Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:00 pm
Scott,
Whatever you think bad about the cowl flaps, I second it. I have worked on both Ol'927 (when she was Diamond Lil) and the PBY Sea Bitchand they are both pieces of C**P.
RICK
Whatever you think bad about the cowl flaps, I second it. I have worked on both Ol'927 (when she was Diamond Lil) and the PBY Sea Bitchand they are both pieces of C**P.
RICK
Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:11 am
Yeah, poor Scott has been mumbling dirty words to himself all week as he's been messing with those things. I feel bad that I can't take the time to go out and help him with them now....but not THAT bad. 
He's been a great help to the B-29/B-24 Squadron and we all certainly appreciate it.
Gary
He's been a great help to the B-29/B-24 Squadron and we all certainly appreciate it.
Gary
Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:34 pm
Gee Gary now that you are an executive, do you look out the window and yell WORK FASTER ! over the P.A. ? 
Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:09 am
RickH wrote:Gee Gary now that you are an executive, do you look out the window and yell WORK FASTER ! over the P.A. ?
No, I typically look outside and hear the echos as I yell, "Hello? Hello? Hello?" Other than Scott this past week (which is a huge help), there is rarely anyone around the airplane.
It sucks and is frustrating, for sure...but there's just not much I can do about it. The Squadron's Maintenance Officer, Don Obreiter, has been working hard to find a new Crew Chief, so maybe they'll have someone here full time soon.
Gary
Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:23 am
Yeah, I'll bet that's frustrating. Well, with the move to Addison maybe it will be easier for the volunteers to get there to help. Probably pick up some new ones , too.
Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:58 pm
Gary,
Is there a posting published anywhere with the job description for crew chief? Some detailed information about the requirements and expectations might help people decide to apply or not.
RICK
Is there a posting published anywhere with the job description for crew chief? Some detailed information about the requirements and expectations might help people decide to apply or not.
RICK
Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:07 pm
b17engineer wrote:Gary,
Is there a posting published anywhere with the job description for crew chief? Some detailed information about the requirements and expectations might help people decide to apply or not.
RICK
I had it posted on Barnstormers.com for a while, but I just heard from Don and they will likely be making a decision on a new guy in the next day or so. Stay tuned.......
Gary
Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:17 pm
Here is that ^#%&@ cowl flap update I promised several days ago, and Rick, I'm always glad to find someone else who has had the pleasure to tinker with these devices. 
First of all, if Gary did a pictorial on the cowl flap set-up last year I apologize for repeating it. All four cowl flap assemblies were completely dismantled, stripped of paint and oil, reassembled, and painted last winter during the reconfiguration. Unfortunately, we wanted to refurbish all the hinge bushings then as well, but time didn't allow that to occur. Well, time didn't allow that rebushing to occur this winter either.
Now, on to the task at hand:
Consolidated's engineers actually designed a rather ingenious interlocking cowl flap arrangement that works quite well. With the high number of hours on '927 we have an issue of sloppiness due to (more-or-less) normal wear. The cowl flaps, and cowlings in general, spend their entire life in the most turbulent airflow on any airplane. Propwash hits the outside of the cowl flaps and varies in strength depending on power settings and cowl flap position. Cooling airflow through the cowlings and across the cylinders exits through the cowl flap openings in another turbulent mass that impinges on the inside of the flaps. With all that air hammering on both sides of the flaps, it's a wonder that the whole affair doesn't just fall apart after a short time. Now for some pictures and a little description of what I did (and didn't have time to do ) last week:
This is the complete #3 flap ring awaiting inspection, repair, and reinstallation. Doesn't really look too complicated, and it really isn't after you've tinkered with them for a while.
This is the Erector Set for #1 in a somewhat more dismantled state. I'll use the following pictures to try to explain how the flaps work and why they wear the way they do.
Here is the interface and hinge connection that exists at each of the eight segments around the cowling. The flap segments pivot open and closed on the bolts with safety wire securing them. The angled connection with the castellated nut and bolt in the center is the actuating arm. The new bushings we need to fabricate and install are located at each of these four hinge points on each flap segment.
This is the actuating rod set-up disassembled. you can see where the shaft of each connector slides in the flap bushings.
