Work on the P51 throttle continues..Small reworking on the threaded bushes for the Prop and Mixture friction locks on the front of the plate.Wheel tightens shims against handle and the front T knob locks it up.Prop and Mix handles are next to build also working out the K14 change mechanism on the throttle handle.
Quick noob question seeing you are making fuse frames, I have all the drawings on CD bought from ebay a few years ago, and want to print them out fullsize in order to start forming some, is there a specific size to print the drawings to make them 100% full scale? how do you go about making frames from drawings?
Firstly you need to find the Frame pressing drawings.There are some missing though but they are mostly ones from the rear fuselage.From the datum line there are measurements up and down out to the skin every 4".You need take them to a good print place with the ability to measure and scale the drawings to suit the measuement for the total height of the frame.Print one off then measure to see if the numbers match.Iff not then you need scale them up or down a bit to suit.At every waterline measurement check the number and you will measure out the number and make a mark.After all the marks are drawn get a flexible edge and join the points to get a nice curve.Glue the print to a bit of 18mm plywood then with a jigsaw carefully cut to the line.Cleanup the edge then at every lightening hole centre drill a 6mm (1/4") hole.These are for tooling bolts and if you want use a #40 drill to drill the rivet hole centres. Next lay the plywood former onto a sheet of .9mm (.032") 3003 or 5005 grade aluminium.Trace around and on the "outside" edge where the skin goes draw a line out 16mm further than the edge.Drill the 6mm holes through at the lightening holes.And also the #40 rivet holes. Get a scrap piece of plywood and cut it same size as the former but you dont need to be as fussy as this is just a blank to hold the aluminium in a sandwich. Bolt it all together and use plenty of clamps to hold the sandwich the aluminium in place "tightly".. Now hold in a sturdy vice or on edge of a solid workbench.You need a heavy solid hardwood tinmans mallet and a wooden teardrop mallet and starting at the middle firmly hit the flange close to the former edge proceeding to move along the whole length.Fold it over in stages,say 30 degree,60 then 90.You will get waves and ripples as the aluminium needs to shrink into itself.Hit the high spots hard to get the metal to move (shrinking)..An inner curve you use the teardrop mallet and "stretch" the metal. When finished remove the aluminium and use a holesaw to drill out the lightening holes.. Cleanup and prime ...Ready for assembly..Here is a good site that shows what to do. http://simhardware.org/page13.html And some video on how we did our Spit frames. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7rXV4tdwvo
awesome! thank you for the information! most helpful
do tyou have a link to the Spitfire throttle? I cant see it on the shapeways page sorry. also sorry to be a nusiance, but does it have the bend in it to attach the throttle handles?
69th_Zeb
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 34
Idaho
Nice. Didn't know that video of your MkV project existed. I've been really cheap. Using Aluminum flashing from the hardware store. It's just wide enough for frame 8, 12, etc. I have to polish the edges to death & heat though to keep them from cracking.
For the more expensive structural stuff, industry uses 2024-O --> hydroform --->heat treat to W condition & straightened within a time window (30 hours?)---> It ages to 2024-T42 & ends up being slightly softer and a touch lower in tensile strength than T3.
Did the original Spits use an equivalent to 3000-5000 series?
Sorry, back to 3D printing. We should start a Discord channel for Simpit stuff!
Originally the spec was L38 off memory which was contemporary to todays 2000 series aluminium.Frames are 20g or .035" which is a pain as its pretty hard to find.So many guys go up to .040" or 1mm aluminium.For my pit I,m using 5005 as its soft enough to form but hard enough to withstand rivetting without big dents etc.3000 series was used on fairings and other non structural parts where a lot of shape was needed.For my channels for the double frames I used stretchers to curve the shape on both flanges.Im most of the way through building a set of rollers to finish them off.Too many jobs going LOL.
Some crazy work a happening.And thank you so much for a quarter of a million views .If I could find out who was the lucky viewer Im tempted to give a prize
awesome! thank you for the information! most helpful
do tyou have a link to the Spitfire throttle? I cant see it on the shapeways page sorry. also sorry to be a nusiance, but does it have the bend in it to attach the throttle handles?
cheers again
There are two handles that are similar.Ones the throttle and the other ones the mixture control and they look quite similar.The throttle one has the bend while the mixture is straight.Will look at uploading all the separate parts to Shapeways soon.Just busy trying to get jobs finished before Christmas. Seeing DCS has started work on a Me163 module shown here https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=205177 have decided to start work on plans for a Me163b simpit.