This Technical Manual TM 5-3655-204-35 covers the Air Products Model LON-5 Oxygen-Nitrogen Generating Plant, identified under FSN 3655-590-9014, and is dated November 1961. For collectors of U.S. Army technical manuals, military industrial-gas equipment references, Cold War support-equipment literature, and dated government publications, this is a strong period document tied to a specialized and less commonly encountered piece of Army field and plant support equipment.
Because this is a -35 technical manual, it belongs to the higher-level maintenance side of Army documentation rather than simple operator use. Manuals in this category were intended to support more advanced servicing, inspection, repair, adjustment, and technical maintenance functions than a basic field-use guide. That gives this publication strong technical and workshop-oriented value for collectors, researchers, and restorers.
The Air Products Model LON-5 Oxygen-Nitrogen Generating Plant
The Air Products Model LON-5 Oxygen-Nitrogen Generating Plant belongs to the broader family of military industrial-gas, utility, and support equipment. As identified by its nomenclature, it was a plant designed to generate oxygen and nitrogen, placing it squarely in the support side of Army operations rather than in the category of conventional weapons or combat vehicles.
Equipment in this class was associated with the production of industrial and support gases required for a wide range of military applications. That makes this manual especially interesting from a historical standpoint. Instead of documenting a weapon system directly, it preserves the technical side of the specialized equipment that helped support maintenance, utility, and logistical operations behind the scenes.
For collectors, that gives this manual added appeal. It represents the industrial and technical side of Cold War military readiness and fits especially well in collections focused on military support equipment, gas-generating plants, utility systems, and field-service infrastructure. The inclusion of FSN 3655-590-9014 also adds cataloging value for collectors who prefer manuals with a specific government stock-number reference rather than only general nomenclature.
What This Manual Covers
As a -35 technical manual, TM 5-3655-204-35 would have been intended to support higher-level maintenance and technical service functions for the Air Products Model LON-5 Oxygen-Nitrogen Generating Plant.
In practical terms, a manual like this is especially relevant for:
That makes it valuable not only as a collectible, but also as a practical reference for anyone studying how the Army maintained industrial-gas and support equipment during the early Cold War period.
Historical Significance
The date November 1961 places this publication in the early Cold War period, when the U.S. military maintained extensive technical literature covering not only weapons and vehicles, but also the utility and industrial-support equipment required to sustain field operations and installations. Manuals like this reflect a period when Army documentation extended into every part of the logistical chain, including generating plants, maintenance equipment, gas-support systems, and technical service infrastructure.
For collectors and historians, this manual is especially relevant to subjects such as:
Because it covers a specialized generating plant rather than a more common tactical vehicle or weapon system, it also adds variety to collections that already include standard ordnance or maintenance manuals.
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 5-3655-204-35 for the Air Products Model LON-5 Oxygen-Nitrogen Generating Plant, identified under FSN 3655-590-9014 and dated November 1961.
It is especially well suited for:
Because manuals were working documents, surviving examples are valued not only for their content, but also for their connection to real military maintenance and support practice.
Why This Manual Matters
Many military manuals focus on operator-level equipment or more visible front-line systems. This one documents the more technical side of Army support operations, specifically the maintenance framework behind an oxygen-nitrogen generating plant. That makes it especially useful for collectors who want to preserve the broader technical and logistical picture of military operations rather than only combat hardware.
For collectors, it is a solid stand-alone Cold War technical manual with a specialized subject focus. For researchers, it offers a useful reference point for Army industrial-gas equipment and maintenance documentation. For museums, it helps explain the behind-the-scenes systems that supported military utility, plant, and field-service operations.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
Approx length 10", Approx width 8", Approx height 1", Approx weight 2lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
Please visit our page about order lead times here: Order Lead Times