?

[Joe Potter]

Was it common practice for aircraft maintenence/servicing record books to be taken on operational flights?
TIA Joe Potter.

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Joe,

I can't say for certain during WWII but I would have thought not.

Certainly in the present day RAF (15 years ago anyway) maintenance documentation (F700 series) for a particular a/c is only carried on that a/c under special circumstances, ie a/c in transit to another base without any other means of transporting the documentation.

The reason maintenance docs aren't carried on the a/c they pertain to under normal circumstances is that in the event of an accident where by the a/c is lost at least the maintenance procedures carried out can be scrutinised to help with accident investigation.

Andy Fletcher

[Joe Potter]

Thanks for that Andy, this aircraft was from 3/Küstenfliegergruppe 106, 05.08.1942.

Cheers
Joe

[Chris Goss]

RAF ac had a Travelling F700 which, in the case of Hurricanes, was kept in the cockpit emergency door

[markjsheppard]

Hi

Not sure on German aircraft though a record was located on a Fw190 wreck dug up in Russia. It was on a transit flight with new pilot (after Fw190 was repaired). Gave basic info on flying instructions, Stkz and others. (The name of this doc is at home - can't remember name). Documentation on pilot was also located, fitness/statistics etc to pass to his new unit.

With US aircraft there was a maintenance book held on the ground by the maintenance unit, but also a smaller record book carried in the aircraft for the pilot to fill in if there was any comments.

A P39 rcovered last year from Russia had its maintenance record book (filled in by Russian ground crew/pilots). 80% was readable even though it was recovered from a lake. Covered flying hours, undercarriage rotation, repairs/upgrades, maintenance intervals etc.

This is the only book I have heard about surviving from a recovery/wreck.

regards

MS

[Dennis Peschier]

German aircraft and engines had a "Lebenslaufakten". The British found several of these when they investigated the Auxerre repair facility in France. Unfortionatly the AIR40/1887 document only has extracts from these.
I don't know what a complete one looks like and where they were kept.

Dennis

[red-star25]

In Freiburg are 2 Lebenslaufakten available. One of a Fi 156 and one of a DFS 230. They were held by the unit, there the aircraft was used. After the loss of the aircraft, there were send to a LZA.

Dirk

[Joe Potter]

Thanks all,
So this must have been a one off, left on the aircraft by the black gang.
Cheers All.
Joe.

[TormodChristiansen]

Could it be something like this?

From an earlier post on the old TOCH forum.

regards,
Tormod Christiansen.