My FE2b reproduction..

[John McKenzie]

Hi , Thanks for that K ,

These tube plate etc. assemblies are pinned and sweated together using a high % tin to lead , solder .......These parts are for the convenhience of soldering , initially tin plated , and in doing so , this also avoids to a large extent , corrosion from the flux , during the manufacturing process .

There are a number of " Registers" along and on both front and rear of the legs , and these surve the purpose of positioning correctly , the front and rear hollow spruce fairings which are later attached to them by wrapping of linnen tape .
It should be said that complication arises here .....
Because of the tapered nacelle , the front to rear V leg fixings , and therefor the planes of the V legs , are NOT parallel , and as a consequence , lay at a slight angle to the airstream ......Whereas the streamlined fairings have to attach exactly " IN -line" with the airstream .
Naturaly this has to be taken into account in determining the offset of the registers to the centre line of the V struts ......Front and rear offsets would of course be different and it took quite a bit of serious calculation to determine these correct angles , as , (quite rightly as it turned out ), the suspect drawing given angles were somewhat out !.....

The same applied to calculating and correcting the angles at which the " Cross-Wiring & U/C Spreader bar " lugs were orientated .
These Lugs brackets are tightly " Clamped" around the leg close to the apex , by the adjoining lug parts being through-riveted together and the whole thing then being pinned and sweated .
No position was given for the bungee retainers , which had to be determined to lie within the range of and not foul the alloy retaining Bobbins .

John

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

[John McKenzie]

Hi , For those interested , The original axil material for this 3000 + Lbs total weight machine was RAF Spec 43 b ...( 43A being Annealed) ...a 90 ton Ni Cr steel tube 55 mm dia x 2mm ( 14swg=.08") with wood infill to stabalize against buckeling in Bending ......For replacing this material I did use a basic 2.25" dia x about 8 swg as I remember ...And then down to 55mm od .
This was in T60 which is a 75 Ton Cr Mo steel tube .....

I do believe that when I made the BE2b , I managed to get the correct & required 1.75" dia ; but only in 12 swg ( .104") 4130 , but which I was then able to get heat treated to 75 Ton after drilling holes etc. ...

JM

[John McKenzie]