My SPAD 7 project

TOMS · 14 June 2006, 08:18 AM

Just fantastic!
Congratulations,

Laurent.

Butch · 17 June 2006, 07:45 AM

Attempting to resize my pictures for more convenient viewing. This is a shock mounted clock.
Pete

Butch · 17 June 2006, 01:58 PM

Here are the fuselage uprights and crossmembers. Each set of four has a different height to match the longeron taper at its location. I planed them to the correct dimension, cut them long, marked the outer locations of the slot, and put them into a router jig.

Butch · 17 June 2006, 02:11 PM

Here is the router jig I came up with. The fence assembly on the left is fixed. The one on the right adjusts for the varying width of the upright being worked, and them locks into place. The fence assembly width keeps the router bit 5mm from the edge of the work piece. It leaves a 5mm shoulder on each side of the slot. I used a 'raised letter' style bit that has a radius very close to the original cutter. The curved ramps at either end pull the router up, and therefore raise the bit out, and leave the correct slot profile. The ramps are attached with carpet tape. They need to be moved for different length uprights. I made several test runs on scrap pine to locate them properly. Multiple passes were made with the bit at an increasing depth until the slot was finished.

Butch · 17 June 2006, 02:16 PM

Eventually the uprights and crossmembers will be cut to length and tapered to fit into aluminum sockets. The sockets are bolted to the longerons and wire bracing passes through the side of the socket pulling everything together. The sockets were cast by the Mystic River Foundry. I think they advertise in WW1 Aero. Very nice people.

Butch · 17 June 2006, 02:21 PM

This is the upper cross member the goes behind the back of the seat. I used a 3/4 inch dish cutter and carefully placed fences to route the slots. One of the difficulties with the SPAD airframe is that every part has all unnecessary meat removed for weight savings. There is not a simple part in it.

Pete

Butch · 17 June 2006, 02:34 PM

This is an interesting example of the level of attention to weight savings in the airframe. These are the elevator hinge bushings. The excentric slot is for weight removal. They were machined by Bill Retzlaff.

Pete

Yeoman · 17 June 2006, 03:43 PM

Thank you for the pictures Butch!
You are either working at an incredible rate or have quite a backlog of pictures

Those cast aluminium pieces look excellent!

The pictures of the instruments are wonderfully clear and are very interesting.
Do you have any pictures of the engine you could share?

Butch · 17 June 2006, 04:14 PM

Yoeman,
I am not proceeding at any pace recognizable. I am back documenting past work. The engine is in boxes across town but I intend to go through it with a camera soon. I will be interested to have smarter people tell me what I have and how to proceed.
Thanks for the kind words,
Pete

RobW · 17 June 2006, 06:01 PM

Looks great... at least you have some progress to document. My Mustang project (the 4 wheel kind) has been on hold for a number of years... it's gone through 3 PCS moves plus an extra house move here in Northern Va... Right now it is making a good shelf in the garage...

rob