1965 Cessna CM2696-1 Dual Fuel Quantity Gauge 0-40 Gal Aircraft Instrument Click here to purchase or contact the seller of this item on eBay
Current Price: 49.99 USD

Original Cessna/Aircraft Instrument & Development CM2696-1 dual fuel-quantity indicator dated September 21, 1965.

This gauge has two independently operating pointers and matching left- and right-tank scales, each calibrated from empty to 40 U.S. gallons. It allowed a pilot to monitor both fuel tanks simultaneously in a single compact cockpit instrument.

IDENTIFICATION

Aircraft brand: Cessna
Manufacturer: Aircraft Instrument & Development, Inc.
Manufacturer abbreviation: AID
Part/model number: CM2696-1
Instrument type: Dual fuel-quantity indicator
Display range: 0–40 U.S. gallons per side
Tank indications: Left and right
Date marking: SEP 21 1965
Additional case marking: J 180927
Configuration: Panel-mounted electrical aircraft instrument
Included: Rear connector and attached wiring pigtail

DIAL AND FUNCTION

The black dial is marked “FUEL U.S. GALS.” and carries two mirrored scales. Each side is graduated at 10, 20, 30 and 40 gallons, with separate empty and full markings and an individual white pointer.

In its original installation, the indicator received electrical signals from fuel-quantity sending units in the aircraft’s tanks. The two pointers converted those signals into separate left- and right-tank quantity readings.

Both needles currently rest at the empty marks while the instrument is disconnected. The gauge is untested.

CESSNA 401/401A ASSOCIATION

The CM2696 instrument family is associated with the Cessna 401 series. The closely related CM2696-L1 is documented in the current aircraft-parts market as a Cessna 401 and 401A dual fuel-quantity indicator. Because suffixes can denote electrical, calibration or installation differences, buyers should compare the exact CM2696-1 part number and connector arrangement with their requirements.

The Cessna 401 was a six- to eight-seat, nonpressurized twin-engine aircraft developed from the larger Cessna 411. It was intended primarily as an executive transport, while the closely related Cessna 402 was developed for passenger, commuter and utility work.

The 401/402 prototype first flew in August 1965. This instrument is dated September 21, 1965—less than one month after that first flight and approximately one year before the 401 and 402 received type certification. Although no records connect this individual gauge to a prototype or particular airframe, its date places it squarely within the earliest Cessna 401/402 development and production period.

MANUFACTURER HISTORY

Aircraft Instrument & Development, Inc. was a Wichita, Kansas aircraft-instrument manufacturer commonly identified by the initials AID. The company produced fuel, engine, flight and electrical instruments for the general-aviation industry and maintained an Allen instrument division. That manufacturing lineage later became associated with R.C. Allen and Kelly Manufacturing.

The instrument’s surviving oval Cessna decal indicates that it was supplied or branded for Cessna rather than being a generic replacement gauge. Both Cessna and AID were part of Wichita’s extensive postwar general-aviation manufacturing industry.

PHYSICAL CONDITION

The instrument remains substantially complete with its face, glass, mounting bezel, cylindrical housing, rear connector and short wiring pigtail.

It shows considerable age and service wear, including:

• Scratches and scuffs
• Paint and finish loss
• Oxidation and discoloration
• Dust and surface grime
• Wear around the mounting holes and bezel
• Haze, dust and marks visible through the lens
• Deteriorated and split pigtail insulation
• Cut and exposed wiring at the end of the pigtail

The original Cessna decal, September 21, 1965 date marking and additional J 180927 case marking remain visible.

The gauge has not been electrically tested. The photographs show the exact instrument and connector included in the sale.