Another one for Jonzjob

[gus3049]

This is getting habit forming. I posted a plane on the turning forum as it did have a spinner made on the lathe!!

This one is definitely a prototype and in progress. Hopefully you can guess what it is although they probably go better on two engines. Obviously not meant as scale models but hopefully, they will capture the feeling of the original. Once they are up on the skyline, they look pretty authentic.

The local gallery that has taken all the rest of my turning stock also wants to have some of these so this retirement business seems a bit of a con!! I thought it meant restin'.

Ha :shock:

 

[Jonzjob]

It's also missing 4 X 20mm Hispanol cannon in the nose and the radiator openings between the engines, when it's got 2, and the fuzelarge. You have the shape just right and even in the same material as the full size Mossie :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Able to carry 4000 lb bomb load and once they wee dropped it became a very good fighter! Wonderful aeroplane, well done mate!!! =D> =D>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZLnOlaFGac

 

[woodbloke]

As a matter of interest JZ, are there any still flying? Having seen the fly past over Buck House today (on the telly I hasten to add) I would have thought that the RAF would give their collective back teeth to get hold of one in flyable condition - Rob

 

[dickm]

Don't know if it was ever made flyable, but there was an article in Woodworker back in the 80s about the restoration of one that had been dug out of somewhere in ?Africa?.

 

[Jonzjob]

Woodie, I have no idea if there are any still flying? They flew into the 80s though.

When I as stationed at R.A.F. Tengah, Singapore on 81 Sqdn I was too late by just a few years to work on them. Insted I warked on one of the last PR7 Canberra squadrons (photo recon) in the R.A.F. The Mossies weren't a great sucess in the Far East because the wood glue that held them together didn't go very well with the heat and humidity out there and they started to fall to bits, litetrally. They were the last operational Mossie squadron in the R.A.F. though.

As far as conserving memorable aircraft that have led the world? There are no Comets, Britannias, Vulcans, Valiants or Victors left in flying condition and the only flying Bucaneers are in S africa. I saw the last one in England doing it's flight tests before it left Kemble. I was the electriction on XM496, the last Bristol Britannia ever to fly, at the time it left the British shores.

There was also one of the last flying Tempests with the Bristol Centuraus 14 cylinder radial engines at Kemble, owned by a Texan, and it was without a CAA certificate because the Yank that owned it had pissed off the CAA with his attitude! perfect flying condition too!

This is one of the 23 Bristol Britannias that I was privelaged to be an aircraft eleky on first line maintainance for for my first 5 years of my R.A.F. career. Along with CComet 2s and Cs. All wonderful aircraft!

http://www.xm496.com/

Enough of my ranting about the base stupidity of the CAA and their politics (hammer)

 

[woodbloke]

This is one of the 23 Bristol Britannias that I was privelaged to be an aircraft eleky on first line maintainance for for my first 5 years of my R.A.F. career. Along with CComet 2s and Cs. All wonderful aircraft!

http://www.xm496.com/

As I recollect, my dad flew out to Singapore in the 60's a few times in Britannia's and hated the things. Could be wrong though as I was in my teens then and not really paying attention to this sort of stuff, but at the time he used to belong to a RN FAA unit called MARTSU which was basically a small outfit that could deploy at short notice to fix bent aircraft almost anywhere in the world (at least that's how he explained it to me) and I think he spent quite a lot of time on the old Ark Royal (the proper one, not the toy they've just decommissioned) When the VC10's replaced the Britannia's he was ecstatic and having flown on one in the Falklands, I can see why...fabulous aeroplane - Rob

 

[monkeybiter]

There are no Comets, Britannias, Vulcans, Valiants or Victors left in flying condition

There's a Vulcan, a workmate of mine was part of the group that restored it. [He probably fetched the tea :roll: ]

 

[Jonzjob]

Vulcan XH558 is still flying, but only by the skin of its teeth. The 'wonderful' (?) U.K. government don't/wont give any assistance to what was and still is one of the classics of British engineering and design.

 

[Benchwayze]

Vulcan XH558 is still flying, but only by the skin of its teeth. The 'wonderful' (?) U.K. government don't/wont give any assistance to what was and still is one of the classics of British engineering and design.

They won't even spend more than they have to, on current models for the defence of the Realm! :roll:

 

[colinc]

Hi,

there is a Mossie being finished off in NZ. My understanding is that it will be over here doing the UK and US airshow circuit fairly soon. The following has some good links: http://www.eaa.org/news/2010/2010-11-24_mosquito.asp

The guys behind it restored this too:

I know I have already mentioned it on here, but I am involved in the restoration of one of the Mossie's earlier relatives the DH-88 Comet, there's a lot of parallels between the two: http://www.cometracer.co.uk

Currently I'm working on the wing spars making the top and bottom booms. Each starts out at about 3" x 2.5" at the root tapering to about about .75" sq at the tip. They are about 22ft long (44ft span) so are quite a challenge to machine accurately as they are incredibly flexible, but we are getting there!

