INSPECTION OF SEA RESCUE EQUIPMENT FOR AIRPLANE CREWS

Year Published: 1943

Creator: Signal Corps

Description: This 1943 War Department training film, “Army Air Forces Sea Rescue Equipment for Airplane Crews Inspection and Maintenance Reel 1,” uses a mix of combat footage and staged shots to show how maintenance crews test and inspect standard issue sea rescue equipment for various aircraft. 00:33 Spitfighters scorch the sky. Unidentified enemy planes attack. A U.S. fighter pilot fires back. One American P-47 is hit by a Japanese Aichi D3A. The pilot bails out and parachutes into the ocean. His life vest inflates. 01:24 A crew sergeant in the parachute equipment room commences with a pilot’s life vest inspection. He opens the mouth valve and blows up the two compartments. He tests the vest under, discovers an air leak and marks it for repair. He fixes the hole by cleaning and brushing the damaged area, applies cement with three coats and adds a patch toping with talcum powder. 04:35 The sergeant inflates the jacket and dunks it in water again. Satisfied there’s no leak, he deflates the vest, continues inspection. He checks both CO2 cylinders and cartridges. He stencils the date of inspection: “3-21-43.” 06:25 Title card 30-day inspection and maintenance of the one-man life raft. 06:30 The sergeant carefully unsnaps a life raft pack, checks for traces of oil and acid, he removes the wrap, unfolds, inflates with an air hose, checks the air pressure, checking it again after one hour. He checks the air pressure again after 24-hours to ensure the pressure holds. He wipes down the inflated raft with soapy water and discovers a small leak. He marks the spot for patching which he does with a cold patch. He checks the CO2 unit and reconnects it to the raft. 10:25 He checks the raft’s accessories: emergency drinking water, sea marker, cold patch repair kit, bullet hole plugs, paddles, sea anchor, bailing cup. He deflates the raft, powders the raft to avoid chaffing the skin of the user, and repacks the raft smoothing out the fabric as he folds and fitting into its pack. 13:11 Title: six-months inspection of the multi-place raft. 13:21 The sergeant inspects the raft. He inflates with compressed air, check the air pressure with a mercury manometer and left inflated for 6-hours. He deflates the raft and checks the manifold valve for dirt, corrosion, mechanical defects. He unscrews each mattress valve. 16:11 He checks the raft’s accessories. fishing kit, knife, tackle and bait, cans of sea marker, drinking water, reversible waterproof cloth. 16:59 He inspects the CO2 canister for dirt, oil, corrosion, defective parts and reinstalls it to the manifold. He removes all remaining air from the raft. 17:42 He repacks accessories and folds the raft and stows it in its case and place the article in cool, dry storage. 18:06 title: 100-hour inspection of the multi-place raft. 18:16 Two maintenance men climb on top of a B-17. The open a compartment , disconnect release cable, unlock the raft compartment and take out the raft and spread it on the wing. Disconnect the release cable placing it back in the compartment.. The raft is taken to a repair shop where the two men unfold it on a table, remove CO2 cylinder. They weigh CO2 cylinder, replacing if need be. All tags are examined, corner edges and seams for chaffing. He checks all mattress valves to make sure they’re closed. The CO2 is reconnected, the raft is powdered. They refold the raft and replace it in its compartment on the plane reconnecting the release cable. They put the raft in the compartment, connect the release cable and set the locks. They fold the raft into the compartment, fastening the cover tight. 24:00 B25 bomb crews climb aboard their ship and take off. 24:22 END

Complete Record: This 1943 War Department training film, “Army Air Forces Sea Rescue Equipment for Airplane Crews Inspection and Maintenance Reel 1,” uses a mix of combat footage and staged shots to show how maintenance crews test and inspect standard issue sea rescue equipment for various aircraft. 00:33 Spitfighters scorch the sky. Unidentified enemy planes attack. A U.S. fighter pilot fires back. One American P-47 is hit by a Japanese Aichi D3A. The pilot bails out and parachutes into the ocean. His life vest inflates. 01:24 A crew sergeant in the parachute equipment room commences with a pilot’s life vest inspection. He opens the mouth valve and blows up the two compartments. He tests the vest under, discovers an air leak and marks it for repair. He fixes the hole by cleaning and brushing the damaged area, applies cement with three coats and adds a patch toping with talcum powder. 04:35 The sergeant inflates the jacket and dunks it in water again. Satisfied there’s no leak, he deflates the vest, continues inspection. He checks both CO2 cylinders and cartridges. He stencils the date of inspection: “3-21-43.” 06:25 Title card 30-day inspection and maintenance of the one-man life raft. 06:30 The sergeant carefully unsnaps a life raft pack, checks for traces of oil and acid, he removes the wrap, unfolds, inflates with an air hose, checks the air pressure, checking it again after one hour. He checks the air pressure again after 24-hours to ensure the pressure holds. He wipes down the inflated raft with soapy water and discovers a small leak. He marks the spot for patching which he does with a cold patch. He checks the CO2 unit and reconnects it to the raft. 10:25 He checks the raft’s accessories: emergency drinking water, sea marker, cold patch repair kit, bullet hole plugs, paddles, sea anchor, bailing cup. He deflates the raft, powders the raft to avoid chaffing the skin of the user, and repacks the raft smoothing out the fabric as he folds and fitting into its pack. 13:11 Title: six-months inspection of the multi-place raft. 13:21 The sergeant inspects the raft. He inflates with compressed air, check the air pressure with a mercury manometer and left inflated for 6-hours. He deflates the raft and checks the manifold valve for dirt, corrosion, mechanical defects. He unscrews each mattress valve. 16:11 He checks the raft’s accessories. fishing kit, knife, tackle and bait, cans of sea marker, drinking water, reversible waterproof cloth. 16:59 He inspects the CO2 canister for dirt, oil, corrosion, defective parts and reinstalls it to the manifold. He removes all remaining air from the raft. 17:42 He repacks accessories and folds the raft and stows it in its case and place the article in cool, dry storage. 18:06 title: 100-hour inspection of the multi-place raft. 18:16 Two maintenance men climb on top of a B-17. The open a compartment , disconnect release cable, unlock the raft compartment and take out the raft and spread it on the wing. Disconnect the release cable placing it back in the compartment.. The raft is taken to a repair shop where the two men unfold it on a table, remove CO2 cylinder. They weigh CO2 cylinder, replacing if need be. All tags are examined, corner edges and seams for chaffing. He checks all mattress valves to make sure they’re closed. The CO2 is reconnected, the raft is powdered. They refold the raft and replace it in its compartment on the plane reconnecting the release cable. They put the raft in the compartment, connect the release cable and set the locks. They fold the raft into the compartment, fastening the cover tight. 24:00 B25 bomb crews climb aboard their ship and take off. 24:22 END