Camel build

News
Repairing some fabric damage from the Oshkosh trip.

Taking time to do some upgrades:
1. new wood turtledeck, cockpit and leather coaming
2. re-do wood on cabanes and interplane struts
3. new windshield with Aldis
4. better mixture control
5. cable leathers.
6. replace aileron interconnect torque tubes with Bruntons.
7. new AD644 replica prop?

 

Although my new video camea pooped out, I was able to save a clip from the test hop at reduced power where the wheels left the ground for the first time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ-DRHIeIuM

 

Interviewing Robert at Oshkosh.
He said I was OLD and a gentleman. WTF?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG6fbI6bWoY

 

More crappy video from the test hops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vymz-s48U0I

 

Since the airplane was a prototype, there are a few prototype-isms that just go with being the first of something. My post Osh clean-up has gotten somewhat carried away as I am taking the opportunity to polish out some of the expediencies, and some of the beating it got on the Osh trip. Some of this will include new and/or refinished wood panels and parts. I am working with a master wood guy, and am learning a lot that I just did not know before.
Some hardware will be changed, for example, replacing many self tapping screws with nutplates, and replacing pop rivets with solid button rivets and so on.
I have also recently found a few more Camel tidbits, such as the MkIV pitot and the windscreen.

 

I really really wanted to go, but it's just too far from San Antonio and I am swamped at work.
Hoping to be at Kingsbury in November.

 

In response to a slow news day here, I will post some more boring photos as we plod towards Camel 2.0 - developmental improvements post Oshkosh.
1. Good shot of new propeller with a more accurate shape. Will pull test soon I hope. Astute among you will notice the new air fences on the center section window as original in the background.
2. New smaller, simple electrical panel below main panel. trying to be functional, but subtle.
3. Panel refinished, properly this time. The observant Camellites among you will notice bringing the pitot tube out the front now as on the original. The original pressure relief button is now the starter button.
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The classic "Dogfight without ammo" stands as one of the best non-cgi real flying sequences ever. It's on Youtube if anyone wants to see it. Both of those planes, Camel and Tripe - iconic.

 

Thanks to Rick Bennett for producing a set of spruce cabane and interplane struts to replace the veneered oval aluminum struts. The new spruce struts are a more proper Camel shape and airfoil, and a bit lighter.

Needless to say, they look terrific.

Have decided to make some changes to the wood side panels to have more of the original feel. Will be making "C" and "E" shaped formers and having a birch ply outer as original (per Kiger). Will match ext stain to the walnut strut and prop stains, while interior will be light. Stringers (shown with fitting templates) are dovetailed into the C & E formers. Lots of small nails.
Sorry for phone quality photo.
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I finally did finish the inside and outside of the cockpit, new wood with better finishing.
Added the original Aldis gunsight, Sopwith windscreen, lots of small details. Still not a museum reproduction, but I like it for me.

Also, about ALL self tapping metal screws that I could find in the fuselage have been replaced with nutplates. The wooden side panels are now secured with brass nails to a wooden frame, bolted to the frame. Very solid. Also been removing some now unneccesary interior wood to closer match the original and try to lose a little weight.

Contemporarily, Sopwiths were known as being lightly built machines - I was joking with a warbird friend that this Camel is steadily becoming so solid that North American Aviation would have been proud to call it their own. Not quite a Grumman Ironworks product, but NAA levels anyway. Need to beef up the landing gear more for Grumman.
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Thanks, guys.
We're on to hang the wings next week; except for the turtle deck and some detailing, here is the fuselage.

Like the fuselage, but to a lesser extent, the wings will also be receiving some upgrades such as spruce struts, Sopwith MkV pitot tube, inspection covers, etc.
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Camel 2.0 taxi tests

Picked a nice 10 - 15 kt wind, 68 degree Texas day to taxi test Camel 2.0 today.

While this is very old hat to some folks, for fngs like me here are the impressions:

While using a rudder bar isn't that different from pedals, it IS different. On the ground, anyway, it is not a matter of pivoting your ankles, it is leg motion. And not just back and forth, as the bar rotates in an arc, so you must follow the bar in a circular motion with the leg and foot. Not hard, just different.

And, at least on the Camel, the steering response is NOT linearly progressive. I think this is a combo of the fact of the rudder bar geometry and the springs on the rudder cable. Through the first few degrees of motion, the response is positive, but small; once past a certain point it really starts to turn progressively faster.

Now with all that said, I have to laugh at myself. The plane I have been flying mostly is a 7000 pound T-28, and I really don't care much about the wind while taxiing (and many times not even on approach). NOT SO with the Camel. The wind has to be considered in every motion and judgement of what you want the plane to do - even on the ground. It is really back to basics and you ARE flying the plane ALL the time once you start the motor and pull chocks. It's really great fun for me to get back to the basics - and they are ALL there and you are so connected to it all - it's great sport.

Compared to most planes, my brakes are crap; which is to say almost perfect for a Camel (Look at many Camel crash photos - on the nose or back). They are only really effective if the power is off. They will not hold the plane much above idle, but will gently slow it down to a stop power off. The way they are set up, you can't get to them without really wanting to anyway, so taxiing is really mostly about energy management NOT using the brakes. Again, you have to be thinking about what you are doing. With a hard over rudder, some brake and prop blast, she will brake the tailwheel into swivel. But really, when you are full bar over one way she turns pretty sharp and pivoting is not as neccesary if you are 'thinking ahead of' the airplane.

Anyway, hope this was entertaining for some. Here's a picture of yr fthfl svt driving around the ramp today at Castroville.
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