FM-2 Wildcats!

[mustanglover]

Generally something like a fuselage is pretty easy to inspect as access to everything is pretty straight forward. Yes, some areas are opened up for inspection at skin lap joints. Other components such as the landing gear, engine mounts and special hardware are NDT inspected (magnaflux, x-ray, etc).

On the fuselage you see in the photos we checked trueness all around using the original manual specifications and then used a laser (you can see this in some of the earlier photos) to help set up the fuselage fixture. The laser along with manual measurements confirmed that this fuselage is "square".

excellent thread, thanks for taking the time to post pics and descriptions of what's going on!

Out of curiosity, what kind of inspection process would the fuselage be subjected to in a case like this? If there was no history of previous damage would it strictly be a series of visual inspections, or are there other ndt processes involved, such as some sort of magnafluxing? Are sample areas de-rivited to check for corrosion between the stringer/longerons and skin? Is there any kind of check for trueness, like using a laser setup or a jig of sorts, or does a inspection for wrinkles in the skin do that job?

Again, just curious, not trying to suggest that something needs to be done that hasn't etc., I'm just interested in how you judge how far you need to go to make sure everything is as it should be.

cheers

greg v.

[gregv]

Cool, thanks for the info!

Looks like you guys are doing an amazing job, and again thanks for taking the time to share the process.

greg v.

[fighter_ace06]

Corrosion is pretty easy to find if you know what your looking for.

[gregv]

crimity, that could pass for a chunk of old wood off a boat....

Is that the famous intergranular corrosion at its best? Or I guess worst...

greg v.

[cg51]

Corrosion AKA Airplane cancer

[Chappie]

Posting the photo of the Wildcatfish.......could one of these FMs be restored into a waterbound feline?


Chappie

[mustanglover]

Well, sorry for no updates in a while. We have been real busy at Wild Warbirds and our main company with some major projects.

Wildcat No. 1 is coming along great, lots of work done to the fuselage and now focusing on the wing stubs. They have been torn down and they are replacing skins, ribs webs and what have ya. I promise to get some photos of this very soon. Or at least Conrad can also grab some and post them.

Thought you guys might like to see this. Conrad is planning on having No. 1 with an operational shotgun starter system. He found a gunsmith, or whoever makes custom shells, to make a set of new cartridges for us. These things are beautiful as you can tell below. Can wait to "fire" the first one up. At this point we are not sure how big the load should be so we plan on building up to the correct load to turn the engine over. Anyone out there know what the correct load is?

Here are a couple of shots of the one I managed to take home...

[airnutz]

Well that'll be interesting! Is there a patent number available on the Coffman motor data plate?

[Mgawa]

Thumbs up for this impressive restoring work!!!

[mustanglover]

Well, it's been awhile since any meaningful update on our projects.

It is amazing the amount of "little" parts and things that need to be done when you start out with a shell of a fuselage.

The last few months Conrad and his crew have been designing, copying, manufacturing and rebuilding all the little things that it takes to make a FM-2 go.

As you can see in the next several photos they have been install much of the systems, conduits (thanks Craig for the hook-up!) and cables in the fuselage. Much of this meant making new junction boxes etc. for the electrical system. You really cannot imagine the amount of junction boxes in the fuselage. Many of which look like the same old boxes you find in your home.






One of the wing stubs being torn down repaired and put back together, the other one is in about the same shape

NOS wing getting a tool built around it


Fuse blocks getting a lil work done to them

Misc. parts on the shelf waiting for installation


The fuselage and engine QEC area



And finally the first engine has arrived!!!!

That's all for now!

[Obergrafeter]

I know its' neccessary corrosion protection, but did Grumman (or Eastern) bother with it originally?

[mustangdriver]

Wow! Beautiful work.

[mustanglover]

I know its' neccessary corrosion protection, but did Grumman (or Eastern) bother with it originally?

Yes almost everything was primed and a good portion anodized also. All of the fuselage skins are anodized and anywhere there are two dissimilar metals in contact there is a special tape placed in between. But if these things start corroding watch out, it gets into some amazing inter-granular corrosion!

[The Inspector]

Now all of you can go back through Muddy Boots' postings on Grumman and understand just why there were soooo many people working @ benches like ants on a donut while the factory was cranking out a dozen or so airplanes a shift and how it all miraculously came together @ the far doors.

[fighter_ace06]

And thank you very much Moja with Cascade Engine Services for a beautiful and period correct 1820-56 engine.