APP Hand Pump

Just shut up and keep pumping!
S/F
Tim

CH-46 APP

When we tired of common terminology - we changed to
"READY GORILLA". Refering to the aircraft systems, of course, and not to the Crew Chief.

i dont know why anyone would want to be in a helicopter powered by the 46's apu. It is made by international harvester and was originally designed for water irrigation. BTW they make 65 shaft horsepower, burns 92 lbs per hour of fuel. and becomes self sustaing at 90%. They are tricky little ****ers, more tempermental then a gunny could ever be. BTW, If someone could tell me about the cabin heaters backin the day i would appreciate it. Is it true they used to insulation in the cabin and panels over the wires?

APP Photo

Still Hummin

APP

I spent a lot of time back there! Always changing APP motor/pumps.
S/F
Tim

APE was real?????

FNG just out of Ops school in Memphis was assigned to HMM-365 S-3. After all the mechs sent the new guy that just wanted to help to group for a couple yards of flight line or the bucket of prop wash.....I wasn't gonna let em get me with the ape thing.

We live and learn!!!

Hunting for Flight "line"

James,
Don't feel like the "Lone Ranger" there. We all went through that, and I even did it at HMM-365, New River, same as you. I was just a couple of years earlier, in 1966. After the flight "line" ordeal, I was sent all the way to the H&MS hanger for a bucket of "prop wash"!! LOL!! That was when '365 was all the way at the south end of the "new" hangar!! What a hike that was!! I was NOT pleased when I found out it was another joke and went looking for the prankster that sent me on my wild goose chase, but he has high tailed it when he saw me coming with steam rolling out of my ears! It was all part of our "initiation" into Marine aviation, from the ranks of school/training. After that WE were the ones sending the "boots" off for the silly stuff!
The "Ape" is a real deal though. Actually a synonym for APP (Auxillary Power Plant) we've been calling them "apes" for years. You're indeed correct, we do live and learn.
Semper Fi
Joe

Wow! Reading through those posts sure brought back memory, recognition and some laughs!

That picture from Tom Thompson showing the APE sure looks familiar. I was a bubble chaser on 34s in New River, 46s in New River and most of the time elsewhere. In-Country I was on 53s then back to 46s. I remember working on a 46 aboard LPH 10 or 11, I was on both and don't remember which it was now. Anyway I was up there on that tiny a$$ platform working on or changing a pump, or bleeding it, or something in rough seas. The bird was parked, tail over the deck, when the boat hit a big wave, my hands were wet with water and Hydraulic fluid when I dang near fell off that platform, which would have been "Man overboard". Anyway I caught myself, cut my hand up in the process, and managed to get down off that platform safely. I don't remember ever going up there again in bad weather, aboard a ship. I don't remember for sure but I think I changed out of wet clothes when I got back to my quarters. I'm not sure all the "wet" was just water either. Whew!

Man, I sure remember the pink T-Shirts too, and yes they were Pink for the very reason mentioned above. Oh, and as memory serves the APE pressure was 3000 psi.

Isn't it a surprise we survived our youth?

app's

i concurr with all of the very knowledgeable c/c that ever had to
pump that little handle ....... FNG"S both pilots and 1st rags learned fast
about the start switch ha ha .... i had a great 1st , long armed irish red headed kid ...... by the time we left he had muscles
on his muscles..... but enough fun the heater and ducting
were removed when we hit in country ...disconnected fuel line
to heater up on top in front cowling... ripped the insulation out also so that nothing could get left be hind it ....

MAYBE THE NEXT TIME WE GET NEAR ONE. WE CAN SEE WHO CAN PUMP IT UP FASTER OLD PILOTS OR CREW CHIEF LOL

LOL on the Yards of flight and bucket of prop/rotor wash. Most all of us did it had or watched it happen. But once in a blue moon a Smart ^&* would find an Air Force and get the real Prop Wash, There really is a stock for it.

Top A

Greetings Top -

Sorry I didn't reply to your earlier question about Detroit's Finest.
I didn't see the question until todat when I was scrolling up throught earlier posts. To (finally) anwser your question:

When I got out of the Corps, I went to work for the Detroit Police Avaition Division crewing on the helo that they were using for the Harbor Master. Oddly enough, we had a pilot named Moon Mullins - quite a character. I knew he had flow helo's in the military - he was pretty mum on the subject, so I never pressed it. When I saw our Moon Mullins reply on a post, I had to ask.

As far as SANG (Selfrige Air National Guard Base), I drive past the perimeter road every day on my way to work. Never see any helo's - it's all F-16's, C-130's & C-141's. There's been a big push for years to shut the base down. Valuable Real Estate -

Semper Fi

Tom

What a hoot !!

We had some wise acre's that had us going from squadron to squadron searching for "Frequency Grease"

A True, no BS, APP tale-----

About a million years ago, in early 1967, as a 19 year old Crew Chief, we were somewhere South of Ky Ha, RVN and took a round in the aft pylon area, near the aft transmission. While still in flight, I dropped the aft hatch for a quick look and oil came gushing down. After slithering myself up the oily aft hatch, with the help of one of the gunners, yours truly immediately concluded that we had taken a round in the aft transmission - because the oil level in the glass gauge showed ZERO! The Pucker Factor rose to MAXIMUM effect, at which time I informed the pilot, in no uncertain terms, to set her down NOW before we became a large green brick.

Once on the ground, in an area we were not sure was friendly, with engines and rotors shut down, that darn gauge showed FULL! It was then that we discovered that what had been hit was the oil reservoir of the APP. Now with no APP and no engines, how do we get out of the zone? The REACT team had to come out with another APP.

For the past 30+ years, every time I see GYSGT Walt Jones, Line Chief, or SSGT Otis (Big-O) Felder, the REACT Team Leader at that time, they always asks me the same question, but now they do not use all those colorful expicatives that Big-O used when he arrived in the zone that day

Big-o: ''Son, what does the aft transmission oil level gauge show when the transmission is engaged?''

Me: ''It always shows ZERO!"

Big-O: ''And why is that, Son?"

Me: ''Well, because the oil is swirling around in the transmission when it's engaged''

I must admit that I honestly welcome the good natured ribbing from my old friends, especially considering the possible consequences from taking a round in the aft transmission that day.

Tom thanks for reply late as maybe. SANGB deactivated the HMM and VMO moved to Alanta, Ga in late 70's Had 34's, 46's and OV10's when I was there oh and GySgt Otis Fielder.