chronology and typology
from
regulators CG45
marketed from 1946 to 1955
The CG45 or the unnamed regulator ...
It was in 1945 that Commander Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Émile Gagnan filed the patent for the COUSTEAU-GAGNAN autonomous diving suit.
It is then a device made up of a portable compressed air reserve (made up of 1,2 or even 3 aluminum bottles) equipped with a demand regulator which is the centerpiece.
This regulator allows to offer sufficient air, automatically relaxed in the diver's lungs.
Its dorsal position ensures maximum respiratory comfort, the membrane being at the height of the bronchi.
It consists of two relaxing floors. The first stage transforms the high pressure into an intermediate pressure (called medium pressure) of approximately 11.5 bars The second stage supplies air at the prevailing ambient pressure on demand at any depth.
Its ease of use effectively eliminates the risk of shortness of breath.
Its design can not cause a lack of air, its open circuit on expiration, leads the bubbles out of the field of vision.
To launch its marketing, Air Liquide will create a subsidiary: SARL LA SPIROTECHNIQUE which was created on May 26, 1946.
At the very beginning, the first regulators of the COUSTEAU-GAGNAN autonomous scuba did not have a manufacturer's plate, the serial number was stamped either on the front pan (for the first), or on the high-pressure body on the following ones and that at least until the end of 1946.
It was not until 1947 that the first manufacturer's plate appeared, no name, just the following inscription:
SCUBA DIVING SUIT
COUSTEAU-GAGNAN
SGDG patented
SPIROTECHNICS
SARL
Headquarters 6 Rue Cognacq Jay, Paris VII
No. 001
It was not until 1955, at the exit of the Mistral, that the regulator will be considered as an element that cannot be separated from the rest of the SCUBA. Divers will call it CG45 (abbreviation of Cousteau-Gagnan 1945), a name that will remain until today.
This regulator will be marketed from 1946 to 1956 knowing that in 1956 it will be produced only in a hookah version.
Indeed, the CG45 is the only double-pipe regulator of the brand that is convertible into a hookah and vice versa. It suffices for that to remove the mechanism of the first stage by locking the hole with a plug provided for this purpose on the membrane side and then replacing the caliper with a low pressure connection where the hookah pipe can be connected.
The typology and chronology of GC45
I divided the CG45 into 2 main types :
The CG45 says archaic mess tin (1946–1949) which is the rarest. It is divided into 3 versions subjected to the expansion of the regulator between 1946 and 1949: l es without a nameplate , the large SARL plates and small SARL plates
The CG45 says standard and PRO (1950-1956) bowl which is the most common. We see it appear in the 1950s with the PRO version which is used on the new PHOQUE garment, then spread from 1951 on all models with a standard version in addition when switching from LA SPIROTECHIQUE to SA.
ARCHAIC RANGE CG45
The CG45 with archaic bowl can be recognized to their fine tubes with a diameter of 22 mm and more particularly to the expiration tube which is bent at 45 °.
The reason is simple: on the first diving suits the regulator was mounted behind the bottle and this elbow allowed the corrugated pipe to be brought back to the front without bending it. Unfortunately this positioning exposed the regulator to shocks during a fall and even more serious when diving, by subjecting the corrugated pipes to rocks or to the sharp sheets of wrecks ...
This configuration will be quickly abandoned in order to bring the regulator back between the plunger and the bottle in order to protect it, no longer needing to bend the expiration tube.
THE CG45 WITHOUT MANUFACTURER'S PLATE
At first the serial number was stamped directly on the expiration bowl then subsequently on the back on the HP body just next to the caliper, the regulators from this period date from 1946.
I only know of 3 copies: serial number 150, 516 and 568. This variant is therefore very rare. These first regulators were sold with a metal ferrule of the FERNEZ type. In the gallery you have the image presenting the regulator in the catalog of 1946.
LES CG45 À GROSSE PLAQUE SARL
In 1947, the first manufacturer's plate called large plate SARL appeared. You can see Maurice Fargues a few minutes before his fateful dive of September 17, 1947 prepare his diving suit with his large plate SARL regulator on a photo presented below.
There was probably a transition period alternating regulators with or without a plate.
This hypothesis is based on the fact that I found N ° 537 with a large SARL plate and N ° 568 without plate but with the serial number stamped on the HP body.
The CG45 with large SARL plate is marketed with a large rubber tip produced by GODEL for Spirotechnique.
