The Wacky Restoration World of Rocketeer!

Many thanx. The website is way behind you are right. one day maybe! Sadly I started restoring the canopy when I was a kid and did some bad things. It will need to come apart again – just need to get the filming done with her. Deadlines eh?!
DC – you might like to speak to Peter G for bearing help. The best things on my canopy are those.

Thanks Tony,

Many thanx. The website is way behind you are right. one day maybe! Sadly I started restoring the canopy when I was a kid and did some bad things. It will need to come apart again – just need to get the filming done with her. Deadlines eh?!
DC – you might like to speak to Peter G for bearing help. The best things on my canopy are those.

Nicely restored canopy Tony. I have to go through the same process for the Hornet at some point, as the multitude of rollers are all corroded solid. It will be good to free this up and have it working on the chain mechanism.

Really nice thread, Tony! I like your projects, but the website is way out of date. So nice to follow your adventures here 🙂

Sorry minimans for slow to reply – yep would have been buried – want longevity so not burying. This week has seen work on the canopy and also fitting out cockpit parts – including TR9D control

will do!

Nice one Tony, dont forget to take the measurements and make a drawing before you fit, it will help us other Hurri builders 😀

I seem to remember that the Anderson shelter next door to us in Putney was buried in dirt? sort of extra protection I guess were they all like that or some free standing like yours?

Yes fascinating stuff Tony…and love the gunsight pic 😀

Fascinating stuff Tony. Do keep posting and making!

Not sure if anyone finds this interesting – but hey ho. Lots of work on the Hurri. Finished the front former. Also, gunsight ready.

Lots of work on various projects this Easter. Really got the bug to move the Hurricane restoration. In front of the instrument panel is a ‘bulkhead’. I was last in the pecking order of looking thru the LF363 ‘scrap’ after her post crash landing fiery escapade at Wittering. The stuff went to IWM for their Hurri restoration. I was originally in line to get the old longerons in a swap with IWM for a seat for theirs. They gave those to someone else – hey ho – to salvage something from the ‘deal’ I went thru the pile before it went to scrap. In my projects, I try to use as much original material as possible. As can be seen this item was a bit crispy and corroded. I have salved as much as I can (third piccy).

I used to have a good relationship with the BBMF passing airworthy stuff to them for scrap parts for my project. It is amazing how useful these items are to a static project. I am all for fly safely and all the while make a ‘benchmark’ original from hand me downs. Best of both worlds. This is more difficult now as some don’t see the value of scrap to a static restorer and others would rather scrap it or melt it down. Some are worried the recipient might try to steal the identity of the donor or weaken their provenance. Real real pity. Mine has an identity already. 25 or so years ago, I would acquire scrap items for the Hurricane – now it is more or less impossible.
If anyone knows of any spare/unairworthy longerons please shout! Also need wing centre section spars

The Anderson shelter is up and needs the other bits adding.

Sorry Ken, my Hunters and WW2 stuff only are in the BDAC Museum. The projects may well go there one day soon for short periods.
Glad you enjoyed the Museum.

Hi Tony
After Shoreham on the Sunday, I visited the B D M. I did look for your hurricane and spitfire cockpits but I guess you are working on them elsewhere. I enjoyed my visit very much. The open cockpit exhibits are really impressive as is everything else on display.
Unfortunately, I had to refrain from climbing into any of the cockpits for fear of not being able to remove myself!! I don’t bend as easy as I used to..
Good luck with all your future plans at the BDM.

Ken

Busy day working on Hurricane canopy and kick out door. Lots more work required. Also popped new decal on the Herk yoke. Fitted the proper Spit fuse box (found last weekend) with the ‘services’ engraved.

Sounds great Peter. I think I will go with your combo. sounds more likely to work. I think the bearing needs to be equidistant in the outer bearing. If we finalise details thru email, cheers

Pretty sure we had one of those shelters in my grandparents house in Hendon,, used to keep all the gardening stuff in there when I was a kid,, anyone want to go to 128 Sturgess Ave. in Hendon to see if its still there?? lol

Tony, you may be ok with the conventional ball bearings you have, might be worth a try.
The best price I can get the self aligning bearings for is £8, so I could supply the bearing and roller assembled for £13. I have a feeling that the oilite bushes would be too weak if I bored them out for the self aligning bearing, but if your existing bearings have a smaller O.D. Then I could use them. It’s down to whether you think they would work, I guess they could.

Pete

Peter, excellent!
could you please price that for me? I have 20mm outside diameter oilites (they are a bit longer than required) and the posts you made. I am going to send a spitfire part to you this weekend, so could send it back.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]227231[/ATTACH]
If you can`t find a self-aligning bearing of the original dimensions, it could be sleeved like the attached drawing, like the oilite bush you alluded to, the sleeve is pressed / Loctited on.
If you wanted the bearing to be central about the sleeve, a spacer would go on the spigot first, although you probably don`t need to go to that trouble.
The 135 bearing shown is available off the shelf.

Pete