Here is the connecting linkage in the process of being connected, you simply slip the two halves into their sockets, maneuver the flap segments into position, and install the bolt, washers, nut, and cotter pin. (This really sounds simpler than it is, right Rick?)
And this is a completed assembly. The hinge bolts are installed, the pinch nut that you can't see is tightened and then safety wire is applied. The actuating connectors are installed and safetied, and the actuating rod from the cowl flap motor linkage is hooked to the bracket on this particular flap pair. Another identical linkage is connected on the other side of the nacelle, and these two connections move the flaps open and closed via a system of electric motor, gearboxes, and teleflex driveshafts. After everything is connected it's a relatively simple matter to rig the left and right halves to work in concert with one another. The difficult part is keeping everything from getting too sloppy and not staying synchronized, and that is what takes lots of time. Hopefully we will be able to fabricate and install all new bushings next winter and finish tightening up all four assemblies. Until then, the flaps are in pretty good shape with just a touch more play than we'd like. The aggravating part of cowl flap maintenance is the inordinate amount of time it takes to inspect, repair, and assemble all the parts of each assembly. I lost track of time, and worked on some other pressing projects as a way to take a break from the flaps, but still spent about 15 hours per engine and we haven't started on #3.
Scott
First of all, if Gary did a pictorial on the cowl flap set-up last year I apologize for repeating it. All four cowl flap assemblies were completely dismantled, stripped of paint and oil, reassembled, and painted last winter during the reconfiguration. Unfortunately, we wanted to refurbish all the hinge bushings then as well, but time didn't allow that to occur. Well, time didn't allow that rebushing to occur this winter either.
Now, on to the task at hand:
Consolidated's engineers actually designed a rather ingenious interlocking cowl flap arrangement that works quite well. With the high number of hours on '927 we have an issue of sloppiness due to (more-or-less) normal wear. The cowl flaps, and cowlings in general, spend their entire life in the most turbulent airflow on any airplane. Propwash hits the outside of the cowl flaps and varies in strength depending on power settings and cowl flap position. Cooling airflow through the cowlings and across the cylinders exits through the cowl flap openings in another turbulent mass that impinges on the inside of the flaps. With all that air hammering on both sides of the flaps, it's a wonder that the whole affair doesn't just fall apart after a short time. Now for some pictures and a little description of what I did (and didn't have time to do
) last week:
This is the complete #3 flap ring awaiting inspection, repair, and reinstallation. Doesn't really look too complicated, and it really isn't after you've tinkered with them for a while.
This is the Erector Set for #1 in a somewhat more dismantled state. I'll use the following pictures to try to explain how the flaps work and why they wear the way they do.
Here is the interface and hinge connection that exists at each of the eight segments around the cowling. The flap segments pivot open and closed on the bolts with safety wire securing them. The angled connection with the castellated nut and bolt in the center is the actuating arm. The new bushings we need to fabricate and install are located at each of these four hinge points on each flap segment.
This is the actuating rod set-up disassembled. you can see where the shaft of each connector slides in the flap bushings.
Here is the connecting linkage in the process of being connected, you simply
slip the two halves into their sockets, maneuver the flap segments into position, and install the bolt, washers, nut, and cotter pin. (This really sounds simpler than it is, right Rick?)
And this is a completed assembly. The hinge bolts are installed, the pinch nut that you can't see is tightened and then safety wire is applied. The actuating connectors are installed and safetied, and the actuating rod from the cowl flap motor linkage is hooked to the bracket on this particular flap pair. Another identical linkage is connected on the other side of the nacelle, and these two connections move the flaps open and closed via a system of electric motor, gearboxes, and teleflex driveshafts. After everything is connected it's a relatively simple matter to rig the left and right halves to work in concert with one another. The difficult part is keeping everything from getting too sloppy and not staying synchronized, and that is what takes lots of time. Hopefully we will be able to fabricate and install all new bushings next winter and finish tightening up all four assemblies. Until then, the flaps are in pretty good shape with just a touch more play than we'd like. The aggravating part of cowl flap maintenance is the inordinate amount of time it takes to inspect, repair, and assemble all the parts of each assembly. I lost track of time, and worked on some other pressing projects as a way to take a break from the flaps, but still spent about 15 hours per engine and we haven't started on #3.