Note that the serial number 864 ends with the letter N. It is mounted in narghile so maybe N for narghile ....
This regulator would come from the arsenal of the Orient. We do not know the reason for the presence of this letter, however even if to date it is the only large SARL plate known with this peculiarity we can assume that a small series has been edited.
The largest serial number of a CG45 large plate SARL known to date is No. 1097 which means that a quantity of approximately 550/600 units has been produced but the majority have been destroyed at the outlet of the regulator. MISTRAL. My research has enabled me to find only 11 around the world, which makes it one of the rarest regulators and the most sought after by collectors.
Below is a slideshow of the 11 large plaques from private collections that I have found to date around the world: numbers 537 - 631- 684 - 763 - 856 - 864N - 941 - 969- 970 - 1080 - 1097 ( click to enlarge the photos)
THE CG45 À PETITE PLAQUE SARL
In 1949 (perhaps at the end of 1948) appears the CG45 with a small SARL plate, it comes in 2 variants:
-That with the archaic bowl which is still produced but the GODEL rubber tip is replaced by a straight metal tip of the Fernez type.
-That with the first standard bowl from 1950 with a so-called PRO (professional) configuration. It has been specially developed for the brand new constant volume garment developed by Spirotechnique: the PHOQUE suit.
On this bowl, the tubes have a larger diameter since we go from 22 to 25mm knowing that the expiration one is no longer curved. They have tin-welded threaded connections that not only allow the regulator to be fitted with the famous PRO nozzle but also to easily separate the corrugated pipes at the level of the bowl or the nozzle which remains attached to the hood of the seal garment. .
At the present time the smallest serial number of a known CG45 small plate SARL is the N ° 1137 and the largest N ° 1871 , that is to say a production estimated at around 750 to 800 units. Despite this, I have only managed to identify about twenty units around the world to date, simply because many have been thrown to the scrap when leaving the regulator MISTRAL.
An important detail, the first SARL small plate units were mounted "to the large plate", that is to say vertically, the length of the plate perpendicular to the pipes. It was probably only from 1950 (around serial number 1200) that the plates would be fixed horizontally. This is explained because until 1950 the tubing of the bowls were aligned and horizontal compared to the plan.
There are also 2 special cases found to date, the number N ° 516 of which I speak below and N ° 583 . It should be understood that today we are working on hypotheses based on observations because unfortunately the archives of LA SPIROTECHNIQUE were destroyed during the move from Levallois to Carros and that all the pioneers of the SPIRO have died nowadays.
It would seem that in the year 1949, (for me the most probable hypothesis), LA SPIROTECHNIQUE sold as spare parts pans fitted with small SARL plates, noting the serial number at the request of its owner. But that very quickly this practice would have been abandoned (from 1950?) By selling a virgin saucepan, without a plate, less restrictive for the after-sales service.
THE CG45 WITH STANDARD RANGE
In 1950, the manufacture of the archaic type bowl was definitively abandoned in favor of a new variant in parallel with the standard PRO version, which I named the standard version.
In appearance similar to the PRO, it is identified by the absence of tin threaded fittings on the pipes and by a new straight metal end piece shorter than the Fernez type of 1949. This end piece will be kept when the regulator is released. Mistral in 1955 and will be called thereafter "D10 tip", a term taken from the standard Mistral reference in the 1962 LA SPIROTECHNIQUE catalog.
SMALL PLATE SA CG45
In 1950 to meet the demand for the production of the COUSTEAU-GAGNAN autonomous diving suit, the status of LA SPIROTECHNIQUE changed from SARL to SA.
We therefore see a new small manufacturer's plate with the mention SA LA SPIROTECHNIQUE.
SCUBA DIVING SUIT
COUSTEAU-GAGNAN
SGDG patented
SPIROTECHNICS
HER
Headquarters 6 Rue Cognacq Jay, Paris VII
No. 001
To date, I have found CG45s with a small SA plate included between serial number N ° 1960 to N ° 6194.
THE VARIANTS OF CG45 A PETITE PLAQUE SA
The CG45 with small plate SA are divided into 2 groups:
The first group consists of regulators having serial numbers stamped with coarse digits (to date including serial numbers N ° 1960 to N ° 5127 )
There are mainly regulators mounted in caliper because the hookah versions were produced only on demand for professionals.
