Biker Build Off P-51

[cooper9411]

I understand what you meant. Just a friendly correction.

[ZRX61]

I wish there could be an aircraft fabrication show but that takes way too much time and would only be interesting to knuckleheads like us.

Not a good idea, the price of anything made on the show would be prohibitively expensive. I worked on Rides & Overhaulin'. It wasn't unusual to spend 12 hours at work & 11 of those would be standing around with your thumb up your butt while the TV guys filmed one guy doing something else, then another guy & so on... However, getting paid for 12 hours to do 1 hours work ain't too bad, but the boredom factor is WAY too high. On one episode of Rides they shut down the entire shop for 3 hours while they tried to get a 2 minute clip of the bloke in charge playing his guitar....

There was an attempt to do an aircraft show, but having seen the promo it basically consisted of an hour of looking at Matt Jacksons face while he told you how great he was

[pjpahs]

Searching WIX I found reference to the PBS series "the restorers" that I guess profiled the people who restore historical aircraft. They were shown on some PBS channels and "Wings" Europe a couple years ago according to their website. A show on aircraft restoration would almost have to be like "This old House" only This Old Aircraft". They could show the inspection ,repair of all parts to get an airworthy aircraft . But that means viewers and advertisers (Aircraft Spruce- etc.) and sponsors (money). I would not get bored at all watching craftsmen explain what is good or bad and why and how it is to be fixed. As long as there is no "drama". Almost like an A&P classroom.

[Sopwith]

JDK. the plane with exhausts rooted through fuel tanks was the Westland Whirlwind, if I am not mistaken.

[JDK]

JDK. the plane with exhausts rooted through fuel tanks was the Westland Whirlwind, if I am not mistaken.

Correct!

The exhaust routing was a feature of the prototype, and was changed in the prototype's development to a more conventional shrouded exhaust, which (with variations) is what most photos show. IIRC, the original exhausts were retained within the cowling, then routed through the wings (and fuel tanks and exhausted the gasses into the air above the wing.

Here's an image of the prototype with the original exhaust set up:


And a discussion on PPrune, touching on it:

Double Zero 21st Nov 2009, 19:00
Have checked Winkle Brown's ' Wings On My Sleeve ' - no mention of the Whirlwind.

In my bible, ' Test Pilots - The History of British Test Flying 1903-1984 ' by Don Middleton, it is mentioned that Harald Penrose did a lot of the development flying.

I hope I am right in thinking he is still with us and about to give a talk or two (forget where ) ?

No mention of the canopy mechanism of course, but one interesting feature was that the exhausts led through the fuel tanks !

Pilots and senior design staff made it clear what they thought of this but were overriden, and sure enough one day an exhaust melted through a fuel tank, without igniting it...

It did however burn through an aileron rod, leaving H.P. to fly back with full opposite aileron on & just rudder for turns - he made it OK, but I doubt being vindicated put him in much of a better mood !

http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-48528.html

[The Inspector]

DOH!