Finally a channel that shows the skills of the designers old and new, the engineering and reverse engineering, the design process and the depth of skills required, but also the art form of building by hand these machines. Brilliant.
What great names we gave our planes. Most appropriate, and relevant to their purpose. When the RAF named their P51's the 'Mustang'' the Americans adopted it, and the trend continued--Thunderbolt, and Lighning' , (very very frightning)
As a seasoned AME, I’ve done my fair share of sheet metal work. The end result is safe and functional. It is skilled people like yourself who possess a talent for metal working and turn it into an art form. I genuinely admire your talent.
Thank you very much to the NZ pilots, crew and engineers and mechanics for your part in keeping the world free. I know most WWII vets are gone now, but this is also addressed to their family members.
What a great project to stumble upon and particularly as you're restoring the plane of a New Zealand pilot. We will remember them. Greetings from Wellington, New Zealand.
Nice touch at the end, a nod to the incredibly brave young men who flew combat in these machines. It took a lot of courage for an intelligent man to get into what was in effect a giant petrol tank and go fight to the death.
Thank you Paul, the end of our videos is all information on Peter Price, we are very fortunate to be in touch with his Niece, who requested that he favorite image of him was included (colour portrait). ~Ian
I have seen them working new wing ribs by hand at Duxford but hadn’t appreciated the extent of the work and skill. I look forward to following this build.
Great to see this historic aircraft taking shape. As a tank commander, my Dad was always ready to take a pop at 'The Brylcreem Boys', but often said how grateful he was for the way they wiped out German armour and saved so many Allied lives.
Amazing to see this. My dad was one of the founders of the UK RB396 project but left as it was quite stressful for him. I’m just amazed to see another Typhoon being restored to airworthy condition. Keep it up!
It's impossible to overstate just how important projects like this, and Just Jane are. Showing future generations the sacrifices made by others, to give them the freedom they take for granted.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Maybe, if they get JJ flying at East Kirkby, they can get it over to Canada with the BBMF aircraft and you can join in a 3 Lancaster flypast? Great dream eh?. Problem with JJ is the taxi runs pay for much of the work, but if you stop to restore, your income stream dries up. Time will tell. Good luck either way to all you Canadian wizards. (from England)
Hi, just found this site - fascinating. I am a 'mature' ex panel beater and the shrinking of ali section particularly interesting - for me. I have shrunk many sections and panels in my day, both mild steel and ali. But it was always hot shrining. We used an oxy-acetylene flame, wood mallet and a former or dolly to support. Ali was always 'interesting' to shrink mainly because it didn't alter colour when hot, unlike steel, so no clue was given as to the readiness of the material. Briefly, we used a very carburising flame to coat the ali with soot. Heated the section and when the carburising soot burnt off, the panel was ready. You had to be quick! Great site and great project.
Thank you Chris. It's pretty easy to get burned with aluminum for the same reason, no indication of temperature! I've had a few parts just fall apart when welding if I build up too much heat. Lesson learned! There are a few old tricks for softening the material when you're working, soot is one, and soap is another I've heard of guys using. Unfortunately neither can be used on aircraft parts because the results cannot be controlled. It's great for non-aircraft parts though. ~Ian
Yes, watching any skilled craftsperson at work is generally fascinating so I’d be watching this even if I wasn’t also fascinated by the whole Typhoon rebuild project.
This is brilliant! I'm so glad I found your channel. I fly and look after several aircraft in the UK and I find metalwork and aircraft engineering fascinating and relaxing at the same time. Please keep this great content coming.
Wonderful work. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to show this project in detail. Every single step you take towards the completed airframe, is a tribute to all those who served, in whatever capacity, with these aircraft. Very special and very important work.
It's really wonderful to have so much support. After this many years, it's just become normal for me; very wonderful to share this experience! Thank you! ~Ian
Brilliant, the craftsmanship and pride in product excellence is alive and well in your hands. Just happened across this, first time viewed, I'll for sure follow along now. Thank you for posting this. Patrick
Thanks for the channel - I was hitherto unaware of it. I truly appreciate your skill and dedication, and while I have no such skill myself, I am appreciating the previously unseen images that preface this video. Thanks!!
Living in the UK and frequenting the Duxford 'Flying Legends' airshow every year I have longed to see a Typhoon or Tempest at a show...so I was totally enthralled to happen on this build...SUBSCRIBED!
Literally your whole career supports this project mentally and physically. You ave the drawings you know how do the job, you have the skills. What a great project and if you can build one and have the tooling hopefully more to follow like the mosquitos coming out of New Zealand. Good luck.
Your work reminds me of the 'smith' (farrier in french) who I used to watch & assist 'hot shoeing' horses. In retrospect I wonder which I have most admiration for, the man who was an apparent magician with red hot 'plastic' metal or the horses which allowed this man to literally set fire to their hooves!
Well if you let the Covid hype and rubbish get under your skin nothing would ever get done,lets tackle this with the same passion as those workers at Hawkers when the urgency was real,such dedication and passion and skills we need to keep alive as shown here..
@@angelreading5098 A mate of mine got it in March. He's STILL so ill he can hardly talk and might not make it. I guess he's part of some huge stupid government conspiracy is He?? And my post was a reference to the Metallica shirt that that bloke's got on.
@@oxcart4172 People are dieing all the time especially this time of year it is a natural process,there is still no need to shut down a country,nature is the real healer whatever the epidemic,I never mentioned a conspiracy just an hypocrisy and fixation that has been wrongly created that is destroying everything we worked for,anyway enough this is about a highly positive wonderful Typhoon project and I do not wish to sabotage a thread,nuff said.
@@angelreading5098 of course they are. But this pandemic is orders of magnitude more than what we normally have to cope with. It's not "hype" it's a very serious problem that's not going away anytime soon. Nuff said! Pretty name, by the way.
You do outstanding work .Really enjoy the videos. I am a aerospace sheet metal mechanic I deal with shrinkage also but mostly weld shrinkage building heat exchangers for military aircraft . Build fixture has shims to allow for shrinkage .
Love the old planes. But I build other things. What you are doing here applies to many processes. That’s why I am here. A 63 year addiction to craftsmanship.
Amazing to watch new segments of the Aircraft being made by hand & the skill involved to get it right. Just happened to come across the Chanel & now can’t wait to catch the up dates. Brilliant work guys. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you Mark, the episodes come out on our paid channel every second Sunday, and then on TH-cam the following Thursday. Episode 6 launches today! ~Ian
Interesting vid, I generally use a wooden block to form the flange rather than use the hammer direct, but I'll certainly give your method a try. Didn't know about the nylon faced rivet snap so will have a look at that method for tightening the radius as well. I'm with the Stirling Project and so will shortly be commencing framemass production, so anything that's as repeatable as what you're doing can only be a good thing keep up the great work John
Be careful with he gun John, it can also cause problems really quickly. Using a Maple block and hammer is the best way for sure, but when there are 90 odd frames segments to do I needed to save my arm! Following the work you are doing on the Stirling as well, another great aircraft! ~Ian
Great channel Ill be watching, my Dad was a RCAF mechanic in WW2 and told me many stories of the planes he worked on mostly Spitfires Mustangs and he also mentioned Typhoons many times, he passed in 2012 so I can no longer listen to his stories, have some pictures of him standing beside a clip wing Spit and some wrecks, was with 39th reconnaissance wing 400 squadron.
I deeply miss all of the WWII blokes I’ve known over the years. My dad especially, but many more. The town I have always lived in was a bomber training base during the war. B17s and B25s.
