T Bolt's 1:1 P-47 Cockpit
- Thread starter T Bolt
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Vic Balshaw
Major General
Haven't checked in here for a while Glenn and once again I got to say, it's impressive. Great find on the canopy windscreen, who would believe that bits of these old aircraft are still sitting around in peoples warehoused or sheds. Like your cabinet making skills as well.
been a while here too...pretty damn good Glenn!
- Thread starter
- #244
T Bolt
Colonel
Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. I hope to get down in the basement tonight to start putting aluminum on the hardwood parts.
My trip to the Air Force Museum this past weekend was very educational. I took the behind the scenes tour and was shown a demonstration of how they make parts from scratch. FANTASTIC! Had I known a few years ago what I learned in that 10 minute talk with the guy who does it there, I would have done my cockpit framing different. But I'm now stuck with what I've got, and will make the best of it. This guy (I wish I had caught his name) was making the rudder for a Helldiver using the one off the wreck they pulled out of the Pacific off the California cost a few years ago as a pattern. He even vacuforms full sized bubble canopies out of 1/4" Plexiglas! He showed us one for an A-1 Skyraider that he was working on. I'll get some of the pictures I took together and post them here. I'm sure the other 1:1 guys will be interested.
My trip to the Air Force Museum this past weekend was very educational. I took the behind the scenes tour and was shown a demonstration of how they make parts from scratch. FANTASTIC! Had I known a few years ago what I learned in that 10 minute talk with the guy who does it there, I would have done my cockpit framing different. But I'm now stuck with what I've got, and will make the best of it. This guy (I wish I had caught his name) was making the rudder for a Helldiver using the one off the wreck they pulled out of the Pacific off the California cost a few years ago as a pattern. He even vacuforms full sized bubble canopies out of 1/4" Plexiglas! He showed us one for an A-1 Skyraider that he was working on. I'll get some of the pictures I took together and post them here. I'm sure the other 1:1 guys will be interested.
- Thread starter
- #245
T Bolt
Colonel
Here's some pictures from the restoration hanger at the Air Force Museum
Aluminum Part Fabrication
Pictures 1 and 2 The method they use to make the aluminum parts. The mold blocks are made out of hard maple and put in a press with the aluminum sheet and either another wood mold block, or a thick piece of rubber. press pushed the rubber or second block down making the part. He does a lot of hand work with rubber mallets too, hammering the aluminum into the wooden mold.
Picture 2 A stack of the new parts for a Helldiver rudder
Pictures 3-6 New assemblies made up of the new parts
Plexiglas Vacuforming a Skyraider Canopy
Pictures 7-9 The table is basically a big vacuforming box, An opening is cut in the lid to shape the outside edge of the canopy and a rib former extends down to form the front where the windscreen will but up to it. The 1/4" Plexiglas is heated to 350 degrees F and placed on top of the table and the vacuum is turned on. There are depth markers that come up from the bottom of the box and when the hot Plexiglas sags to the markers the vacuum is turned off and the Plexiglas left to cool. Many attempts were made before one good enough to use on the Skyraider was made.
Aluminum Part Fabrication
Pictures 1 and 2 The method they use to make the aluminum parts. The mold blocks are made out of hard maple and put in a press with the aluminum sheet and either another wood mold block, or a thick piece of rubber. press pushed the rubber or second block down making the part. He does a lot of hand work with rubber mallets too, hammering the aluminum into the wooden mold.
Picture 2 A stack of the new parts for a Helldiver rudder
Pictures 3-6 New assemblies made up of the new parts
Plexiglas Vacuforming a Skyraider Canopy
Pictures 7-9 The table is basically a big vacuforming box, An opening is cut in the lid to shape the outside edge of the canopy and a rib former extends down to form the front where the windscreen will but up to it. The 1/4" Plexiglas is heated to 350 degrees F and placed on top of the table and the vacuum is turned on. There are depth markers that come up from the bottom of the box and when the hot Plexiglas sags to the markers the vacuum is turned off and the Plexiglas left to cool. Many attempts were made before one good enough to use on the Skyraider was made.
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Vic Balshaw
Major General
Fantastic pictures Glenn and that is some vacform mould. Is the young Jack taking it all in?
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Great stuff.
Great stuff Glenn!
- Thread starter
- #250
T Bolt
Colonel
We were there for 8 hours the first day and 6 hours the second and he did not seem board with any of it (just foot sore
)Come on Gary, your pit would look great with a Plexiglas canopy over it!Oh to have a workshop with that capability.....sigh !.
Cheers for posting mate, really depressed now
Tony Hill
Tech Sergeant
Looking good Glenn, must be good to be back at it!
- Thread starter
- #253
T Bolt
Colonel
I got the aluminum cladding on the cockpit sills and test fitted again. The pics aren't that great because I didn't use my tripod. Tomorrow the temperature here is supposed to be 47 degrees F so I hope to get it all painted and permanently installed.
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Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Nice work there Glenn.
She is going is going to look soo cool when those bits are fitted and you can get stuck into the skinning side of things. Its almost one of those eureka moments when you suddenly find yourself looking at a plane with some skin on it and it looks like the real thing......and you made it all yerself !!.
Don't forget to update tomorrow...no pressure
Don't forget to update tomorrow...no pressure
fubar57
General
Just read the thread from the beginning Glenn and I have to say "Bravo", great work. I love the pic of you at the controls in post #59. Curious if you made Ace in a minute while sitting there.
Geo
Geo
Nice work there Glenn!
- Thread starter
- #258
T Bolt
Colonel
That was a fantastic moment Geo, the first time I felt like it was really becoming something.
How about tonight?Don't forget to update tomorrow...no pressure
I put wooden hole plugs on the support ribs to replicate the big rivets that are there, then I primed them with a couple of coats of Kills so the wood grain will not show through the green chromite. I then went on and made up the bomb release panel so I could paint it with the chromite primer tomorrow also.
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Nice Glenn!
