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bloodnok

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  • in reply to: Seen On Ebay Thread #1217199
    bloodnok
    Participant
    in reply to: Tolerances in aircraft manufacturing #2467134
    bloodnok
    Participant

    Tolerances for aircraft dimensions can be surprisingly generous.

    I used to do heavy maintenance on C-130’s and before and after the input a full symmetry check would be carried out.
    For long distances like wing tips, the tolerances were over an inch, but with less for smaller parts of the aircraft.
    The tolerances were more for position, than say span, more like distance from a centre line.
    Only if the tolerances were way out would an investigation begin, anything near the limits were entered in the aircraft log book, and were usually rigged out on airtest.
    One aircraft for instance, had a twist in the fuselage from when it had plugs fitted and was stretched, this meant you couldn’t get it to fly straight with the maximum allowed 4 degrees of adjustment on the rudder tab, so an entry was put in the logbook that it was allowed to have 5 degrees of rudder tab to fly straight.

    in reply to: History of IT in Aviation #1232387
    bloodnok
    Participant

    In todays RAF we are (almost) reliant on IT for Aircraft maintenance operations. The babckbone of this is a system called LITS. All work orders/jobcards are done on it as is asset exchanging and a whole load of other stuff.

    You should in theory be able to enter an aircraft serial and find out the serial number of most of the LRU’s fitted to it. Along with this you can see MOD states, SEM/UOR/STI etc embodiment states and the like.

    It can also be used to trace back through the database and complile a fault history for specific faults either on one particular Aircraft, or all Aircraft of that type.

    I believe the RAF bought it from a South African Mining company!

    Back in the 80’s they introduced SEMA/SAMA (station engineering management aid/station administration management aid).
    Only some data was recorded, like fatigue meter readings and hours on components with log cards.

    in reply to: Wright Flyer dataplate for sale #1236822
    bloodnok
    Participant

    It makes me wonder what I’d get for my Handley-Page yolk motif;)

    I remember little red tractors on eggs, but not HP motifs…… 😀

    in reply to: Tornado Cockpit section #1161739
    bloodnok
    Participant

    Looking at the section, Tornado that is, isnt it a GR series rather than F3 with the refuelling probe down the canopy side?

    Thats not the probe, it’s just the side fairing of the canopy.

    in reply to: Cutting Aluminium Sheeting #1171054
    bloodnok
    Participant

    I’d have said the simplest option for home use without having to buy extra tooling would , as has been suggested, the jigsaw.
    I do aircraft sheet metal for a living and have found a good quality jigsaw to be very simple to use, with good results being possible if you take your time and follow your line. I’ve never used (to my knowledge!) a special alloy blade, just a fine metal blade.
    This gives minimal distortion to the sheet, and you don’t have to do so much cleaning up of the cut edge.

    in reply to: Did Playboy lead the way? #1176788
    bloodnok
    Participant

    I’m pretty sure i’ve seen picture of aircraft with logo lights pre dating 1970.
    The Tristar has them as standard and that first flew in 1970, with design work obviously predating that by a few years.

    in reply to: Aircraft scrapyard Faygate #1180536
    bloodnok
    Participant

    None of it looks that exciting!

    I expect they said the same thing in the 40’s and 50’s, and look at how we now drool over pictures of scrapyards from those days!

    in reply to: Aircraft scrapyard Faygate #1180538
    bloodnok
    Participant

    I am surprised the nose cones are not still required??

    They are quite likely to be beyond repair, I saw quite a few scrapped when I worked at Marshalls as damage was out of limits.

    in reply to: Twin anti-collision lights on A330-300 #491886
    bloodnok
    Participant

    it could be something as simple as the internal structure/systems get in the way meaning a light can’t be fitted on the centre line.

    in reply to: Snoopy flies #1188335
    bloodnok
    Participant

    The C3 is basically a RAF’d L100-30 stretched Herc. Similar stretched Hercs serve with Egypt, Netherlands, Portugal, USMC, France, Malaysia and Spain amongst others, so not unique to RAF service.

    Thats not really accurate.
    The RAF fleet is quite unique in the world as no other air forces had the same spec aircraft (not including Austria and Sri Lanka that had ex RAF aircraft)

    The cargo tie down points were the same as the old Belfast to use the same role equipment, so this means the floors, chine caps and ring frame fittings were all unique to RAF fleet.This used to cause quite a problem when waiting for structural spares as the lead time could be quite a bit longer.

    in reply to: Mystery flypast 1970's #1190199
    bloodnok
    Participant

    Perhaps it was for the opening of the bridge in ’66….?

    in reply to: Desert camouflage in the Gulf War #1190201
    bloodnok
    Participant

    Painting the Tristatrs was one of my first jobs when I statrted at Marshalls in 1991.
    One of the ground equipment guys was dispatched to the local hardware shop to buy 30 broom handles, rollers and trays and an assortment of brushes.
    We then set about them with gusto and paper overalls and got them painted is a suprisingly short ammount of time!

    in reply to: To Paint, Or Not To Paint #493183
    bloodnok
    Participant

    So, up to 1000kg – a ton each aircraft. Just think how much fuel that could save if every airliner in the world were unpainted!

    Bri 😉

    Whilst doing ‘D’ checks on an American Trans Air L1011’s we used to have to polish the bare metal bits. Lower fuselage, flap/slats and engine nose cowls.

    Chatting to one of the captains just before delivery, and he estimated that a freshly polished aircraft could save up to 3 tons of fuel on a transatlantic crossing.

    in reply to: RAF at 90 on BBC2 #1195057
    bloodnok
    Participant

    As usual, no mention of the roles played by groundcrew and all the other supporting trades, and the sacrifices they made.

Viewing 15 posts - 286 through 300 (of 741 total)