RAF PRU Aircraft Camera Control Box Type 35

With official designation 'Control Box Type 35 Stores reference 14A/2206' it was designed to work in conjunction with the F24 camera, first introduced in 1925 and used by British and Allied armed forces during WWII and post war. We are advised, with information provided by the Imperial War Museum, these units were designed by the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York.

The F 24 was installed in a wide variety of fighters and bomber aircraft including the PRU Spitfire, the Lancaster and the Mosquito. It was set up to work on the "robot" principle. When the pilot or bomb-aimer presses a button, the rest can be safely left to the T.35 control unit, an ingenious device which can control a whole series of operations—from a 500 exposure reconnaissance requiring exposures at regular intervals, to the synchronisation of the flash explosion of bomb bursts during an operation.

The instrument itself looks to be in good used condition and the original grey paintwork shows wear commensurate with light service use. The top dial can be set to the interval in seconds for the exposures from 5 to 50 seconds The bottom dial controls the number of exposures with a scale from 1 to 125. The unit is marked 24 volts and whilst not dated we believe this to be from the late WWII period or early post war as the T.35 remained in use until the mid-1950's when it was fitted to such aircraft as the Canberra. Whilst we are offering as a collectable and can't guarantee it still works it looks to be in first class condition. The Photo Reconnaissance Unit of the RAF is often undervalued but the PRU boys carried out a critical function often in unarmed aircraft. This controller would make a wonderful addition to a specialist or general RAF collection. Box measures 8"x 4.5" x3" (20 cm x 11 cm x7.5 cm) The unit weighs 1.8 kilos unpacked so please check for a delivered price before ordering!