WWII Part - Buick 1830 Radial Aircraft Engine Piston Rings - B-24 C-47 1944 NEW

Description

Buick Aircraft Engine Piston Rings B-24 C-47
Here's an interesting testimony to America's production might during World War II - one set of unopened and still new
aircraft engine piston rings
in long-term military storage packaging, albeit 74 years old. Fresh as the day they were made in
October 1944
, these iron aircraft engine compression rings were manufactured by the
Buick
plant in Melrose Park, Illinois and destined for use on the Pratt & Whitney patterned
R-1830 14 cylinder radial engine
. The 1830 was the powerplant as used in the
B-24 "Liberator"
heavy bomber and the
C-47 "Skytrain"
or
"Dakota"
transport aircraft. The tag isn't specific as to which engine they were intended for, but the
p/n
of
31406 A
shows up in either aircraft's engine book.
Buick built a remarkable engine. This factory churned out 74,198 of these heavy powerplants during the war years - 43 percent of the total 1830s built. This factory also produced 3.2 million aircraft engine cylinders... some of which are still flying - daily - today around the globe.
There are 5 piston rings in the package, which is sealed with an early type of plastic-like wax coating to keep the rings clean and contamination free. The package would have ended up in the hands of either a front line engine mechanic or a rear echelon engine OH facility - depending on the need  for replacement parts. While the pilots and crews of the Liberator and the Skytrain deserved the glory for their efforts, the unsung heroes were the guys who toiled at night - or in the cold or in the desert or the jungle - to maintain the flying aircraft. Because of their efforts, we're free today.
These rings have sat on numerous shelves in warehouses for the last 74 years. Brand new, you could cut the pack apart with a razor knife and install them today on an engine and they'd work just as intended. The package and the Buick marked tag, however, are a neat display item as they are. You can't help but look at the package, the the little string with the inventory tag and be amazed at how we did it.... five little piston rings... just fives little parts of the millions of items the factories made running day and night at top production to produce war material.
And while these rings are perpetually waiting stuck in 1944, it's very likely that the very folks who made these very pieces in the war plants have passed on.
Useful pieces for their intended purpose, or neat display for the aircraft fan. You decide. Either way it's a great time capsule of when we did truly remarkable things in this country.
And finally, 100 percent of this eBay sale goes to benefit an Arizona group flying, preserving  and propagating WWII vintage aircraft.
What you see in the photo series is exactly what you get. Ships cheapest via USPS First Class Mail. Questions? Please ask seller. And thanks for looking!