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

Special original Rolls-Royce Ltd. aviation tool kit, manufactured for service work on the famous Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engine.

On the original metal identification plate it states:

ROLLS ROYCE LTD
DERBY & LONDON
ENGLAND
SERVICE TOOL KIT No. 1
AK915 DART
FLIGHT SERVICE KIT 1

This is therefore not a toolkit for Rolls-Royce automobiles, but a specialist Rolls-Royce aero-engine service kit from the aviation field.

Historical background

The Rolls-Royce Dart was one of the most important British turboprop engines in postwar aviation history. Development began in the 1940s, and the Dart would go on to become a particularly successful turbine powerplant.

The engine was used in several well-known passenger, transport and military aircraft. The best known include 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 relationship 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 case

The factory plate identifies this case specifically as:

“FLIGHT SERVICE KIT 1”

The case was intended to house and transport specialized service tools for the Rolls-Royce Dart engine family. Such tools were used for technical work and maintenance on operational aircraft.

The designation AK915 is also present on the original factory plate. Additionally, on the case there is a later red inventory label bearing again:

“DART TOOL KIT AK 915”

This supports the original function of the case as Dart tool equipment.

A second red label bears the designation:

“TO 0006”

The exact meaning and origin of this number have not been established. 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 history of use of the case.

The meaning and dating of these handwritten data have not been established with certainty and are therefore not offered as a production date or proven historical date.

Also, based on the markings present, it has not been determined which airline, air force, maintenance organization or airport used this specific case.

Condition

The case is in clearly used, unrestored condition, appropriate for a historic piece of technical equipment.

There are age and usage traces on the wood, lacquer, metal hardware and the leather handle. The original Rolls-Royce identification plate is still present and clearly recognizable.

Also the old inventory labels, paper labels and other usage markings are preserved.

In my opinion, these traces are an important part of the character and history of the object. The case has not been repainted or restored.

See the photos for a good impression of the exact condition.

Contents

The sale includes the case 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 automobile memorabilia, this is an object from the professional Rolls-Royce aircraft engine world.

The combination of the original Rolls-Royce Ltd. Derby & London factory plate, the designation AK915 DART, Flight Service Kit 1 and the preserved usage and inventory markings makes it an interesting historical aviation object.

The provenance of this specific case and the exact original user have not been documented.