Sopwith Snipe Project

Nick · 10 July 2011, 01:04 PM

It’s a simple jig I made a couple of years ago after seeing one on someone else’s thread. It’s adjustable and basically aligns the holes either side of a fitting and ensures that you get a neat straight round hole. Just used with a standard hand drill, you use a piece of rod or an old drill bit one side to locate it then drill straight through from the other side.

Cheers, Nick

Dogtail2 · 10 July 2011, 01:10 PM

Brilliant piece of kit.
Thanks for posting Nick.

snj5 · 10 July 2011, 01:14 PM

Genius. I've gotta get one of those.
Many thanks.

tengew · 10 July 2011, 02:48 PM

its fun to see what others come up with to solve some of life's problems

DamianL · 10 July 2011, 03:59 PM

Hi Nick

Project still looking great.

Have you ordered the flying wires yet? I see there is a company in NZ that has started manufacturing, they have advertised recently in one of the NZ/Aus warbird magazines.

How long do you think until the wings are completed?

Cheers

Damian

Nick · 10 July 2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DamianL

Have you ordered the flying wires yet? I see there is a company in NZ that has started manufacturing, they have advertised recently in one of the NZ/Aus warbird magazines.

Hi Damian,
Haven’t ordered the flying wires yet, still saving!!

Will get a quote from them in NZ though when the time comes.

Quote:

How long do you think until the wings are completed?

Don’t really know when the wings will be completed and try not to set too many goals, it’ll take however long it takes. I just keep plodding away making bits and one day I’ll just run out of bits to make and it’ll be time to go flying instead.

Wingwise though still quite a bit of work to go on this one before I start on the next one. Have to make the nosing yet, plus the wingtip support rib and leading edge tubing. Then there’s all those little riblets (168 of them all up) that go between the main ribs and support the ply infills or nosing panels as they call them.

So I guess they’ll be finished on Monday. Just not sure which one though!!

Cheers, Nick

Brad · 11 July 2011, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

It’s a simple jig I made a couple of years ago after seeing one on someone else’s thread. It’s adjustable and basically aligns the holes either side of a fitting and ensures that you get a neat straight round hole. Just used with a standard hand drill, you use a piece of rod or an old drill bit one side to locate it then drill straight through from the other side.

Cheers, Nick

VERY clever! I've seen some that are somewhat similar made from hardwood, but of course they are not as sturdy... and the only adjustment on those was how far the rod is slid in. Yours solves the problem of having to do additional jigs if there are different holes with a wide variation in the thickness of materials being drilled. Brilliant!

Nick · 16 July 2011, 11:44 PM

I wont have a lot to report over the next few months except more of the same, making
all the wings.

I had a builders visit today with our local Chapter of the Sport Aircraft Assoc of Australia
where we take it in turns to check out each other’s projects, have a sausage and a natter about aeroplane stuff.

Dragged it out of it’s corner and put the tail feathers on temporarily

End rib and joint boxes in place. This shows the tube which the joint rod slides inside to hold the wing in place. A neat idea for removing the wing quickly for repair, but typical Sopwith all the little sockets and the holes are drilled at 2 degrees to align.
There is also a bolt of course inside the drift tube to attach the joint box to the spar, just to make it more fun to assemble!!

Cheers, Nick

snj5 · 17 July 2011, 12:05 AM

That is a spectacular and beautiful work of art! My new screen background for sure! It is also amazing how deeper the cockpit is than the F.1.
It will be amazing when you hang the wings to rig. Are you measuring for RAFwires or using plans measurements?
Just beautiful!!

edit add - I had to smile a moment, as it caught my eye that at least in the fuselage, it could be the world's largest and most powerful Flitzer.

Dogtail2 · 17 July 2011, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

I had a builders visit today with our local Chapter of the Sport Aircraft Assoc of Australia
where we take it in turns to check out each other’s projects, have a sausage and a natter about aeroplane stuff.

I wish I had something like that. Its a very lonely experience building an aeroplane here, but there is always the Aerodrome for help and inspiration.

Simply stunning Nick! Cant wait to see it assembled.

Are you using AN hardware, fork ends etc or something else?

Pete