Amazing so much 'work' literally. goes into a single piece.. Keep up the great work . Watching this reminded me of reading the 'big show' by Pierre Clostermann, Surely the finest pilot biography of WW2 and, his experiences and memoirs about flying Spitfires, 'brutish' Typhoons and simply frightening Tempests, are simply unforgettable.
Ok ? Simply beyond awesome specialized fabrication and such . On a no less ultra specialized historical aircraft/warbird. Simply dosent get any better for a Gear head like me !👍🏼
Moved one of these by road about 18 months ago. Picked it up from RAF Coningsby, home of the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Took it back to the RAF Museum, Hendon. The Museum guys told me this one was the only complete, original one in the world. what surprised me was how cramped the cockpit looked. I,m 6ft and about 220lbs and I don,t think I could have fitted in there. There was a Tempest in the next hall and that was far bigger!
We had the privi of scanning the wing of that very plane when she was on loan to Canada; it's wonderful that one did survive intact. The Tempest is essentially the same cockpit, actually made from most of the same part numbers; but it did have a longer nose to accommodate an extra fuel tank just forward of the cockpit firewall. Both wonderful aircraft. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Didn,t get close enough to the Tempest to compare the cockpits, the Tempest just looked so much bigger. although the tiffy was just the fuselage. the wings, prop and other ancillaries were on another truck. the wheels seemed very small compared to the Tempest, but there was another set of main wheels in the ancillaries, so maybe it had smaller wheels on for transportation. I still wouldn,t fit in the cockpit though!!! The firm I work for does all the movements for RAF Museum Cosford, so we,re quite often doing movements between Cosford and Hendon. Do you just restore Typhoons or do you do other types as well? My old man flew mk9 spits in Italy during the war. He was in 208sqd, attached to the US 15th Air Force, and was awarded the American DFC.
@@nicksykes4575 Typhoon MN235 was fitted with some Tempest wheels for loan, not too sure what they used during the move. I'm jealous of your job, you must see some awesome stuff! The focus for Typhoon Legacy is just the Typhoon, although we're working on a Merlin now to support that. ~Ian
One-off Hand made parts!! Amazing. My dearly departed Dad was a tool & Die maker. He’d have them pressed out in a matter of seconds per piece. Of course that’s for full scale production and manufacturing.✌️
I remember making wing ribs for a Petrel two seater light aircraft as a technical apprentice back in the 1970's at the British Aircraft Corporation - it was an apprentice project. We formed the ribs on micarta forming blocks we had made (if I remember correctly). It did involve using a shrinking machine on the flanges - now that took me quite a few goes before I managed to make one to a satisfactory standard - its not as easy as you make it look! Really good explanation. Love to see these skills still alive today - most aircraft today seem to be machined aluminium/titanium & carbon. PS: Don't think they let the Petrel project aircraft fly - they cut it up once complete. Phew!!!!!!!!!!!!
In my view, the typhoon was better than the spitfire. The spitfire got all the glory while the Typhoon did all the heavy lifting. I remember reading about Spitfire pilots who attended my primary school (south school) in Invercargill New Zealand, John checketts, Roy Buchanan. Very brave man indeed. Thanks for sharing your video, really interesting project.
In 1978 as a student I built a wind tunnel as my year 8 science project and chose the Hawker Typhoon as my test model. Long story short, my project was selected as one of several projects to be displayed at the Australian Academy of Science where I was to attend and receive acknowledgment by way of bursary presented by the Price of Wales who was visiting Australia at the time. Prior to the award ceremony the Prince visited each display, asked questions and engaged in a bit of friendly banter. As he approached my wind tunnel he said "Oh look a Spitfire, that's one of ours". I still look back with amusement as I recall a 14Y/O Australian boy from the bush correcting the future leader of the Commonwealth, explaining the differences between 2 aircraft that belonged to the Royal Airforce which fought in such conflicts as the Battle of Britain and the D-Day landings.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd As it was 42 years ago photos are scarce. My mum has a photo of me receiving the presentation from the Prince of Wales and I recall the local paper taking some photos at the time. I'll do some digging and come back.
It’s amazing to me to see the detail in workmanship that goes into a project like this. I often wonder how they were able to mass produce planes like this during the war. They must have had special tooled machines stamping out parts like this.
Absolutely, investment in more tooling for pressing parts is well worth it for production volumes, this technique is more for one-off and prototyping. ~Ian
Interesting as hell. My great uncle Melsom Gee was a Hurricane and Typhoon pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force, who lost his life in a Typhoon over France on June 6 1944, supporting the invasion forces on D Day. My father worshipped him like a god, and actually ended up working in the UK for Napier, manufacturers of the Sabre engine. During his apprenticeship with them, he worked with some of the engineers and machinists who had designed and built that magnificent, but overcomplicated machine. Of course, I never met my great uncle, but my father kept the letters that Melsom wrote him from Britain, cut to ribbons by the censors , probably full of details about the flights and machinery.... I'll subscribe now, interested in seeing how this project works out.
I find it sad that some appalling car channels ( I wont mention Supercar Blondie. Ooops) can attract nearly 5 million subscribers with totally vacuous content yet something as inspiring as the skills and knowledge shown here attract so few.
It may just take time John. I'll make you a deal though, if you keep sharing our page with people you know, I'll keep making videos! I think it would be amazing if we could get 50,000 subscribers and go from there. ~Ian
Fantastic to see a Typhoon being built, I have done a Mk 8 Spit and various Spanish 109's back in the 70's and 80's, and am interested in your manufacturing techniques. We used a router to shape the sides of an indy car at Lola but I have never used one on aircraft parts although there is no reason why not providing you deburr your edges. I will follow on to see how you get on. Interestingly my Father worked on the line at Morris cars in Oxford producing the central monocoque for the Typhoons. I look forward to more episodes.
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd First off that was an excellent metalworking demonstration Sir and thank you for bringing probably the most lethal ground attack aircraft of WWII back to life. And credit to you for keeping the connections to dead pilots in perspective as well. As regards the build quality of WWII aircraft we should all remember some aspects: 1. These (as were all UK built aircraft) were built in a war zone with factories liable to be blown to pieces at any time. Imagine the daily stress on the workforce? When your American neighbours talk about the volumes they produced ask them how many bombs fell on US factories? 2. Sadly of course the life expectancy of any aircraft (and more sadly the pilots) was measured in months and maybe weeks. The only objective was to get as many machines into the air as possible and if a few pieces were 'a bit rough' it was really of no importance.
@@1chish Thank you very much for the kind comments. I couldn't agree more on the quality, and overall, everything that we've seen has exceeded any expectations for the production environment and conditions, and in some cases exceeded quality from aircraft built in ideal conditions today ~Ian
Back in the 70's I worked at AeroCom that used solid steel airfoil mold blocks that were used to hydraulically form the pieces of aluminum into almost finished ribs.
Just as a matter of interest, what kind of rivets will you use? Originally Hawkers used what we know as 'fridge' rivets, made from L37 I think, you will know them as 'icebox rivets' but they are basically the same. GR3 and AV8A Harriers used these all over the airframe and I think were the last to use these in large quantities.
