[Collins] Collins part #s

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer]

I don't know of any site with Collins part numbers and what the part was
used on. Many Collins parts were used on multiple products so the
component specification drawings generally didn't show the product the
part was used on. Unless a project made a special effort (as we did for
the 821A-1) it wasn't standard practice to show "used on" on fabricated
parts drawings and assembly drawings.

It was standard practice at Collins for an engineer to look for existing
part numbers of components to use in his design. There was a book of
standard parts, or preferred parts and we were encouraged to used
purchased parts in the standard parts specifications. When we needed new
parts specifications, the project had to PAY the component
specifications department to create the specification and then to
qualify vendors of the part. That qualification including testing
samples to see that they met the specification and the project
environmental requirements, though sometimes I suspect the qualification
tried to prove a commercial grade part was good for military or space
qualified equipment. That could cost a project dearly. A great incentive
to use an existing part number.

At best there used to be ways at Collins to find a aperture card of the
component specification to identify the characteristics of the part, put
probably not the equipment it was used on.

Failing that, the only possibility is to post the part numbers and hope
that someone has the curiosity to look through their collection of
manuals for that part.

73, Jerry, K0CQ, Technical Advisor to the CRA
-- 
Entire content copyright Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer.
Reproduction by permission only.