The second group of CG45 with SA plate is a last series produced in 1956. It probably consists of 1000 units comprising exclusively CG45 hookahs having the particularity of having an elbow low pressure connection, unlike previous hookahs which have a connection in the extension of the HP body.
In addition, their serial number is stamped with fine digits like those used on Mistral regulators from 1956.
This hypothesis is based on my observations made in private and museum collections, ranging from serial number N ° 5206 to N ° 6194 included, knowing that the latter is the largest serial number known to date for a regulator. CG45.
The variants of the first group
There are 2 variants:
A series produced in 1951, with at least 230 units with a serial number ending with the letter M (from serial number N ° 2542M to No. 2772M with certainty). The significance is unknown at this time, but probably a series for the Navy.
Another variant with at least 177 regulator units will be produced in 1953 with the so-called "upside-down" plate. (from serial number N ° 4051 at No. 4228 with certainty). This name comes from the fact that if we rig the CG45 normally (pipes facing upwards) the plate appears Upside down. This is not a factory fitment error as I have read on some discussion board. This series is designed to be rigged with the tubes down in order to increase the protection of the rubber hoses (possibly for use in caving). Of course by respecting this configuration the plate will appear upright. This assembly will even be taken up later by the Spanish manufacturer NEMROD on the SNARK III regulator with black label.
The second group
As previously explained, the hookah version was produced occasionally and on demand until 1955. The body is exactly the same as the caliper version, just the first stage mechanism is removed, replaced by a cap on the membrane side, and the caliper replaced by a connection for the Low Pressure hose .
In 1956, LA SPIROTECHNIQUE released a last series probably of 1000 units of CG45 all in a hookah version, which I called the late hookah version of the CG-45 regulator . The manufacturer's plate is therefore an SA THE SPIROTECHNIQUE.
Unlike all CG45s which use up to when large numbers to punch their serial number, the serial numbers of this latest edition are stamped with small numbers identical to those of MISTRAL marketed from 1956 and bearing the address 27 RUE TRÉVOIS LEVALLOIS (Seine).
This confirms in my opinion that this late production took place in parallel with the production of the first MISTRAL regulators ( Seine) because the MISTRAL manufactured in 1955 with the address "6 RUE COGNACQ JAY PARIS VII" have their serial numbers stamped with large numbers like the previous CG45.
So in 1956 there was abandonment of the machine which marked the digits of serial numbers in a crude manner.
SPECIAL CASES OF CG45
We have to put ourselves in the context of the time, we are in the infancy of scuba diving and there is not yet a standard like today, everything has to be put in place.
The CG45 often underwent modifications according to the experience of its owner.
They could undergo transformations in order to repair it, improve its performance or simply customize it.
It should also be understood that the pioneer divers, often made up of former soldiers, were very proudly attached to the serial number of their regulator.
The latter symbolized their hierarchy in the seniority of the divers.
It is probably through this tradition that LA SPIROTECHNIQUE has long put their serial number on its regulators, prominently on a manufacturer's plate, whereas its primary function is to allow after-sales follow-up.
This attachment to a small number over a serial number is still relevant today in the world of collectors. For example a Mistral with the address COGNACQ JAY has more sentimental and market value with a 2 or 3 digit serial number than with 4 ... and yet they all date from the production year of 1955.
CG45 without manufacturer's plate with PRO or standard bowl
The diving cylinders at that time had no base and consequently they did not stand alone ... causing numerous falls and deformation of the regulator bowls, forcing their owner to change them.
LA SPIROTECHNIQUE sold bowls for this purpose in its spare parts list…
At the beginning around 1948 it surely proposed a manufacturer's plate with the front bowl by proposing to stamp the serial number of the regulator but very quickly it had to abandon this process which was too restrictive for the after-sales service.
From 1950 it will only sell a front bowl without the manufacturer's plate.
This is the reason why we find a lot of CG45 whose saucepan in the humid chamber has no plate, nor the 4 small holes of the rivets of a part plate.
It is by no means a military CG45! They should not be confused with the archaic 1946 CG45s either which have their serial number engraved on the HP body.
The problem with these CG45s is that they cannot be dated precisely without the serial number.
Archaic CG45s without plate and without serial number stamped on the HP body
These are simply former SARL plate regulators!
Same as the case mentioned above, following the vagaries of the dives, the pan had to be changed.