Hi Bernard, very close, the original fasteners were indeed "icebox" rivets B.S. L37 alloy (green). This was a big issue, and the cause of much research. We have discovered some manufacturer data which will permit the use of alternate rivets in much (but not all) of the structure. In the cases where we can do this, the alternate will be a 2117 alloy fastener; the fastener head profiles will be matched to the wartime profile to ensure accuracy. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Hi Ian, I have no idea why they were called fridge rivets when they were kept in an icebox, guess it's a Brit thing! I will E-mail details of a supplier of L37 rivets (Certificated, as I recall), if you need them. How about sheet metal? North America tended to use odd gauges while us lot use even, the Typhoon being no exception. Can you easily obtain the correct gauge over there? Of course the aircraft is full of British Association (BA) threads, some BSF and probably Whitworth as well. Not to mention 60 degree flares on the hydraulic and pneumatic lines.
The Typhoons were awesome aircraft in my book. A sleek design that's eye appealing and works to the advantage of speed. Wish there were more about but we'll take what we can get. All the best of luck on for me, the best Hawker turned out. Hope that you'll publish a flight when all said and done. Thank you for restoring living history. P.S. music isn't really needed for this.
Not the best Hawker turned out - in piston engine fighters that accolade has to go to the Tempest 1, which only existed in prototype form, but the Typhoon was an important step on the way. It always saddened me that no Typhoon was preserved complete in a museum in Britain, and the best I could find whan I was young was a rather disasppointing cockpit section.
@@vipertwenty249, One Typhoon survived, MN235. It had been shipped to the US for evaluation and was stored thereafter. Traded back to the UK in 1968 I believe, and is now on display in Hendon. She was loaned to Canada a few years ago, and we were fortunate enough to be allowed to complete a full digital scan of the wing to help with our work on JP843. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Oh thanks for that - I visited Hendon as a child in about 1968, and more recently in about 1977, but I haven't been since. Probably worth a visit again now!
Have you read his autobiography "my part of the sky" . How he survived as a fighter pilot and then became a top test pilot ....amazing and brave beyond description !
At the 12:21 mark the shrinker shows up - how does that machine 'shrink' the flange? ...and what's it's proper name? I thought he'd flute the flange to shrink it. Thanks in advance!
The machine is actually called a shrinker/stretcher, and they have a variety of jaws fitted depending what you would like to do. These machines use compression on the jaws, when pressure is applied to the material between them, the jaws grip the material and force it to the center of the jaw, basically pinching it. The opposite is true for stretch jaws. The more pressure that is applied, the harder the jaws pinch or pull. ~Ian
Hi. Could I please ask what brand of Shrinker/Stretcher you are using? I bought a "cheap and cheerful" one and find it fulfils the "cheap" part of that description but does not leave me very cheerful! Awful serrations in the aluminium surface. Thanks
I turned a small offset bushing for the router itself, so it guides the bit along the correct line. The template compensates for the distance of the bushing. ~Ian
Great work! Spent 40 years of my life as an aircraft sheety. one trick I used when using protected sheet was to mark the grain direction with a felt pen ....saves mistakes! Presumably the 'O' state is heat treated into T42 or do you take it to something different? Will be following your progress!
Fascinating project....I am bing watching. A couple of suggestions that would help out future viewers: 1) can you number the episodes, so that late comes, such as me, can watch them in order... 2) recognizing that video editing is not the primary focus of this project, it would be helpful to normalize the volume between talking / interviews....and the music clips. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the feedback! Yes, the volume issue has been brought up, and I've made changes starting with episode 6. Each episode is given a number, using episode 6 as an example, S1E6 (Season 1 episode 6). I hope this helps. ~Ian
That is something that was unfortunately not explained very well here. The aluminum sheet used in the process has a grain direction to the sheet (much like wood), this grain runs parallel to the length of the sheet. In an ideal world, when bending the material; the bends are placed perpendicular to the grain direction because the material is more likely to tare along the grain, and you want these bends to be as strong as possible. With parts like these frames with compound (curved) bends, it is impossible to keep the grain direction of the part perpendicular to the bend along its full length. In cases like this, the flat pattern for the part should be positioned so that the grain has the greatest angle possible to that of bend placement. Depending on the parts shape, there are times were there will be areas of these bends that fall parallel to the grain. This is not ideal, but is inevitable in some applications. I hope this helps explain the missing information. ~Ian
Not wishing to sound facetious as this is an amazing project - but... if you build it accurately will there be a risk of the tail falling off? Or was that a myth? or will you be introducing any changes to reinforce the design?
That was a very true fact unfortunately, but it was corrected by the end of 1943. All modifications will have to be put into the build to ensure its safe operation. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Ahh, that is good news! I'm not surprised that you know all the details ;) Best of luck with the rest of the project, I'd love to see this fly one day!!
Thank you very much Norman! The Sabre is rare indeed, however not so rare as the Typhoon's wing, and we've managed one of those! I'm confident on the Sabre front. ~Ian
The flat patterns would be the easiest to CNC router, and I would surely look at doing this if we had multiples of each part. In this case, with only one or two parts of each being needed, it doesn't take that much longer to manually cut them. If I had a router in the shop I would likely do it, but really it's only a matter of minutes extra per part, the laser marking saves the bulk of time. The forms are much the same, however they do require much more finishing work than the flat patterns. To use a CNC router on these, we would need a 4 axis machine to get the correct flange angles, and the time and cost of sending them out for production this way is prohibitive. As you say, budget is a big consideration as well, so when we are able to produce the components in house and save some funding for materials, I'm always willing to put in the extra work to make sure we can advance the project as a whole. ~Ian
I used to build these myself. They were so intricate that I soon transferred to Spitfires. Both these birds were tremendous to look at. I still have mine on the kitchen window sill. However, one of my sons has broken bits off it.
It's wonderful to see such skill and dedication. But I bet you guys wish you could speed it up, like your video. How long since you started,? and what is the estimated completion date ?
Hi Philip, the Typhoon is a fickle beast for which there is limited surviving original data. While full time work is ongoing on JP843, there are still too many variables at play to determine a completion date. Every day brings more progress and every bit of progress leads to the inevitable unraveling of the next Tiffie puzzle. I've always told people that this is a 20 year project, and while I maintain this answer to this day, we have made progress well in advance of where I thought we would be at this time. ~Ian
Outstanding project, I will watching your progress with great interest. I never thought I would see an airworthy Typhoon in my lifetime. I know you make no promises as regards timescale but I have a feeling you'll do it!
Love this channel. Your dedication to this project is inspirational! The Typhoon is my favourite warbird too. One question, are you in communication with the uk typhoon restoration group ?
Just a thought, but Milfield airfield, which was a Typhoon training station during WW2, near Wooler, in Northumberland, UK, is reported to have had crates of spare parts just buried after the War. Wonder if there is any way of recovering and verifying this.
Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. Wow! Then this is a project that I will certainly be following closely. Glad to know that it’s in the hands of highly skilled aircraftsmen like yourself. What a thrill to discover that you are from Vancouver, BC. I’m currently working for Air Canada in YVR as an avionics tech. Is it possible for a shop visit? Thanks for sharing Ian.
Hi Damo, I've been reluctant to sell out T-shirts for the last little while, but have been working on some new ideas that will hopefully be well received. The best way to help right now is to subscribe to our paid video channel ( typhoonlegacy.vhx.tv/ ), this will cost a small monthly amount for early access and some bonus content. Part of what I'm working on right now is a reward system for the subscribers to the paid channel which will be retroactive for all subscribers. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Okay I’ll go check the link out. I gave Netflix the boot so I have a spare subscription in my monthly budget now. I really like this video format you are rolling out its great to see and hear a voice to the build I’ve been following you on FB for a while now I was the one that made a comment about the tail section failing and if this was a concern! But I’ve watched every TH-cam video you have uploaded including the tail section topic. This Typhoon is going to be epic when it’s done I’m so jealous I would love to come and play in your toy shop.
