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Thank you. Just wish more would take an interest in preserving our past. But curious? How long did it take to build one from scratch?
Asked somewhat in jest. A poke at the restoration start, 2013. Just a bit of fun....Do you mean on the production line Ralph? Or making one today?
We actually get asked that alot and I don't have a good answer for that. Part of the difficulty is that the aircraft was built in multiple plants (at least in Canada) where the wings were built in one plant and sent by truck over to the main assembly plant. So you have a store of wings awaiting a fuselage to be mated with or vice versa. As to how long an aircaft stayed on the production line once everyting was ready to go, I don't have a definite figure. However, as a very rough guide, using Canadian production figures (single assembly plant) and grade 2 math, 1134 Mosquitos were built in the three years of 1942 to 45 so that averages about 1 a day. However, this doesn't account for production ramp-ups and wind downs so the peak number is likely more.
But serious on the kudos for doing this.Asked somewhat in jest. A poke at the restoration start, 2013. Just a bit of fun....
The Brake Differential Unit mentioned in post 179 was put on a test board and successfully cycled through its motions. Finding British AGS fittings to marry up the tubing to the threaded connecitons remains a challenge but we had enough on hand to make do.
View attachment 719149
The differential unit is at center. The line entering at bottom center is the pneumatic feed line. The one to the left goes, eventually, to the left brake drum but is now represented by a pressure gauge. Same for the right hand gauge. The cable at center is temporary but will eventually connect to the hand lever on the control yoke. Pulling the cable (i.e. squeezing the hand lever) allows air to enter the unit on a variable basis depending on applied pressure, throttling the valve inside the unit. Moving the lever on top of the differential will be done via the rudder pedals and will channel the air to the left or right brake, depending on which rudder pedal is pushed. Leaving the pedals neutral and adding brake pressure pushes air to both brakes.
The set-up was run on our shop air system (120 psi) but is designed to work at 200. It did work at 120 and we cycled through all applied pressures and left/right combinations and so we are satisfied that the thing will work. With that done, I took the unit off the board and installed it, hopefully permanently, in our airplane.
The next task is to find some proper aluminum tubing to make the permanent connections, and hopefully more AGS fittings.
It's not going to be a flyer Ralph but our mandate is to make it taxi-able with engines running. So we will need the brakes......or a big anchor.Who's the lucky fellow that will verify that it actually works, landing and stopping the bird? Some have all the luck, or need for it!
Wouldn't that make it an FAA Mosquito?......or a big anchor.
So amazing you getting to do this. I would just love to see the first trip down the runway, wheels on the ground, or not!It's not going to be a flyer Ralph but our mandate is to make it taxi-able with engines running. So we will need the brakes......or a big anchor.
I hope I'm still alive when it happens!So amazing you getting to do this. I would just love to see the first trip down the runway, wheels on the ground, or not!
??? You scheduled to do some testing??I hope I'm still alive when it happens!