I only know of one copy exhibited at the Dumas museum in Sanary, it is mounted in a hookah.
The CG45 with large SARL plate mounted in a PRO bowl
This is simply an upgrade made by the owner at the time.
Indeed the particularity of the regulator CG45 is to be convertible and modular:
You can change the rear bowl and the archaic exhalation nozzle against a nozzle standard PRO without adaptation worries!
This made it possible to adapt the regulator to use with the constant volume PHOQUE.
Analysis of CG45 serial number 516
Finally, here is probably the best example showing the complexity of dating a certain CG45 regulator.
At first glance we are in the presence of a "Small SARL plate" with an archaic bowl fitted with the rare and mythical FERNEZ tip from 1946. We can deduce that it dates from 1949 because its plate is fixed vertically "to the large plate.
This is what I name the plates which are mounted with the length parallel to the base of the exhalation nozzle, like the large SARL plates.
After 1949 all the small SARL or SA plates found appear horizontal when the regulator is rigged on the block, forming an angle of 45 ° with respect to the base of the exhalation nozzle.
Indeed, before 1949 the pipes of the saucepans were positioned horizontally in relation to the plane.
By observing it more closely we realize that its serial number is 516, which does not correspond to the chronology established previously.
By turning over the regulator we see that the serial number has been stamped at the base of the HP body.
We are undoubtedly in front of an old CG45 without plate from 1946, hence the Fernez tip.
What happened to him ? I think that its former owner simply wanted to put a nameplate on it or that the pan was damaged when the diving suit fell.
After reflection it is obvious that this modification dates from the beginning of 1949, because probably during a short period LA SPIROTECHNIQUE supplied the front bowl with a small SARL plate positioned vertically as a spare part, stamping the serial number of the regulator.
chronology and typology
from
hookah regulators
marketed from 1946 to 1978
A hookah regulator is generally used in professional diving (rarely in recreational diving). It allows underwater work to be carried out without the weight and bulk of a diving unit and therefore offers more freedom of movement, the diver wearing the double-pipe hookah regulator using a harness (harness) . It is supplied with compressed air at medium pressure (about 10 bar) by means of a long hose (average length of 30 meters), connected at the surface to a medium pressure compressor or a reserve of high pressure air expanded to medium pressure by through a first floor.
In 1943, among the 3 prototypes of air-liquid regulators, one of them was in a hookah version, it is the one you see in the photograph below, the only one that I know of. It is the "ancestor" of the hookahs from LA SPIROTECHNIQUE which will be marketed until 1976, since after this date the professional branch will be abandoned by the brand.
There are 3 models of double pipe hookahs marketed between 1951 and 1978.
THE CG45 NARGUILÉ
As explained on page CG45 the hookah version was produced occasionally and on demand until 1955. The body is exactly the same as the caliper version, just the first stage mechanism is removed, replaced by a cap on the membrane side, and the caliper replaced by a connection for the Low Pressure hose .
In 1956, LA SPIROTECHNIQUE released a last series probably of 1000 units of CG45 all in hookah version, which I called the late hookah version of the CG-45 regulator .
THE CG45 MISTRAL PLATE HARNESS
Released in 1957, the CG45 / MISTRAL hookah keeps the characteristics of the CG45 with a "US DIVERS" type body with its MP connection at 30 ° to the case. It is mounted with a MISTRAL nameplate and will be marketed until 1964. One point of clarification, the HP body does not allow the first stage mechanism to be reassembled to transform it into a caliper regulator, as was the case on the narghile CG45 . A final feature the serial numbers of all these hookahs end with the letter G without knowing the meaning.
THE MISTRAL NARGUILE
The MISTRAL hookah written with a U was released in 1965 and only a small series of 400 copies will be produced. It is therefore one of the rarest regulators to find ...
The front pan will remain that of the CG 45 while the rear pan is that of the MISTRAL. Abandonment of clips to close the case in favor of the ring which facilitates its maintenance and new more efficient low-pressure mechanism similar to the mechanism of the second stages with a mouth with an oversized nozzle.
The manufacturer's plate is of good quality and does not electrolysis in a marine environment. It is equipped with a BP outlet on a ball joint allowing to adapt a 4L bottle unit equipped with an integrated first stage regulator thus allowing to have a redundancy in air in the event of a surface failure of the LP compressor.
