Centerline wrote:
The wood is killer and always a problem even in the best aircraft. The engine mount is also wood. As they say if the termites let go while pulling Gs heaven help the pilot.
Sorry to drag this thread back up again, but I missed this part of the discussion!
The above comment needs some clarity! The engine mount is NOT wood, it is steel. The engine mounts are attached to the carry through spars, which I grant you are bolted to the wooden fuselage. However, the carry throughs are steel, and are the heart of the aircraft. In effect, the engine is bolted to the wing, rather than the fuselage.
Lets be clear about what the fuselage does - it is basically a fairing that encloses the pilot. The important bits are the cockpit floor, and the bulkhead just forward of the tank bay. If you get problems in those areas, then its not looking good!
I am intrigued by the comment about a piece of wood falling off one in flight. The Vampire is a pressurised aircraft - assuming it is still being operated as such, this could never happen; the fuselage would break on the ground! I think it very unlikely that a piece would just fall out - you get plenty of warning on a Vampire that the wood is going west!
The sad thing is that for an aircraft which is contemporary with the multi million dollar Spitfires and Mustangs (first flew in 1943!), the values are so low. Still, at least it means I can afford to play with them!
Bruce