BSW was just about the first standard ever established for thread sizes. BSF is a finer pitched version of BSW and BA are generally used, on aircraft at least, for sizes below 1/4″ diameter. BSP is the self-sealing standard thread for pipe fitting. You may also find “unified” threads known as UNC/UNF.

If you talking about bolts then I would assume you will be needing mostly BSF or BA. British fasteners are specified by a huge range of code numbers which indicate the thread size, material, head style etc.. The basic format of the code (for bolts) is part number + length indicator + thread indicator.

Examples,

A25 is a BA/BSF high tensile steel hex bolt
A117 is a UNC/UNF stainless steel pan head bolt
etc…

The length of bolts is specifed by indicating the plain (or unthreaded) section of the shank in tenths of an inch.

Thread types include the following codes;

B – 4BA
C – 2BA
E – 1/4″ BSF
etc…

So, using the formula above, we could have the following code;

A25/5E, which would be a 1/4″BSF high tensile steel bolt with a plain shank length of half an inch.

For machine screws the principle is the same but the coding is slightly different.

For example, A41/C8 is a light alloy 2BA quarter inch long screw with a 90 degree countersunk head. In this example A41 specifies a light alloy csk BA screw. C specifies a 2BA thread, and 8 indicates the length (in thirty-seconds of an inch) as 8/32nds or a quarter of an inch! Simple isn’t it? :confused: 😀

Heaven knows how many of these codes there actually are, so the best bet is to do as Bruce suggests and get hold of a Light Aero catalogue. I also agree, if there was British hardware originally installed then use it again now for the restoration.

Never made a mistake in your life then, Mark G?

Yes I have. So your point is…?

I’m saying that the fin flash is a standard part of any RAF aircraft markings. You say you know how to research. Well, it takes 2 seconds to research this particular detail. You can look at any RAF aeroplane from any time period to see which way round it is. I agree with John C, if you’ve got the resources to perform such a restoration in the first place, how can you possibly get something like this so wrong.

Would you be so dismissive if they’d painted the wing roundels with the blue in the middle? I suspect not, but the principle is precisely the same.

He can paint it purple if he wants.

Of course he can. But I’m not aiming my criticisms at any individual. I’m saying that if anyone chooses NOT to paint an aircraft purple and choose to paint it in it’s original service scheme, then they have to research that scheme and then apply it properly.

I’m restoring a couple of cockpit sections and have researched the details of even the most obscure markings. But we’re not talking about obscure stuff here are we? We’re talking about the national markings. The most basic markings there are on the aircraft.

Oh, and that same mistake has been made on another UK Spitfire recently too…

Makes no difference to me where the aircraft is based. We’re talking about the most basic attention to detail here so it shouldn’t happen anywhere.

I do remember a big Fuss by all of my UK friends when the CAF redone their FM-2 into a Martell-IV. The fin flash was back-arse and boy did they recieve alsorts of Nasty comments.

…and so they damn well should. Good God, it’s not difficult to get right now is it?

Herbert, try http://www.lightaero.co.uk/. Request a catalogue, it’s got every kind of screw,rivet, etc. that you could ever want!

You could also try http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/ – not strictly aero fasteners but they stock most BA and BSF sizes and so are very useful all the same.

I’m with Papa Lima on this one. With a centre zero scale it’ll certainly be an ammeter to indicate the health of your battery and electrical system rather than a voltmeter whose scale will begin at zero. The volmeter’s full scale deflection will be 12 volts (or 24v) or slightly greater.

A voltmeter will indicate the power (or electrical potential) remaining in your battery – think of it like a fuel gauge for electricity. You can’t have less than zero fuel/electrical potential so you wouldn’t have a voltmeter with a scale less than zero.

I don’t know who tracer_adlam is, so I’m not going to criticise him. However (isn’t there always a ‘however’!), a look at some of his recent eBay feedback suggests to me that he trades in wartime aircraft spares. I guess that it’s more likely that, if the successful bidder, tracer_adlam won’t continue the build himself, but sell the items on to others for their projects.

Ian, your assumption is spot on.

“tracer_adlam” = http://www.spitfirespares.com

Hmm. I spotted this last night and I saw they’d added more items when I checked again this morning.

It’s very sad that this chap never completed his project though – it’s an amazing collection of stuff. Should raise a few quid too I would imagine 😉

No Comment, your attempt at “humour” was completely lost on me too I’m afraid.

Realistically, the only way the statement “XH558 is the only Vulcan able to fly again” can and will be interpreted is that 558 is the only Vulcan that is physically in a fit enough state to be returned to flying status. That is not factually correct and therefore misleading.

Worse still, the statement “XH558 is the only remaining Vulcan” is not open to any interpretation at all. It’s just plain bullsh*t and I’m staggered it’s been included in the advert as, on the face of it, it looks like a blatant attempt to hoodwink people who don’t know any different out of their money.

All in all a pretty shoddy way to carry on. I’m with you on this one Moggy.