THE NARGHILE MISTRAL
In 1968 LA SPIROTECHNIQUE changes the spelling of narghile and decides to write it with an H. It will be marketed until 1976, when LA SPIROTECHNIQUE, which is going through an unprecedented financial crisis, decides to stop its professional branch. Its manufacturer's plate is made of aluminum and electrolyses quickly in contact with the marine environment.
It is for this reason that it is difficult to find one with manufacturer's plates in good condition. It was produced in total less than 3000 NARGHILÉ MISTRAL or about 300 copies per year, so it is a relatively rare regulator.
Commander COUSTEAU will be releasing his CG45 autonomous spacesuit in the late 1940s and early 1950s intensively (Grand Congloué and Red Sea campaign to name but a few). He will quickly realize that he needs a more robust and easier to maintain regulator for his future expeditions around the world.
He then asked his engineers at LA SPIROTECHNIQUE to redesign the design of the CG45.
It is in this spirit that the idea was born of abandoning the double-stage trigger for that of a single stage… Inspired by the water lung regulator designed by Georges Hérail.
chronology and typology
from
MISTRAL regulators
marketed from 1955 to 1976
Chronology of the manufacturer's plates for MISTRAL regulators.
There are 4 types of plates with 3 different addresses of LA SPIROTECHNIQUE.
Indeed, between 1955 and 1977 LA SPIROTECHNIQUE will have moved two times from premises before settling definitively in CARROS in 1978.
Between 1955 and 1960 the MISTRAL regulator will therefore be marketed in 2 different models:
-A standard version with a fixed tip, called tip D 10
-A Pro version with removable tip, called tip D 10 P, to adapt the garment at constant volume "SEAL"
From 1961 will be added a third version, the one with the hoses with contiguous turns and an AQUA-STOP nozzle, called D10 E nozzle.
It took me 2 good years to achieve the most precise chronology possible, here is the work of my research below.
THE MISTRAL "COGNACQ JAY"
In 1955 the MISTRAL regulator leaves the workshops located "Cours la Reine, in BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT" to replace the CG-45 regulator that it will rub shoulders during this year.
It is the same address as that of the CG45 plates, it is relatively rare which makes this version of MISTRAL sought after by collectors. This regulator has been produced around 2500 copies (certainty up to N ° 2526 , see photo below).
Originally, the housing of this regulator closes with staples, because the ring (or collar) did not come out until 1957. Nowadays we meet "COGNACQ JAY" with ring because subsequently the clips have been abandoned, less practical for the maintenance of the regulator, without forgetting the fact that they often break during disassembly.
Note two other more technical points on this first generation of MISTRAL: the HP seat which is machined in the HP body and the lug hole in the rear bowl which prevents the HP body from pivoting on its axis is absent on the first models then positioned above relative to the inspiration nozzle, unlike future downward-facing versions.
There is a small series edited with a letter A at the end of the serial number , probably military or professional because the MISTRAL are mounted with a pro tip (D 10 P). I have found 3 copies currently. This series is included with certainty between the numbers 1369A to 1419A . We can assume that a hundred units were produced.
THE MISTRAL "TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS"
The Mistrals with the address 27 RUE TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS are divided into 2 main groups. Those ending with (Seine) which will be marketed from 1956 to 1967 and range from serial number N ° 2779 to N ° 26439 for sure. Then those ending with the number (92) which will be marketed from 1968 to 1970.
The address ending in (Seine) is available in 4 Mistral regulator variants, details of which you will find below, the 1956 variant, the 1957 variant, the 1961 variant and the 1962. The latter marks the end of the evolution of the regulator and led to the advent of the Royal Mistral in 1963.
THE MISTRAL "56"
In 1956 LA SPIROTECHNIQUE moved into large premises in LEVALLOIS.
On the nameplate a new address is born:
"27 RUE TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS (Seine)" . It is "MISTRAL 56". This MISTRAL is identical at "COGNACQ JAY", only the address of the plate is different. The characters on the plate are in fine letters of the same thickness, the case closes with staples and the HP seat is machined into the body.The smallest serial number that I know of to date from MISTRAL 56 is N ° 2757 ( Photo 7 ) and larger number N ° 3789 ( Photo 8 ). Which means this variant is probably the rarest ... but not necessarily the most sought after, at least for now.
From that year on, the CG45 only survives in the narghile version.
