Throat microphone use in WW2
They do that on 747s. The put new layers of canvas on every time they remould the tyre. It used to be a joke years ago that tyres were good for four remoulds; then an Asian airline would buy them and run them for a few more.
In 1953 one of our Lincoln pilots used a throat mike. As his co-pilot I could not understand him half the time. He was continually pressing it hard against his throat in an effort to make his speech more easy to understand. Not a very successful device with four RR Merlins bellowing a few feet away
If you search utube twelve o'clock high ..the tv series..they use throat mikes a lot.
Gotta luv how they drop bombs from 20000ft plus with their oxygen masks pulled down..well I guess we need to see the actors acting.
Gotta luv how they drop bombs from 20000ft plus with their oxygen masks pulled down..well I guess we need to see the actors acting.
On posting to S&R training in the mid 60s, I was told to go to one of the war surplus shops in Soho and buy an ex Army tank crew throat mic (7/6 -- seven shillings and sixpence). This was handed to the s'quippers to change the connector to aircraft type. Our generous masters eventually organised the replacement with the button types. Clear annunciation was the order of the day but, even so, the quality was akin to mumbling with a mouthful of beans!. I assume, (memory fails!) that for the short period in the 50s when I was on Sycamore S&R, we used normal oxy mask mics.
Like many others here I had the 'delight' of using throat mikes on both Whirlwind and Wessex up to the end of the 70's - it was only once the fully fitted bone dome (Mk 3 IIRC) came in to use that a boom mike could be fitted anyway; up until then the old Mk 1 combination - grey helmet on top of grey cloth inner - was not suitable for anything other than an oxygen mask or the throat mike anyway. I must admit I also hated wearing the thing, and always had a sore throat after use.
The other problem with them was that they were permanently on (no muting on either aircraft) so you got to hear everything that everyone else was doing; the only real advantage was that the wind noise from flying with open windows and doors was relatively muted. The biggest problem was the odd passenger (or crew) being airsick. I leave that for those who haven't heard it to imagine!!
The other problem with them was that they were permanently on (no muting on either aircraft) so you got to hear everything that everyone else was doing; the only real advantage was that the wind noise from flying with open windows and doors was relatively muted. The biggest problem was the odd passenger (or crew) being airsick. I leave that for those who haven't heard it to imagine!!
Gentleman Aviator
The biggest problem was the odd passenger (or crew) being airsick. I leave that for those who haven't heard it to imagine!!
Psychophysiological entity
This is my type. Memories again. I recall I ended up with no metal strip in one of the pair. I snapped a distributor points file to the right length and used it for a couple of years.. You had to hold the mics to your throat with finger and thumb every time you transmitted.
A Colchester scrap dealer had piles of O2 masks wit mics as well. All unused. Needed for the cold in Tigers.
https://picclick.com/WWII-British-Mi...434491363.html
A Colchester scrap dealer had piles of O2 masks wit mics as well. All unused. Needed for the cold in Tigers.
https://picclick.com/WWII-British-Mi...434491363.html
To add my two-penn'orth; my Prentice, when I bought it for £700 st Sywell in 1967, came with the original RAF 4-channel valve VHF, together with what I assumed was an original RAF throat mic. I borrowed an fabric hat with integral earphones liberated by a RAF friend. I suppose there must have been 2 jack sockets, mic and earphones, for each seat somewhere, but I have no recollection where. The throat mic worked OK, but after two or thee hours it got very uncomfortable, because it had to be tight to work.
Psychophysiological entity
Hence the finger and thumb method while transmitting. Loose the rest of the time. Bit late telling you now. ;-)
I think those huge brass and Bakalite plugs should be reintroduced, though might increase the ZFW a tad.
I think those huge brass and Bakalite plugs should be reintroduced, though might increase the ZFW a tad.
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COVID-19 throat mics
Seems like these old ww2 items are coming back - me and several pilots talking among ourselves about using throat mics again - wearing masks muffles our speaking a lot - seems like throat mics will be useful again.
Throat microphones used to be available as an optional accessory on the Peltor groundcrew headsets. I saw a British Airways bod using one when standing underneath a Concorde at LBA some years back.
Issued a throat-mike in 82 at the start of aircrerewman training for use on the Mk3 bonedome in the event of a boom-mike failure or when flying in an S6 Respirator. Tried using it once, after-which I acquired a spare boom-mike.