@@damo7800 Thank you Damo! If there is anything you would like to see or have explained in the shop, please let me know, I can always do a short update video explaining items of interest. ~Ian
Sorry if this sounds a bit trite but I have seen a 100tonne rubber press used with wooden form blocks to flange formers for light aircraft such that the flanges came out nice and smooth ,have you considered doing this ?
Pressing has been considered, however, the press size is relative to the parts being formed (size, thickness, material etc.), and the system we are using produces the same results. The rebuild of JP843 is essentially a one-off (aside from some areas where we are helping other groups with parts), so until it is complete, or nearing completion, there isn't likely enough demand to substantiate the expense of a press and it's installation. A 100 ton press may work for smaller items, but we would likely need upwards of 800 tons to press the larger parts properly; with this would come ceiling height, concrete depth, and power considerations. Lots to consider and quite an investment. ~Ian
There would have been many fitting issues early on, but as production progressed, they would have quite quickly found answers and made corrections to tooling and designs. That said, production aircraft would have used production tooling, sheet metal parts primarily being produced on mass via hydraulic press. ~Ian
Hi Chris, for airworthy aircraft, the use of heat needs to be highly controlled. The material can be treated, and annealed depending what type of results you need, but these must be done in very controlled situations to ensure the results are within the desired range. Localized heating is not acceptable for these parts. In our case, we start with "O" material (annealed), so it is soft when we start work. Through the process there is a bit of work hardening, but this can be controlled by using effective techniques and not making extra work for yourself. Once the parts are shaped, they go for heat treatment and begin to age harden to the desired strength after quench. This age hardening can be retarded, and the material held in the "W" condition (unstable, still soft) for a longer period of time if placed in a freezer. After quenching, the parts need to be inspected and straightened while in the "W" condition due to the potential for warping during quenching. Once true to the form, they are allowed to age harden to T42 condition and will be safe for flight. ~Ian
Can I ask what the proposed power plant you will be using? Is the Napier engine option possible? I would think that you would have to build,one from scratch which would be prohibitive? Or will it be powered by a Merlin?
Ooh the dark arts of Tinsmithry, I would've been taken out and tied to the back of a Harrier, if I'd used a Pneumatic rivet gun to chase sheet metal onto the form block lol On Aluminium we'd use either Nylon or Box-Wood Mallets, along with either fibre or Jabroc chasing tools, plus rub blocks hit with a large hammer (for heavier gauges). Incidentally what Aluminium Alloy are you using and in what treatment state?
It can get VERY tricky using the gun, the wrong movement can cause some really bad marks and either scrap the part, or waste significant time reworking. I normally use oak, maple, or nylon punches and blocks to get the best control under a hammer, but the shape of these profiles (and the quantity) made it fairly straightforward to use the gun for some forming work. This material is all 2024 "O", and will be off to heat treatment (and re-shaping) fairly soon. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd As I was taught, the more marks you put in, the more you've got to get out lol 2024 I'm familiar with, after having it solution treated and re-shaping, will you be having it hardened or leave it to naturally age?
I assume this is how pre-production prototypes were made. All by hand from drawings? Great skill. Thank you for sharing that with us. Just one question? How come you don't anneal the aluminium to make it softer to work with?
It would have been quite similar when they were prototyping, they would have been hand producing parts to fit the concept. The aluminum I'm using for the airworthy frame set id in "O" condition, so it is annealed to start. With all of the frame segments complete, they will then be treated to come to T42 condition. ~Ian
Finally a channel that shows the skills of the designers old and new, the engineering and reverse engineering, the design process and the depth of skills required, but also the art form of building by hand these machines. Brilliant.
I'm very glad you like it Robert! Please let me know if there is anything specific you would like to see as we move forwards and I'll work it it. ~Ian
Always been a fan of Typhoons and Tempests. Absolute beasts they were.
Very unique in design too! ~Ian
What great names we gave our planes. Most appropriate, and relevant to their purpose. When the RAF named their P51's the 'Mustang'' the Americans adopted it, and the trend continued--Thunderbolt, and Lighning' , (very very frightning)
As a seasoned AME, I’ve done my fair share of sheet metal work. The end result is safe and functional. It is skilled people like yourself who possess a talent for metal working and turn it into an art form. I genuinely admire your talent.
Very kind of you, that made my day; thank you Earl! ~Ian
Thank you very much to the NZ pilots, crew and engineers and mechanics for your part in keeping the world free. I know most WWII vets are gone now, but this is also addressed to their family members.
What a great project to stumble upon and particularly as you're restoring the plane of a New Zealand pilot.
We will remember them.
Greetings from Wellington, New Zealand.
We will remember them. ~Ian
The transition to dubstep when you use the rivet gun was an excellent effect...
It really seems to be a balance with the music, I'm still learning though, so one day I'll get it sorted! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd You're managing the fading in and out of the music between talking and working real well. That's pretty good editing
Nice touch at the end, a nod to the incredibly brave young men who flew combat in these machines.
It took a lot of courage for an intelligent man to get into what was in effect a giant petrol tank and go fight to the death.
Thank you Paul, the end of our videos is all information on Peter Price, we are very fortunate to be in touch with his Niece, who requested that he favorite image of him was included (colour portrait). ~Ian
I have seen them working new wing ribs by hand at Duxford but hadn’t appreciated the extent of the work and skill. I look forward to following this build.
Thank you Alan, great to have you following! ~Ian
Great to see this historic aircraft taking shape. As a tank commander, my Dad was always ready to take a pop at 'The Brylcreem Boys', but often said how grateful he was for the way they wiped out German armour and saved so many Allied lives.
Amazing to see this. My dad was one of the founders of the UK RB396 project but left as it was quite stressful for him. I’m just amazed to see another Typhoon being restored to airworthy condition. Keep it up!
A Hammer one of my favourite tools. The application of force.
What a great way to spend your time, metal forming. thanks for sharing.
It's impossible to overstate just how important projects like this, and Just Jane are.
Showing future generations the sacrifices made by others, to give them the freedom they take for granted.
Well said, thank you very much for your support! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Maybe, if they get JJ flying at East Kirkby, they can get it over to Canada with the BBMF aircraft and you can join in a 3 Lancaster flypast?
Great dream eh?.
Problem with JJ is the taxi runs pay for much of the work, but if you stop to restore, your income stream dries up.
Time will tell.
Good luck either way to all you Canadian wizards. (from England)
@@paramarky That would be amazing! We've got another Lanc over here returning to the air as well (Victoria), so my vote is for four! ~Ian
Hi, just found this site - fascinating. I am a 'mature' ex panel beater and the shrinking of ali section particularly interesting - for me. I have shrunk many sections and panels in my day, both mild steel and ali. But it was always hot shrining. We used an oxy-acetylene flame, wood mallet and a former or dolly to support. Ali was always 'interesting' to shrink mainly because it didn't alter colour when hot, unlike steel, so no clue was given as to the readiness of the material. Briefly, we used a very carburising flame to coat the ali with soot. Heated the section and when the carburising soot burnt off, the panel was ready. You had to be quick! Great site and great project.
Thank you Chris. It's pretty easy to get burned with aluminum for the same reason, no indication of temperature! I've had a few parts just fall apart when welding if I build up too much heat. Lesson learned! There are a few old tricks for softening the material when you're working, soot is one, and soap is another I've heard of guys using. Unfortunately neither can be used on aircraft parts because the results cannot be controlled. It's great for non-aircraft parts though. ~Ian
Wow! A master metal worker, a joy to watch.