I need lots more clamps! Donations of any spare clamps to the project would be most gratefully recieved!

regards,

Colin

 

[Jonzjob]

The DH88 was a lovely looking aircraft and I for one would love to see any photos you have of the restoration Colin :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[colinc]

Hi,

Richard is photographing it as we go and posting pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44406692@N ... 806478547/

There are more showing the spar work that I saw him taking the other day that he hasn't posted yet.

regards,

Colin

 

[Jonzjob]

Another of my hobbies is radio controlled gliders and one of my favourites are vintage gliders. I have a flying model of a Minimoa, 1935 gull wing jobbie and have a part finished Habisch 4 meter model. The construction looks VERY much the same as the elevator assembly that is in your photos. it is lovely to see that the same build will be flying again one day soon..

This is a not very good shot of me throwing my 1/5th scale Minimoa off of Selsley Common North facing slope, near Stroud. Totaly built of balsa with a heatshrink nylon, dope sealed covering. 10' span, rudder/elevator and spoilers. The spoilers are needed because it loves to fly and needs help in coming back to earth!

I will see if I can operate my camera left handed and get a couple of photos of the Habitch construction. One day I will finish it!

 

[Jonzjob]

I assume that the fabric covering the elevators is heat shrink nylon? What adhesive do you use on it and how do you shrink it? Hot air gun or iron?

The construction looks fantastic!

 

[colinc]

Hi,

the elevators are ply (1mm I think) covered in Ceconite which is a Dacron material I believe not unlike Solartex for model. It can be heat shrunk on open areas. It's stuck on with a Randolph (Randothane) dope like substance. The surface gets several coats, then the fabric goes on then more on top which softens the undercoat and encapsulates the fabric. I wasn't involved in that bit, my contribution was machining up and hand-finishing the elevator spars which were a bit of a job. There are 4 or 5 volunteers working on the woodwork and it's all a team effort with different people having different skills.

Just finished the first spar boom yesterday. Hopefully starting the second today - only 12 to do in total!

Colin

 

[gus3049]

A little more progress, the Mos now has two engines!!

I am carless at present. We run an old Sierra estate, partly for practical reasons as its a great workhorse and partly for economic reasons. It cost us a grand £150 in the UK and the bad back has rather dented our earning capability so we would rather eat than get a new car. Anyway, the master cylinder went and of course, they cannot be found anywhere. "sorry sir, no longer available". Actually they are but in Germany and LHD. The 'experts' assure me that they can't be adapted for RHD which I don't believe but don't have the energy to find a solution to that. So the master cylinder is in the UK being rebuilt with stainless steel liners and new piston. It will now last 100 years which is probably 90 years longer than the rest of the car.

What all this guff means is that I can't get out to buy the bearings I need to finish the Mos

The fact that the first plane is a present and can't be seen for another month is frustrating as I want to offer these for sale and can't advertise them yet because 'its a surprise'.

The website is already booked and I'm raring to go which is why I have to do something else :roll:

The new local gallery opened yesterday and promptly sold half of the turnings I had on display there. Need more stock they say!! Back to the lathe then.

The joys of retirement

 

[JMcK]

@ Colinc

I see you have a Beagle Pup 150 in your photo gallery. Wondered what the connection was. I did my GFT on a Pup 150.

 

[Sawyer]

A magnificent 'plane, the Mozzie - I remember seeing one in 1970s airshows. Unfortunately, I think it crashed?
I'm a fan of the Short Stirling; a sadly maligned aeroplane, alas extinct long before I had a chance to see one.

Perhaps it's time I made a commemoratory weathervane. How well does marine ply last in these situations?

 

[gus3049]

Perhaps it's time I made a commemoratory weathervane. How well does marine ply last in these situations?

A very good question!! Something yet to be tested completely. Clearly it will have to be sealed properly. For those I make for other people, its going to be either yacht varnish or car cellulose. Probably the latter will last longest if I spray on a good few coats. As they are wood, I am going to advise taking them down during the worst of the winter. Having said that, the few around that I have seen, seem to stay out all year round. What with the extreme heat too, I just hope they will survive a while. Ply is good because its reasonably light and you can use the layers to create the tailplane etc.

I think the Short has four engines?? Making the props to scale might be fun if you want them to whiz round in the wind. Mine are all going to me somewhat over scale to make sure they work. I've seen some with added bits of clear plastic added to try and catch the wind. Looks horrid.

 

[Jonzjob]

My ex-father-in-law won his DFM by bringing back a badly shot up Stirling because the pilot was too badly shot up to jump!