Wing and OX-5 Update

We had a great time at Brodhead - the weather was about as good as it gets!  I'm still plugging away at the lower LH wing and it is almost done.  Here's where I'm at:

The leading edge has been glued on but not shaped yet.  If you remember my earlier posts on the other wing, I complained about all the planing I had to do the shape the bull-nosed leading edge.  Well, as seen in this photo, I used my brain this time and pre-shaped it so the hand planing will be minimal.

Installed leading edge

The aileron for this wing is also done.  Here it is installed so I can line up the trailing edges to make sure they are straight.

So, all that's left is shaping the leading edge, installing the wing tip bow and ribs, final tramming and varnish.  The optimist would say - Yeah, only 2 more wings to make!  The pessimist would say - Great, I still have to make 2 more wings.  Not really sure where I'm at right now!!

My nickel plater wants to experiment with a cylinder to replicate the original nickel plating before we do all 8 of them.  Any machine work - guides, etc will be done after plating, but I wanted to make sure the water jacket did not leak prior to plating.  

I made a plate with an air coupling that attaches to the top of the cylinder, which is the water outlet.  I then had to come up with something to plug the fitting at the lower end of the water jacket - the inlet.  It's a goofy sized thread, 13/16"-20 if I recall, so I would have to machine something if I was going to thread it on.  I lucked out though, and found that an expanding sanding drum mandrel sealed the inside perfectly.

Adapter plate on water outlet

Expanding sanding drum mandrel on water inlet

I then submerged the whole cylinder in a bucket of water and applied about 5 psi of air pressure.  I like using water for things like this as the smallest leak will readily show up.  Everything checked out good.

As far as other OX-5 work, I'm just about ready to take components to the A&P school where I teach and magneflux them.  I'm then going to deliver them to the shop that will be doing all the babbitt work on the main and rod bearings as well as bushing the rods for a full-floating piston pin.  Until next time....