Yes, watching any skilled craftsperson at work is generally fascinating so I’d be watching this even if I wasn’t also fascinated by the whole Typhoon rebuild project.
This is brilliant! I'm so glad I found your channel. I fly and look after several aircraft in the UK and I find metalwork and aircraft engineering fascinating and relaxing at the same time. Please keep this great content coming.
It's wonderful to have you along, thank you for the great comments! ~Ian
Wonderful work. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to show this project in detail. Every single step you take towards the completed airframe, is a tribute to all those who served, in whatever capacity, with these aircraft. Very special and very important work.
Thank you Lawrence, it's fairly subtle, but this is exactly why this project is happening. ~Ian
Those Tempests and Typhoons were mighty, powerful machines. That air intake alone gives a sense of brute force!
They sure do look the part for ground attack work. ~Ian
Brings back a lot of memories. I used to this kind of work before CAD, computers and laser cutters.
A very different world that doesn't seem that long ago! ~Ian
So interesting to see someone doing something they love. All those years of dedication and experience paying off
It's really wonderful to have so much support. After this many years, it's just become normal for me; very wonderful to share this experience! Thank you! ~Ian
Very clear and concise description of shrinkage.
Very interesting as well.
What a great project
Thanks Ian.
Thank you! ~Ian
Brilliant, the craftsmanship and pride in product excellence is alive and well in your hands. Just happened across this, first time viewed, I'll for sure follow along now. Thank you for posting this.
Patrick
Patrick, your words are sincerely appreciated; it's great to have you following along with us! ~Ian
Thanks for the channel - I was hitherto unaware of it. I truly appreciate your skill and dedication, and while I have no such skill myself, I am appreciating the previously unseen images that preface this video. Thanks!!
Thank you very much John! ~Ian
Living in the UK and frequenting the Duxford 'Flying Legends' airshow every year I have longed to see a Typhoon or Tempest at a show...so I was totally enthralled to happen on this build...SUBSCRIBED!
Wonderful, thank you very much. Great to have you following along with us! ~Ian
Literally your whole career supports this project mentally and physically. You ave the drawings you know how do the job, you have the skills. What a great project and if you can build one and have the tooling hopefully more to follow like the mosquitos coming out of New Zealand. Good luck.
Thank you so much Anthony. ~Ian
Thanks for showing the step by step process working with the material Ian! One day I hope to try it myself!
It can be great fun! ~Ian
Your work reminds me of the 'smith' (farrier in french) who I used to watch & assist 'hot shoeing' horses.
In retrospect I wonder which I have most admiration for, the man who was an apparent magician with red hot 'plastic' metal or the horses which allowed this man to literally set fire to their hooves!
As a fellow master fabricator OMG 😳 YOU'RE Building a typhoon from scratch !
He's building a Typhoon as though 'Nothing Else Matters!''
Nice Dave! ~Ian
Well if you let the Covid hype and rubbish get under your skin nothing would ever get done,lets tackle this with the same passion as those workers at Hawkers when the urgency was real,such dedication and passion and skills we need to keep alive as shown here..
@@angelreading5098
A mate of mine got it in March. He's STILL so ill he can hardly talk and might not make it. I guess he's part of some huge stupid government conspiracy is He??
And my post was a reference to the Metallica shirt that that bloke's got on.
@@oxcart4172 People are dieing all the time especially this time of year it is a natural process,there is still no need to shut down a country,nature is the real healer whatever the epidemic,I never mentioned a conspiracy just an hypocrisy and fixation that has been wrongly created that is destroying everything we worked for,anyway enough this is about a highly positive wonderful Typhoon project and I do not wish to sabotage a thread,nuff said.
@@angelreading5098 of course they are. But this pandemic is orders of magnitude more than what we normally have to cope with. It's not "hype" it's a very serious problem that's not going away anytime soon. Nuff said!
Pretty name, by the way.
You do outstanding work .Really enjoy the videos. I am a aerospace sheet metal mechanic I deal with shrinkage also but mostly weld shrinkage building heat exchangers for military aircraft . Build fixture has shims to allow for shrinkage .
Thank you very much, that sounds like fun work! ~Ian
Love these Typhoons, they're my favorite WW2 RAF aircraft, it's great seeing one being returned to airworthiness, keep up the good work guy's. 👏👏👏
....and I thought I was doing pretty good gluing together a Typhoon plastic model airplane kit.....I commend your talent and skill.
Thank you very much, just know that I'm also the guy that gets glue fingerprints on all of the windows of my plastic models! ~Ian
Love the old planes. But I build other things. What you are doing here applies to many processes. That’s why I am here. A 63 year addiction to craftsmanship.
Very please to have you following! ~Ian
This channel is pure gold. Thank you.
And you Sir! ~Ian
Amazing to watch new segments of the Aircraft being made by hand & the skill involved to get it right. Just happened to come across the Chanel & now can’t wait to catch the up dates. Brilliant work guys. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you Mark, the episodes come out on our paid channel every second Sunday, and then on TH-cam the following Thursday. Episode 6 launches today! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd have you got the link for the paid channel?
@@modelnut Yes Sir: typhoonlegacy.vhx.tv
Interesting vid, I generally use a wooden block to form the flange rather than use the hammer direct, but I'll certainly give your method a try. Didn't know about the nylon faced rivet snap so will have a look at that method for tightening the radius as well. I'm with the Stirling Project and so will shortly be commencing framemass production, so anything that's as repeatable as what you're doing can only be a good thing
keep up the great work
John
Be careful with he gun John, it can also cause problems really quickly. Using a Maple block and hammer is the best way for sure, but when there are 90 odd frames segments to do I needed to save my arm! Following the work you are doing on the Stirling as well, another great aircraft! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Thanks Ian, I know exactly what you mean, LOL
Great channel Ill be watching, my Dad was a RCAF mechanic in WW2 and told me many stories of the planes he worked on mostly Spitfires Mustangs and he also mentioned Typhoons many times, he passed in 2012 so I can no longer listen to his stories, have some pictures of him standing beside a clip wing Spit and some wrecks, was with 39th reconnaissance wing 400 squadron.
Thank you Gord, great to have you following along. It's wonderful to have heard these stories first hand. ~Ian
I deeply miss all of the WWII blokes I’ve known over the years. My dad especially, but many more. The town I have always lived in was a bomber training base during the war. B17s and B25s.
I am loving the expertise
Amazing so much 'work' literally. goes into a single piece.. Keep up the great work . Watching this reminded me of reading the 'big show' by Pierre Clostermann, Surely the finest pilot biography of WW2 and, his experiences and memoirs about flying Spitfires, 'brutish' Typhoons and simply frightening Tempests, are simply unforgettable.
That is indeed a great book, thank you for your encouragement! ~Ian
Ok ? Simply beyond awesome specialized fabrication and such . On a no less ultra specialized historical aircraft/warbird. Simply dosent get any better for a Gear head like me !👍🏼
You certainly have skill in metalwork but the way you explain and show your work are also great skills.
Thank you very much Fred! ~Ian
Moved one of these by road about 18 months ago. Picked it up from RAF Coningsby, home of the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Took it back to the RAF Museum, Hendon. The Museum guys told me this one was the only complete, original one in the world. what surprised me was how cramped the cockpit looked. I,m 6ft and about 220lbs and I don,t think I could have fitted in there. There was a Tempest in the next hall and that was far bigger!
