Toolbox - Rolls-Royce - DART TOOL KIT AK 915 - 1950

Special original Rolls-Royce Ltd. aviation tool chest, manufactured for service work on the famous Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine. The original metal identification plate reads: ROLLS ROYCE LTD DERBY & LONDON ENGLAND SERVICE TOOL KIT No. 1 AK915 DART FLIGHT SERVICE KIT 1 This is not a toolbox for Rolls-Royce automobiles, but a specialist Rolls-Royce aero-engine service kit for aviation. Historical background The Rolls-Royce Dart was one of the most important British turboprop engines in post-war aviation history. Development began in the 1940s, and the Dart would grow into a particularly successful turbine drive. The engine was used in a number of well-known passenger, transport, and military aircraft. Among the best known are the Vickers Viscount, Fokker F27 Friendship, Avro/Hawker Siddeley 748, Handley Page Herald, NAMC YS-11, and the Grumman Gulfstream I. For Dutch collectors, the connection with the Fokker F27 Friendship is especially interesting. This successful Dutch airliner was powered by Rolls-Royce Dart engines and was used worldwide by many airlines and air forces. Function of the chest The factory plate identifies this chest specifically as: “FLIGHT SERVICE KIT 1” The chest was intended to house and transport specialized service tools for the Rolls-Royce Dart engine family. Such tools were used in technical work and maintenance on operating aircraft. The designation AK915 is also on the original factory plate. In addition, there is a later red inventory label on the chest reading again: “DART TOOL KIT AK 915” This supports the original function of the chest as Dart tool equipment. A second red label bears the designation: “TO 0006” The exact meaning and origin of this number have not been determined. It may have been a later internal inventory or registration code of a user or maintenance organization. Original signs of use Inside there are still old paper labels and handwritten markings. These have not been removed and belong to the chest’s history of use. The meaning and dating of these handwritten data have not been determined with certainty and are therefore not offered as production date or proven historical date. Nor, based on the markings present, has it been determined which airline, air force, maintenance organization, or airport used this specific chest. Condition The chest is in clearly used, unrestored condition, appropriate for a historical piece of technical equipment. There are age- and wear-related marks on the wood, varnish, metal fittings, and leather handle. The original Rolls-Royce identification plate is present and clearly legible. The old inventory labels, paper labels, and other usage markings are also preserved. In my opinion, these traces are an important part of the character and history of the object. The chest has not been repainted or restored. See the photos for a good impression of the exact condition. Contents The sale includes the chest and exclusively the contents shown in the photos. There is no guarantee that the original AK915 Flight Service Kit 1 is complete or that any tools present were all originally part of this specific set. Collectible A special piece for collectors of: Rolls-Royce aviation history • Rolls-Royce Dart • Fokker F27 Friendship • Vickers Viscount • historic aircraft engines • aviation tools • British industrial history • vintage aviation memorabilia Unlike the well-known Rolls-Royce automotive memorabilia, this is an object from the professional Rolls-Royce aviation engine world. The combination of the original Rolls-Royce Ltd. Derby & London factory plate, the AK915 DART designation, Flight Service Kit 1, and the preserved usage and inventory markings makes it an interesting historical aviation object. The origin of this specific chest and the exact original user are not documented.

Estimate:£293.05

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