THE MISTRAL "57"
In 1957 the MISTRAL evolves as mentioned above, with the release of the rod to replace the clips, which allows easier handling of the regulator. But also, and in a more discreet way, a new HP body with removable HP seat and the lug hole facing downwards on the rear bowl.
We also differentiate this new series of MISTRAL by their plate: the "LA SPIROTECHNIQUE" now appears in thick characters compared to the commercial address. The smallest serial number that I know to date is N ° 4408 ... probably a MISTRAL produced at the very beginning of 1957. That year the CG45 permanently disappeared from the LA SPIROTECHNIQUE catalog.
The largest serial number of a MISTRAL "57" known to date is 26459, it dates from 1967.
It should also be understood that from 1961 and until 1967 the MISTRAL will be available in 3 versions each with the type of plate of the MISTRAL "57"
THE MISTRAL "61" or SUPER MISTRAL
In 1961 MISTRAL appeared with pipes with contiguous turns and AQUA-STOP end piece first generation.
This is the famous MISTRAL 61, also called SUPER MISTRAL, it can be found referenced in the LA SPIROTECHNIQUE catalog under the reference D10E .
This new mouthpiece is a failure, it is uncomfortable and equipped with a phonic membrane ... which does not work!
It will evolve the following year in its second final version, with the tip offset from the axis to create a comfortable chin bar and the sound membrane will be abandoned. This is called the MISTRAL 62 version.
Note that LA SPIROTECHNIQUE will change under warranty the replacement of the first generation nozzle in 1962, making the MISTRAL 61 with its original nozzle rare ... I have so far found number 10233 and 14430 with a first generation AQUA-STOP nozzle.
From 1961 there will therefore be 3 models of MISTRAL offered for sale in the spirotechnics catalog:
-The model with a fixed nozzle (also called Mistral standard) or Mistral D10 .
-The model with a removable tip (also called Mistral Pro), or Mistral D10P , to adapt the garment with constant volume "SEAL".
-The model with an Aqua-stop (also called Super Mistral) or Mistral D10E tip.
These 3 models with the plate 27 RUE TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS (Seine) will be marketed until 1967 and the largest serial number known to date is 26439.
THE MISTRAL "62"
The MISTRAL "62" regulator corresponds to the final evolution of the regulator which will lead in 1963 to the release of the ROYAL MISTRAL regulator.
THE MISTRAL "92"
In 1964, July 10 exactly, a law was promulgated for the reorganization of the Paris region is a modification of the territorial administration of the district of the Paris region. This decree will come into force on January 1, 1968. The Seine department, so named since 1795, will be replaced by those of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne) and of Seine-et-Oise (replaced by those of Essonne, Yvelines, and Val-d'Oise). Seine-et-Marne was not affected by this redistribution. Thus the (seine) is replaced by the number 92 from 1968 . It will now appear at the address "27 RUE TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS 92" . The label of this MISTRAL is rare in good condition because its paint is of poor quality and the plate tends to oxidize quickly in the marine environment. This regulator goes from serial number 26878 to 32948 for sure. This address will only be marketed for 3 years from 1968 to 1970.
THE MISTRAL "MARIUS AUFAN"
At the beginning of 1970 the SPIROTECHNIQUE abandoned its dilapidated premises on rue TRÉBOIS in LEVALLOIS to move to a new building in the same town, where all administrative services, as well as design offices and workshops will be grouped together. Officially, the abandonment of 27 RUE TRÉBOIS LEVALLOIS will be on March 1, 1971 for resellers (Photo 19).
A new address is therefore born, it is "114 RUE MARIUS AUFAN 92"
It will also be the last because in 1977, the SPIROTECHNIQUE abandons the manufacture of MISTRAL (as well as its professional branch) and moves to Carros, on the outskirts of Nice, a move which will end in October 1977. This address goes from serial number 33342 to 39488 (Photo 20) with certainty.
SPECIAL CASES OF MISTRAL REGULATORS
The chronology established above corresponds to the MISTRAL regulators marketed in the trade, commonly called civil MISTRAL.
However, LA SPIROTECHNIQUE also produced small series on demand for specific customers such as the army or the team of Commander COUSTEAU.
I let you discover what I managed to find.
THE MISTRAL OF THE COUSTEAU TEAM
Commander COUSTEAU launched a new odyssey at the start of the 1980s: Rediscovering the world.