We had the privi of scanning the wing of that very plane when she was on loan to Canada; it's wonderful that one did survive intact. The Tempest is essentially the same cockpit, actually made from most of the same part numbers; but it did have a longer nose to accommodate an extra fuel tank just forward of the cockpit firewall. Both wonderful aircraft. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Didn,t get close enough to the Tempest to compare the cockpits, the Tempest just looked so much bigger. although the tiffy was just the fuselage. the wings, prop and other ancillaries were on another truck. the wheels seemed very small compared to the Tempest, but there was another set of main wheels in the ancillaries, so maybe it had smaller wheels on for transportation. I still wouldn,t fit in the cockpit though!!! The firm I work for does all the movements for RAF Museum Cosford, so we,re quite often doing movements between Cosford and Hendon. Do you just restore Typhoons or do you do other types as well? My old man flew mk9 spits in Italy during the war. He was in 208sqd, attached to the US 15th Air Force, and was awarded the American DFC.
@@nicksykes4575 Typhoon MN235 was fitted with some Tempest wheels for loan, not too sure what they used during the move. I'm jealous of your job, you must see some awesome stuff! The focus for Typhoon Legacy is just the Typhoon, although we're working on a Merlin now to support that. ~Ian
can't wait till it is finished love those typhoons
Really respect the work you do. Love all those WW2 aircraft and is good to see them
restored....
Thank you! ~Ian
One-off Hand made parts!! Amazing. My dearly departed Dad was a tool & Die maker. He’d have them pressed out in a matter of seconds per piece. Of course that’s for full scale production and manufacturing.✌️
Pressing would be wonderful, but don't forget to add tooling production time! ~Ian
My deepest respect for all the good work and effort in it...i ll hope it flies one day!
I remember making wing ribs for a Petrel two seater light aircraft as a technical apprentice back in the 1970's at the British Aircraft Corporation - it was an apprentice project. We formed the ribs on micarta forming blocks we had made (if I remember correctly). It did involve using a shrinking machine on the flanges - now that took me quite a few goes before I managed to make one to a satisfactory standard - its not as easy as you make it look! Really good explanation. Love to see these skills still alive today - most aircraft today seem to be machined aluminium/titanium & carbon.
PS: Don't think they let the Petrel project aircraft fly - they cut it up once complete. Phew!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Mike! ~Ian
Thank you, live in Jamaica and I'm a WW2 warbird lover.
Fantastic! ~Ian
One of my (many) relatives was a Spitfire Pilot during WW2 Flying officer Vincent Bunting from Jamaica..
www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com/?p=36
@@Mercmad Fantastic! Thank you for sharing. ~Ian
In my view, the typhoon was better than the spitfire. The spitfire got all the glory while the Typhoon did all the heavy lifting. I remember reading about Spitfire pilots who attended my primary school (south school) in Invercargill New Zealand, John checketts, Roy Buchanan. Very brave man indeed. Thanks for sharing your video, really interesting project.
Thank you Jason, it's great to have you following along with us. ~Ian
In 1978 as a student I built a wind tunnel as my year 8 science project and chose the Hawker Typhoon as my test model. Long story short, my project was selected as one of several projects to be displayed at the Australian Academy of Science where I was to attend and receive acknowledgment by way of bursary presented by the Price of Wales who was visiting Australia at the time. Prior to the award ceremony the Prince visited each display, asked questions and engaged in a bit of friendly banter. As he approached my wind tunnel he said "Oh look a Spitfire, that's one of ours". I still look back with amusement as I recall a 14Y/O Australian boy from the bush correcting the future leader of the Commonwealth, explaining the differences between 2 aircraft that belonged to the Royal Airforce which fought in such conflicts as the Battle of Britain and the D-Day landings.
Well done Tim! Do you have pictures of this work? ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd As it was 42 years ago photos are scarce. My mum has a photo of me receiving the presentation from the Prince of Wales and I recall the local paper taking some photos at the time. I'll do some digging and come back.
I see Tiffie, i upvote and join pateron.
It’s amazing to me to see the detail in workmanship that goes into a project like this. I often wonder how they were able to mass produce planes like this during the war. They must have had special tooled machines stamping out parts like this.
Absolutely, investment in more tooling for pressing parts is well worth it for production volumes, this technique is more for one-off and prototyping. ~Ian
Interesting as hell. My great uncle Melsom Gee was a Hurricane and Typhoon pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force, who lost his life in a Typhoon over France on June 6 1944, supporting the invasion forces on D Day. My father worshipped him like a god, and actually ended up working in the UK for Napier, manufacturers of the Sabre engine. During his apprenticeship with them, he worked with some of the engineers and machinists who had designed and built that magnificent, but overcomplicated machine.
Of course, I never met my great uncle, but my father kept the letters that Melsom wrote him from Britain, cut to ribbons by the censors , probably full of details about the flights and machinery....
I'll subscribe now, interested in seeing how this project works out.
Amazing connections Daniel, thank you for sharing and very happy to have you following along! ~Ian
I find it sad that some appalling car channels ( I wont mention Supercar Blondie. Ooops) can attract nearly 5 million subscribers with totally vacuous content yet something as inspiring as the skills and knowledge shown here attract so few.
It may just take time John. I'll make you a deal though, if you keep sharing our page with people you know, I'll keep making videos! I think it would be amazing if we could get 50,000 subscribers and go from there. ~Ian
@Kevin Reed Thank you Kevin! ~Ian
@@SteveGad Truly flattered! ~Ian
I really admire what you are doing. Thank you.
Thank you very much Colin! ~Ian
Great series, you have an awesome shop with great tooling..
Fantastic to see a Typhoon being built, I have done a Mk 8 Spit and various Spanish 109's back in the 70's and 80's, and am interested in your manufacturing techniques. We used a router to shape the sides of an indy car at Lola but I have never used one on aircraft parts although there is no reason why not providing you deburr your edges. I will follow on to see how you get on.
Interestingly my Father worked on the line at Morris cars in Oxford producing the central monocoque for the Typhoons. I look forward to more episodes.
The stories from those in the factories would be amazing to hear, sadly, I've not found many on this side of the pond. ~Ian
Good video, Interesting to watch a skilled man at work
My word a Typhoon! I need to support this.
Wonderful, thank you! The easiest way is by subscribing to our paid video channel (never any pressure though!) ~Ian typhoonlegacy.vhx.tv/
Very exciting - and some great technology being demonstrated. Well done!
Thank you Peter! ~Ian
amazing to see the skills and patience required to rebuild those fantastic airplanes! how many pieces this puzzle require?
Greetings from the UK...this is so cool....keep up the brilliant work...👍
Thank you Colin! ~Ian
Excellent work although I very much doubt that Hawkers had the time to be so precise. Very well done.
Some of the metal work was a bit rough, but the tolerances used in the construction of the cockpit section were very impressive! ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd First off that was an excellent metalworking demonstration Sir and thank you for bringing probably the most lethal ground attack aircraft of WWII back to life. And credit to you for keeping the connections to dead pilots in perspective as well.
As regards the build quality of WWII aircraft we should all remember some aspects:
1. These (as were all UK built aircraft) were built in a war zone with factories liable to be blown to pieces at any time. Imagine the daily stress on the workforce? When your American neighbours talk about the volumes they produced ask them how many bombs fell on US factories?
2. Sadly of course the life expectancy of any aircraft (and more sadly the pilots) was measured in months and maybe weeks. The only objective was to get as many machines into the air as possible and if a few pieces were 'a bit rough' it was really of no importance.