Scott
Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:44 pm
Thanks for the update Scott.
Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:00 pm
Oh, I was SOOOO hoping you would get to the jack screws that drive the cowl flaps. They are so much fun.
RICK
RICK
Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:36 pm
Rick,
I couldn't put power on the airplane because of other issues, so I never got around to ops checking the drives. They'll get everything rigged once they get electricity, and maybe someone will get into the rest of the system operation then.
Scott
I couldn't put power on the airplane because of other issues, so I never got around to ops checking the drives. They'll get everything rigged once they get electricity, and maybe someone will get into the rest of the system operation then.
Scott
Last edited by Second Air Force on Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:37 pm
I checked out the CAF B-29/ B-24 website and found these confirmed tour dates:
April 8-13 - Lakeland, FL
May 16-18 - Andrews AFB
June 14-15 - Akron, OH
July 28-August 3 - Oshkosh, WI
August 8-10 - Ypsilanti, MI
August 23-24 - Indianapolis, IN??
August 30-31 - Red Wing, MN
September 20-21 - Midland, TX
April 8-13 - Lakeland, FL
May 16-18 - Andrews AFB
June 14-15 - Akron, OH
July 28-August 3 - Oshkosh, WI
August 8-10 - Ypsilanti, MI
August 23-24 - Indianapolis, IN??
August 30-31 - Red Wing, MN
September 20-21 - Midland, TX
Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:43 am
Tulsaboy found a cool pair of photos of Ol'927 in her first civilian job, and I thought it appropriate to link his thread over here:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... 753b317f3a
Heck, here are both photos along with a great color shot compliments of Swiss Mustangs.
Thanks to Kevin and Martin!
Scott
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... 753b317f3a
Heck, here are both photos along with a great color shot compliments of Swiss Mustangs.
Thanks to Kevin and Martin!
Scott
Last edited by Second Air Force on Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:20 am
Since it's been so quiet on this thread (and I suspect in the hangar as well 
) I'll try to give you all a remote update of sorts.
Daniel Collier was at Midland last week and hopefully made more forward progress than I did my last visit. There is (or was the last I heard) a bit of a hang-up with one of the engines that needed to be resolved, and it may take a little time to get that straightened out.
The main reason I decided to post this was to thank everyone for still visiting this thread even though they don't have much to add right now. I never paid any attention to the hits counter till last week, and I was astonished to find that there have been almost 2500 hits since noon last Thursday. I don't presume to speak for Gary and Andy, who put in so many hours last year on the reconfiguration, but for Ellen and I and the other volunteers that tried to contribute it feels good to know that you are still interested.
THANK YOU!
) I'll try to give you all a remote update of sorts.
Daniel Collier was at Midland last week and hopefully made more forward progress than I did my last visit. There is (or was the last I heard) a bit of a hang-up with one of the engines that needed to be resolved, and it may take a little time to get that straightened out.
The main reason I decided to post this was to thank everyone for still visiting this thread even though they don't have much to add right now. I never paid any attention to the hits counter till last week, and I was astonished to find that there have been almost 2500 hits since noon last Thursday. I don't presume to speak for Gary and Andy, who put in so many hours last year on the reconfiguration, but for Ellen and I and the other volunteers that tried to contribute it feels good to know that you are still interested.
THANK YOU!
Last edited by Second Air Force on Sat Mar 15, 2008 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:29 am
Although I don't get to work on the airplane as much as I used to, I have designed a new system for the pogo, on the belly of the airplane. It will be a manual system, to eliminate the problematic aftermarket electric/hydraulic system that was installed in the airplane many moons ago. Daniel listened to my idea, and as usual, did a great job of building the components necessary to make it work. He simply ran out of time before completing it, but will try to be back again this weekend to finish it up. It's a simple, but neat little system that should eliminate the airplane ever sitting back on it's tail like it did (due to my mistake 
) this past season.
I'll try to get pictures of the completed system when able.
Gary
) this past season.
I'll try to get pictures of the completed system when able.
Gary