Sopwith Corner

20 February 2005, 07:15 PM

Magnus and Jan,

Thanks for your response to my post. Our machine capability ranges from shim stock to 1/2 inch in steel, and 1/4 inch stainless, and 1/8 inch aluminum. We will also be able to cut up to 1 inch of wood with precision. As for our avalibility of steel, particularly 1020, this is readily availible and rather inexpensive.

To answer your questions about what is required? We can use your autocad drawings (dxf,dwg) and work from these. If not we do have all of the factory Pup drawings we could do the drawing here. There are a number of people that I am dealing with that are working on Pup projects that we might be able to spread out the cost between and keep the prices down.

I thing you will be very surprized at just how inexpensive having parts laser cut can be. It is very fast, and very accurate. We are using laser cut parts throughout in our Spad 13 project, and it has actually made this difficult project possible.

Roger

20 February 2005, 07:35 PM

To answer your questions from my earlier post, yes we will be able to get all of the sizes of 1020 steel plate that you need. Our machine will cut from shim stock to 1/2 inch steel, 1/4 inch stainless, and 1/8 inch aluminum. We can also cut nearly all other flat materials such as wood, and composites.

As for what we need! We can use your CAD drawings, or we can make one from drawings. (we have most of the Sopwith stuff) There are several other people working on this type that could share expenses with. We will also be able to provide formblocks for making difficult parts such as the front engine mounts, and several other formed parts. We can provide rib sets, formers, and even fuel and oil tank blanks.

Please contact us and we will be happy to work with you.

20 February 2005, 07:36 PM

Sorry I did not think that my first post got through####

nomma · 26 February 2005, 05:47 AM

About laser cutting brackets:

I have finished the list of fittings now, and I have the qustionable pleasure of telling you that there are 600 sheet metal parts of more than 200 different kinds in a Pup. Why didn't I pick a simpler aircraft?...

Anyway - I have produced CADs of almost all now. Just passed 500 hours...

Best regards, Magnus

AchimEngels · 26 February 2005, 10:43 AM

Wow!

That´s a lot!

I am just happy that Fokker aircraft are that simple!

Best!

Achim

Langdon · 26 February 2005, 12:56 PM

Magnus,

Are these brackets the same as those on the Triplane and Camel or are they different on each aircraft?

Langdon

Machinbird · 26 February 2005, 12:56 PM

Can you imagine the number of punch press dies this number of fittings represents. ~200! That is a mountain of work to produce and was a major investment for Sopwith. I would be willing to bet that a large number of these fittings were used on later Sopwith models as well. Nomma, when you publish your CD of Sopwith Pup fittings, I think you will have a lot of customers who will want to purchase one of these CDs. Hint. Hint.

nomma · 27 February 2005, 03:33 AM

Hello Langdon,

I don't have access to the complete Camel and Triplane drawings, but I agree with Machinbird and my guess is that most of them are the same or similar.

Sopwith also produced a large set of common drawings called "SL"-drawings. All standard components like longeron brackets of different sizes, wiring lugs, pulleys, tank caps, hinge bolts etc were collected here and reused for all aircraft designs.

By the way - if someone has the SL50 (Wing Bracing Trunnion Lugs) and SL57 (shackle) I would be very grateful for a copy...

Best regards,

Magnus

nomma · 6 March 2005, 02:26 PM

I have continued working on the nosings. A couple of postings ago I started routing out the "knobs" for attaching the ribs.

Step 2 of producing the nosings was to shape the front. For this, I made a CAD of the outline and had a set of cutters for the spindle moulder made. I was quite nervous moulding them, because I have made only as many nosings as I need. No mistakes acceptable...

Third and last step is to produce the "steps" for accepting the capstrips. I tried different kind of jigs for this - the accuracy needs to be high here to make the ribs fit well. My first option was to use the small router, but I soon realised that the spindle was better.

After some tinkering it worked quite well. Of course the upper and lower steps are different (we are British

) so I will have to make another jig for the bottom side and also the horizontal stab nosing.

The last picture shows a trial fit with the front piece of a rib web and a capstrip. Seems to work.

Best regards,

Magnus

Brad · 7 March 2005, 08:22 AM

Lovely work Magnus.

Brad