He equips his divers with a new look, no more black wetsuits with yellow bands, now they are silver with black bands. In addition, a new streamlined diving suit was created equipped with 4 small carbon fiber bottles capable of withstanding inflation at 300 bars.
To equip his diving suits, he asks LA SPIROTECHNIQUE to make a small series of MISTRAL equipped with DIN 300 bars with the rest of the spare parts kept by the company. Another special feature is that they bear a 114 RUE MARIUS AUFAN LEVALLOIS (92) plate without a serial number and the corrugated pipes are longer than those used previously.
THE MILITARY MISTRAL
According to the information that I have been able to find to date the French army and navy have used several versions of MISTRAL regulators including
- standard versions without any modification
- a "militarized" version with GODEL tip, painted black and whose identification plate was removed
- a "demining" version with exit above the diver via a snorkel held by a float whose bowl was soundproofed by caulking
THE "NATIONAL MONITOR" MISTRAL
This version of the MISTRAL regulator is very rare and we owe this photo to Philippe ROUSSEAU. This is a "limited edition" series made by Spiro following an order from the FFESSM which wanted to offer this regulator to its national instructor promotion majors. Even if I do not know over what period this gift was offered, we can assume that there must not be many ... and jealously kept by their owners ...
chronology and typology from ROYAL MISTRAL regulators
marketed from 1963 to 1985
In 1963, the ROYAL MISTRAL regulator, "son of MISTRAL 1961", came out of the Spiro workshops. It uses the new corrugated hoses with contiguous turns and the evolutionary version of the AQUASTOP tip released in 1962, with the tip offset upwards, considerably improving comfort in the mouth thanks to the chin guard thus created. New clamps with stainless steel screws are also created to fix the corrugated pipes.
The regulator bowl is completely redesigned:
- No more round exhalation holes, but flat holes with rims limiting the intrusion of foreign bodies that could damage the membrane.
- New manufacturer's plate without rivet, on the principle of fixing by folding pasta as in the USA.
- Inside the mechanism is the same as the MISTRAL, except the nozzle of the venturi effect has been modified following the evolution of the volume of the bowl.
There are 2 generations of Royale Mistral, the first (1963 to 1979) with the crown plate and the second in black (1980 to 1985), without annotation COUSTEAU-GAGNAN but just with the logo of the spirotechnique and its name in yellow.
THE ROYAL MISTRAL FIRST GENERATION
In 1963 , the first Royal-Mistrals were released without an HP outlet for a pressure gauge.
You can recognize them because they all have a small serial number (probably less than 10,000) and their nameplate features a navy blue color and a deep yellow crown.
Note also that a Royal-Mistral version with PRO tip was marketed, as can be seen in the catalogs of the time.
Around 1967 the plates came out with a blue-gray color and a "pissy" yellow probably following a change of subcontractor on the part of the Spiro.
Around this period, SPIROTECHNIQUE will also decide to export its regulator by attacking the German and Anglo-Saxon market . A DIN version will be released for this purpose. and an I-seat (international, diameter 17.8mm) for the overshoot.
Around 1971/72 and until 1979 the Royal-Mistral plate changes color again, to cyan blue and the crown to primary yellow.
From 1972, in order to modernize the regulator, the Royal-Mistral came out with a 6/100 HP output in France , versions with or without HP output were mixed until 1979.
At the same time, the German and English version will be allocated a male HP outlet with imperial thread.
It is possible that the last French series were also released with HP output in 3/8, but no certainty to date . (For the record the 3/8 is used nowadays for the Low Pressure outputs and the High Pressure outputs are in 5/16.)
THE ROYAL MISTRAL SECOND GENERATION
In 1980 the Royal-Mistral sees its manufacturer's plate radically change following the abandonment by the SPIROTECHNIQUE of the mention COUTEAU-GAGNAN on its regulators. It takes again that of the regulators "series" released in 1978 such as the 20, 25, 40 and 50. This version also called second generation or "black label" across the Atlantic was released in principle only with a HP 3/8 , but j found a 6/100 version (homemade DIY ?? impossible to know because it is also very likely that LA SPIROTECHNIQUE had fun selling a few models in 6/100 following a customer request ...)
In any case, this Royal-Mistral model will be the last product because in 1985 its marketing will be stopped, too expensive and less efficient than the new generations of muzzle regulators arriving on the market and in December 1991 THE SPIROTECHNIQUE will put an end to the sale of all spare parts ... the end of an era.