@@1chish Thank you very much for the kind comments. I couldn't agree more on the quality, and overall, everything that we've seen has exceeded any expectations for the production environment and conditions, and in some cases exceeded quality from aircraft built in ideal conditions today ~Ian
Back in the 70's I worked at AeroCom that used solid steel airfoil mold blocks that were used to hydraulically form the pieces of aluminum into almost finished ribs.
Just as a matter of interest, what kind of rivets will you use? Originally Hawkers used what we know as 'fridge' rivets, made from L37 I think, you will know them as 'icebox rivets' but they are basically the same. GR3 and AV8A Harriers used these all over the airframe and I think were the last to use these in large quantities.
Hi Bernard, very close, the original fasteners were indeed "icebox" rivets B.S. L37 alloy (green). This was a big issue, and the cause of much research. We have discovered some manufacturer data which will permit the use of alternate rivets in much (but not all) of the structure. In the cases where we can do this, the alternate will be a 2117 alloy fastener; the fastener head profiles will be matched to the wartime profile to ensure accuracy. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Hi Ian, I have no idea why they were called fridge rivets when they were kept in an icebox, guess it's a Brit thing! I will E-mail details of a supplier of L37 rivets (Certificated, as I recall), if you need them. How about sheet metal? North America tended to use odd gauges while us lot use even, the Typhoon being no exception. Can you easily obtain the correct gauge over there? Of course the aircraft is full of British Association (BA) threads, some BSF and probably Whitworth as well. Not to mention 60 degree flares on the hydraulic and pneumatic lines.
The Typhoons were awesome aircraft in my book. A sleek design that's eye appealing and works to the advantage of speed. Wish there were more about but we'll take what we can get. All the best of luck on for me, the best Hawker turned out. Hope that you'll publish a flight when all said and done. Thank you for restoring living history. P.S. music isn't really needed for this.
Thank you Craig, once complete there will be a massive amount of video and still imagery taken to share with the world! ~Ian
Not the best Hawker turned out - in piston engine fighters that accolade has to go to the Tempest 1, which only existed in prototype form, but the Typhoon was an important step on the way. It always saddened me that no Typhoon was preserved complete in a museum in Britain, and the best I could find whan I was young was a rather disasppointing cockpit section.
@@vipertwenty249, One Typhoon survived, MN235. It had been shipped to the US for evaluation and was stored thereafter. Traded back to the UK in 1968 I believe, and is now on display in Hendon. She was loaned to Canada a few years ago, and we were fortunate enough to be allowed to complete a full digital scan of the wing to help with our work on JP843. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Oh thanks for that - I visited Hendon as a child in about 1968, and more recently in about 1977, but I haven't been since. Probably worth a visit again now!
@@vipertwenty249 Very much so! ~Ian
Excellent a joy to watch.
Thank you John! ~Ian
One Typhoon ace was Squadron Leader or Wing Commander , Roland Beaumont . R. A. F. Radio call I believe was his initials. , R - B . Thank you . 🍁🇨🇦 .
Have you read his autobiography "my part of the sky" . How he survived as a fighter pilot and then became a top test pilot ....amazing and brave beyond description !
Only just discovered you channel. Wow! What a brilliant project and superbly made videos, now subscribed, cheers :)
Thank you for the kind words and for following along, sincerely appreciated! ~Ian
Inspiring work !
The work. Amazing. Good on you for doing this.
Thank you Nick! ~Ian
Wow, thank you for the video.
Thank you for following along with us! ~Ian
At the 12:21 mark the shrinker shows up - how does that machine 'shrink' the flange? ...and what's it's proper name? I thought
he'd flute the flange to shrink it. Thanks in advance!
The machine is actually called a shrinker/stretcher, and they have a variety of jaws fitted depending what you would like to do. These machines use compression on the jaws, when pressure is applied to the material between them, the jaws grip the material and force it to the center of the jaw, basically pinching it. The opposite is true for stretch jaws. The more pressure that is applied, the harder the jaws pinch or pull. ~Ian
Hi. Could I please ask what brand of Shrinker/Stretcher you are using? I bought a "cheap and cheerful" one and find it fulfils the "cheap" part of that description but does not leave me very cheerful! Awful serrations in the aluminium surface. Thanks
Hi Mike, this is an Ecklod machine which can hold a variety of jaw types; in this video I am using the composite shrinking jaws. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Thanks Ian. Better start saving my pennies for one of those!
Great video's. I really enjoy seeing you doing the forming processes. Please keep it up.
Amazing I didn’t know how involved forming metal bends can be . 👍🙂 small question I couldn’t see how the router was following the small wooden jig ?
I turned a small offset bushing for the router itself, so it guides the bit along the correct line. The template compensates for the distance of the bushing. ~Ian
Great work! Spent 40 years of my life as an aircraft sheety. one trick I used when using protected sheet was to mark the grain direction with a felt pen ....saves mistakes!
Presumably the 'O' state is heat treated into T42 or do you take it to something different?
Will be following your progress!
Thank you Hugh! Indeed, going to T42 very soon. ~Ian
Fascinating project....I am bing watching. A couple of suggestions that would help out future viewers:
1) can you number the episodes, so that late comes, such as me, can watch them in order...
2) recognizing that video editing is not the primary focus of this project, it would be helpful to normalize the volume between talking / interviews....and the music clips.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you for the feedback! Yes, the volume issue has been brought up, and I've made changes starting with episode 6. Each episode is given a number, using episode 6 as an example, S1E6 (Season 1 episode 6). I hope this helps. ~Ian
Thanks for this. Respect from NZ.
Great to have you following! ~Ian
In the next video, could you explain the proper grain direction to form those bulkheads?
That is something that was unfortunately not explained very well here. The aluminum sheet used in the process has a grain direction to the sheet (much like wood), this grain runs parallel to the length of the sheet. In an ideal world, when bending the material; the bends are placed perpendicular to the grain direction because the material is more likely to tare along the grain, and you want these bends to be as strong as possible. With parts like these frames with compound (curved) bends, it is impossible to keep the grain direction of the part perpendicular to the bend along its full length. In cases like this, the flat pattern for the part should be positioned so that the grain has the greatest angle possible to that of bend placement. Depending on the parts shape, there are times were there will be areas of these bends that fall parallel to the grain. This is not ideal, but is inevitable in some applications. I hope this helps explain the missing information. ~Ian
Not wishing to sound facetious as this is an amazing project - but... if you build it accurately will there be a risk of the tail falling off? Or was that a myth? or will you be introducing any changes to reinforce the design?
That was a very true fact unfortunately, but it was corrected by the end of 1943. All modifications will have to be put into the build to ensure its safe operation. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Ahh, that is good news! I'm not surprised that you know all the details ;) Best of luck with the rest of the project, I'd love to see this fly one day!!
Brilliant Sir ! Great stuff.Good luck with the project,I'll be watching ! About the engine,like finding a set of Ducks teeth isn't it ? Carry on.
Thank you very much Norman! The Sabre is rare indeed, however not so rare as the Typhoon's wing, and we've managed one of those! I'm confident on the Sabre front. ~Ian
If you already have the drawing files for all the shapes, why did you not get them CNC cut? Both material and form blocks? Budget?
The flat patterns would be the easiest to CNC router, and I would surely look at doing this if we had multiples of each part. In this case, with only one or two parts of each being needed, it doesn't take that much longer to manually cut them. If I had a router in the shop I would likely do it, but really it's only a matter of minutes extra per part, the laser marking saves the bulk of time.
