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[Greg Daspit]

See attachments for a theory of these artifacts being fasteners for a strap to the Sextant box.

What photo is that a detail from?

The larger image was taken from the online Purdue Archives, image #63
"Amelia Earhart underneath he wing of the Electra"
Zoomed in on it before saving a copy. I think it shows the thread pattern and a possible button or gasket over the smaller hole better than the other images.
It's the box (likely a tool box) to the far left.

The smaller image at the bottom left of the pdf is the same image but a 300dpi copy ordered.
I also ordered their old 600 dpi scan they had on file and ordered a new 600dpi scan but they both came out with too much contrast in that area. I attached the 300 dpi image to the pdf because I beleive it showed what may be teeth better and the screw looks like it has a rounded head and looks off center, similar to the artifact.
What I think is similar is the rounded head screw in one hole and a radial, or fan stitch pattern in the other.  It may be more of a similar method of attaching straps to boxes so they can both be carried and then anchored to the plane than an exact match.

[Greg Daspit]

Here is an image that shows how the bubble octant may have been secured when Fred was with Pan Am.
Here is the link where this picture came from
Note the box has a latch but also has a strap, possibly holding down not just the lid but the whole box to the table.
So if he secured his bubble octant this way he may have wanted to secure his preventer sextant as well, and made modfications to do so.

[Ric Gillespie]

It may be more of a similar method of attaching straps to boxes so they can both be carried and then achored to the plane than an exact match.

Perhaps, but that box beside the mechanic in the photo is certainly not a Brandis sextant box.

[Ric Gillespie]

Here is an image that shows how the bubble octant may have been secured when Fred was with Pan Am.
Here is the link where this picture came from
Note the box has a latch but also has a strap, possibly holding down not just the lid but the whole box to the table.
So if he secured his bubble octant this way he may have wanted to secure his preventer sextant as well, and made modfications to do so.

Nice catch.  I've seen that photo many times but never spotted the bubble octant box with strap.

[Bill Richards]

Here is an image that shows how the bubble octant may have been secured when Fred was with Pan Am.
Here is the link where this picture came from
Note the box has a latch but also has a strap, possibly holding down not just the lid but the whole box to the table.
So if he secured his bubble octant this way he may have wanted to secure his preventer sextant as well, and made modifications to do so.

Just a thought, have the image archives at Si.Edu been searched for AE and FN?  I searched on FN and came up with images I'd never seen of both AE and FN.

[Bill Richards]

I know this is an old thread and my apologies for dredging it up but reading the Lambrecht thread led me to read the Hooven Report and I was struck by the all references to direction finding (DF) equipment, DF Antenna's, DF experience, etc.  So when I saw the images at Si.edu of AE holding a DF loop antenna and saw the letter from Putnam to Weems declining celestial navigation training it seemed like small pieces of the larger puzzle.   

[Randy Conrad]

I don't know bout you guys...but how does Ric sleep with all this excitement building up with possible new leads? It's now 1:30 in the morning in Kansas and I can't believe I'm up looking at metal clips with teeth in them. Okay, here is my thinking. These clips to me resemble the clips used on lawnmowers in a way. If you think about it...take your start/stop bracket on your own push mower at home and then proceed down the handle about  3-4 inches. There you will notice a clip or a bracket that will hold the cable to the start/stop in place. I think the teeth in these little brackets were meant to be used to push into something and at the same time hold a cable or wire of some sorts. The wire would be between the opposite end of the teeth and the teeth area. Mainly under the bend in the clip. Now that I think about it...its a possiblity that these are "grounding clips" to prevent electrical shock in case of a lightning storm or electrical short. I was gonna say that they might hold something under the dash per say...but the more I think about it wanna lean to the grounding clips...that is if the Lockheed Electra had them in the first place! Anyone else wanna take a stab at this...Afterall, you'll be the one buying the donuts...Good Morning Everyone!!!! Have an Awesome Day!!!!