My Curtiss Pusher Project

ulpilot · 4 July 2006, 04:52 PM

I have finally built up the nerve to share pictures and information on the 1911 Curtiss Pusher I am building.

This is being built for the Geriatric Pilots Association of Rochester, NY. When finished it will hang on display in the terminal building at Rochester airport. Even though it will never fly I have been building it to the airworthiness standards of 1911, such as they were back then.

I started work on it 4 years ago to fill in the free time from my full time and part time jobs. I also found time to get my private pilots licsense, maintain and fly my Cub too. Anyways here is where it started with building the wing ribs.

This is the press to laminate the rib blanks from 8 plies of spruce.

And here is a 4 inch wide blank.

The Ribs are sliced off on a table saw to finished width.

ulpilot · 4 July 2006, 05:05 PM

Sorry for the large picture size, I'm trying to resize.

Here are pictures of the center section before varnish and paint.

And the roughed in "cockpit"

ulpilot · 4 July 2006, 05:16 PM

Here is a picture of the pulleys I made, and the tools I developed to make them. Top left is the tool for forming the pulley guards. Lower left is the tool for flaring the ends of the brass bushing that holds it all together.

Lower right is the tool for forming the pulley brackets, and top right is a simple fixture for drilling the holes in the pulleys.

Jeff Brooks · 4 July 2006, 05:23 PM

It's great to finally see pictures of the project!!!! one of these days we have to have a beer at your place ... look at an old plane .... drive to my place, drink a beer and look at another old plane!

ulpilot · 4 July 2006, 05:30 PM

Here I was getting ready to paint a small portion of the many metal fittings that had to be made. The Curtiss is really a metal airplane held together by a few wooden parts!

This is a sample of the 110 Curtiss turnbuckles under constrution.

Every Turnbuckle gets a motorcycle wheel spoke bent and twisted to produce an eye for the cable. Here are 2 fixtures I made to bend the spokes.

ulpilot · 4 July 2006, 05:35 PM

Finally here is what she looks like today.

Von Writter · 4 July 2006, 06:53 PM

Beautiful work

RobW · 4 July 2006, 08:12 PM

wow.

be sure to show us how you use those tools you've made.

rob

ulpilot · 5 July 2006, 07:44 AM

Jeff,
Sounds good, let me know when your coming out this way. Maybe we can go for a Cub flight too, as it is right around the corner from my shop. I'd like to drool over your DVII sometime.

Thanks for the compliments.

Jim Bruton · 5 July 2006, 10:40 AM

ulpilot,

hats off to the beautiful workmanship. i honestly don't know if i could go this far and not try and fly it! continued good luck.

jim bruton