The forms are much the same, however they do require much more finishing work than the flat patterns. To use a CNC router on these, we would need a 4 axis machine to get the correct flange angles, and the time and cost of sending them out for production this way is prohibitive. As you say, budget is a big consideration as well, so when we are able to produce the components in house and save some funding for materials, I'm always willing to put in the extra work to make sure we can advance the project as a whole. ~Ian
I used to build these myself. They were so intricate that I soon transferred to Spitfires. Both these birds were tremendous to look at. I still have mine on the kitchen window sill. However, one of my sons has broken bits off it.
I recall the same fate for my 1:32 Typhoon and Beaufighter, it's all good when it inspires the younger ones. ~Ian
It's wonderful to see such skill and dedication. But I bet you guys wish you could speed it up, like your video. How long since you started,? and what is the estimated completion date ?
Hi Philip, the Typhoon is a fickle beast for which there is limited surviving original data. While full time work is ongoing on JP843, there are still too many variables at play to determine a completion date. Every day brings more progress and every bit of progress leads to the inevitable unraveling of the next Tiffie puzzle. I've always told people that this is a 20 year project, and while I maintain this answer to this day, we have made progress well in advance of where I thought we would be at this time. ~Ian
Fantastic! Well done!
Great video thanks fir sharing
Outstanding project, I will watching your progress with great interest. I never thought I would see an airworthy Typhoon in my lifetime. I know you make no promises as regards timescale but I have a feeling you'll do it!
Thank you David!~Ian
Love this channel. Your dedication to this project is inspirational!
The Typhoon is my favourite warbird too. One question, are you in communication with the uk typhoon restoration group ?
Thank you! We have been in the past, the door is open at this end. ~Ian
I remember forming parts over jabrock formers using tallow grease on a hydraulic rubber press in the 80s
A tried and proven technology! ~Ian
Just a thought, but Milfield airfield, which was a Typhoon training station during WW2, near Wooler, in Northumberland, UK, is reported to have had crates of spare parts just buried after the War. Wonder if there is any way of recovering and verifying this.
Your doing a awesome job !
Thank you Richard! ~Ian
I can't imagine the factory having done this amount of labor. How was it done in the factory ?
These would have been pressed for production, when building large volumes of one part the cost of specific tooling is justified. ~Ian
Thoroughly enjoyed this step by step video. Didn't think anyone is still doing it like this. Is this going to be an airworthy sample?
It sure is Philip! ~Ian
Typhoon Legacy Co. Ltd. Wow! Then this is a project that I will certainly be following closely. Glad to know that it’s in the hands of highly skilled aircraftsmen like yourself. What a thrill to discover that you are from Vancouver, BC. I’m currently working for Air Canada in YVR as an avionics tech. Is it possible for a shop visit? Thanks for sharing Ian.
Hey Ian, great to see you are progressing I want to know do you sell shirts or have any merchandise that supports the build? Cheers Damo
Hi Damo, I've been reluctant to sell out T-shirts for the last little while, but have been working on some new ideas that will hopefully be well received. The best way to help right now is to subscribe to our paid video channel ( typhoonlegacy.vhx.tv/ ), this will cost a small monthly amount for early access and some bonus content. Part of what I'm working on right now is a reward system for the subscribers to the paid channel which will be retroactive for all subscribers. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd Okay I’ll go check the link out. I gave Netflix the boot so I have a spare subscription in my monthly budget now. I really like this video format you are rolling out its great to see and hear a voice to the build I’ve been following you on FB for a while now I was the one that made a comment about the tail section failing and if this was a concern! But I’ve watched every TH-cam video you have uploaded including the tail section topic. This Typhoon is going to be epic when it’s done I’m so jealous I would love to come and play in your toy shop.
@@damo7800 Thank you Damo! If there is anything you would like to see or have explained in the shop, please let me know, I can always do a short update video explaining items of interest. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd sweet!
Sorry if this sounds a bit trite but I have seen a 100tonne rubber press used with wooden form blocks to flange formers for light aircraft such that the flanges came out nice and smooth ,have you considered doing this ?
Pressing has been considered, however, the press size is relative to the parts being formed (size, thickness, material etc.), and the system we are using produces the same results. The rebuild of JP843 is essentially a one-off (aside from some areas where we are helping other groups with parts), so until it is complete, or nearing completion, there isn't likely enough demand to substantiate the expense of a press and it's installation. A 100 ton press may work for smaller items, but we would likely need upwards of 800 tons to press the larger parts properly; with this would come ceiling height, concrete depth, and power considerations. Lots to consider and quite an investment. ~Ian
I am a currant A&P mechanic and I truly appreciate your skill. During war time do you think they went through the same thing?
There would have been many fitting issues early on, but as production progressed, they would have quite quickly found answers and made corrections to tooling and designs. That said, production aircraft would have used production tooling, sheet metal parts primarily being produced on mass via hydraulic press. ~Ian
Hi do you use a heat gun to obtain a bit of compliance to the shape your after?? Very impressed with your skills
Hi Chris, for airworthy aircraft, the use of heat needs to be highly controlled. The material can be treated, and annealed depending what type of results you need, but these must be done in very controlled situations to ensure the results are within the desired range. Localized heating is not acceptable for these parts.
In our case, we start with "O" material (annealed), so it is soft when we start work. Through the process there is a bit of work hardening, but this can be controlled by using effective techniques and not making extra work for yourself. Once the parts are shaped, they go for heat treatment and begin to age harden to the desired strength after quench. This age hardening can be retarded, and the material held in the "W" condition (unstable, still soft) for a longer period of time if placed in a freezer. After quenching, the parts need to be inspected and straightened while in the "W" condition due to the potential for warping during quenching. Once true to the form, they are allowed to age harden to T42 condition and will be safe for flight. ~Ian
Can I ask what the proposed power plant you will be using? Is the Napier engine option possible? I would think that you would have to build,one from scratch which would be prohibitive? Or will it be powered by a Merlin?
Chris, the goal is a true example of the Typhoon powered by a Sabre. It will be difficult, but that is the name of the game for Typhoons! ~Ian
Ooh the dark arts of Tinsmithry, I would've been taken out and tied to the back of a Harrier, if I'd used a Pneumatic rivet gun to chase sheet metal onto the form block lol On Aluminium we'd use either Nylon or Box-Wood Mallets, along with either fibre or Jabroc chasing tools, plus rub blocks hit with a large hammer (for heavier gauges).
Incidentally what Aluminium Alloy are you using and in what treatment state?
It can get VERY tricky using the gun, the wrong movement can cause some really bad marks and either scrap the part, or waste significant time reworking. I normally use oak, maple, or nylon punches and blocks to get the best control under a hammer, but the shape of these profiles (and the quantity) made it fairly straightforward to use the gun for some forming work.
This material is all 2024 "O", and will be off to heat treatment (and re-shaping) fairly soon. ~Ian
@@TyphoonLegacyCoLtd As I was taught, the more marks you put in, the more you've got to get out lol
2024 I'm familiar with, after having it solution treated and re-shaping, will you be having it hardened or leave it to naturally age?
@@toboldlygosmodelworks1973 Absolutely true! Patience is the key here, best to walk away when you lose it or you'll pay for it later! ~Ian
I assume this is how pre-production prototypes were made. All by hand from drawings? Great skill. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Just one question? How come you don't anneal the aluminium to make it softer to work with?
It would have been quite similar when they were prototyping, they would have been hand producing parts to fit the concept. The aluminum I'm using for the airworthy frame set id in "O" condition, so it is annealed to start. With all of the frame segments complete, they will then be treated to come to T42 condition. ~Ian