I’ve said before, but once the supply of spar tubes dries up, which won’t be long, that will be it. Probably another three or four more.

Bruce
Just a questions. Is the tube they are using in recent rebuilds NOS or is it from a recent production run.

Richard

Think its Aston Down. It is the only place in the UK that I remember seeing cacooned airframes but I stand to be corrected.

Richard

The plan is to use one of several Stratocruisers that were operated by the Israeli Airforce, they were modified to a military spec including freight doors I seem to remember, but the conversion back to B-377 standard would be easier than starting with a C-97.
Incidentally the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundations C-97 is close to being airworthy again. http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/

Richard

Being used as a camera ship to take pictures of this perhaps http://www.flightjournal.com/blog/2014/04/17/replica-caproni-ca-3-makes-test-flight/

Richard

TF 956 was abandoned at Prestwick, because standing orders forbade attempting a one- leg- down landing, as previous service experience had proved it to be very dangerous.

Yet here we see such a landing, with no particular unexpected issues.

I wonder if he would have parachuted at Culdrose, had he known about the undercarriage.

I still miss TF956, she really had a good Centaurus whistle when she was shifting !

Propstrike

A very different situation to TF956, in that case they knew one leg was locked down and the other was stuck up, they also had lots of time to think about it.
In the recent event the initial plan was to land on the wheels, by the time the plan had changed I think he was too low to jump.

Richard

That’s definitely a Dh6 fin and rudder in the pix…have to make further enquiries. Some of the sixes went to Greece ,some to Sweden or such. I found the engine but as yet I don’t possess it . Still researching…..crashed Mooroopna Victoria 1932

My wife’s grandfather flew DH6’s in Sweden in the early 1920’s for P.O. Flygkompani, his name was Ralph Park.

Richard

That Youtube clip posted by Oldspitty is exactly as it is done. If you were making frames for an airworthy project the metal would need heat treating following the shaping process but for a static build it could be left in the soft state.
The wooden forming blocks that each frame is formed around will obviously need to be different for each frame required but with modern CAD and laser technology this is less of an issue than it was.

Richard

I was wondering,, with the vast improvement in the Spitfire’s handling when changing from canvas to metal ailerons, would the Hurricane have benefited from the same modification or was the wing design of the hurricane not conducive to this change? And was it ever tried? Seems the hurricane got shortchanged in the “mod” dept. sometimes, wonder how it would have done with a Griffon up front too.

The Hurricane airframe was was from an earlier generation in both structural design and aerodynamic form, at the speeds it operated at its fabric ailerons were eminenently suitable. So metal skinning would introduced a component that was more difficalt to repair/manufacture as well as a weight increase for no gain.
Spitfire rudders and elevators remained fabric covered for good reason.

Richard