New Bushmaster Project

[chicobushmaster]

Well it all begins now. I have always looked for the "airplane in the barn" since before I built my Skybolt. I really enjoy the Skybolt, but I have always been attracted to bush type flying. This time the barn came to me. My good friend Mike Peavey was witnessing a hanger clean out when he came across this Tripacer in need of a home and attention.
The beginning 2.jpgThe beginning 1.jpg

[chicobushmaster]

Replacing missing tubing.jpgThe next thing that needed to be done is of course doing an inventory of what is there. We began stripping out all of the old wire, instruments, insulation, and accessing the damage. The damage was not only what resulted in a blow over and corrosion, but all
of the tubes that were liberated from the fuselage.Damage 1.jpgDamage 2.jpgDamage 3.jpgDamage 7.jpgDamage 8.jpgInitial firewall.jpgStrip out 3.jpgStrip out 4.jpgStrip out 5.jpgStrip out 6.jpg

[chicobushmaster]

The stretch begins. Some initial layout and leveling of the main structure. There is so much to do, that I am not sure that it wouldn't have been better to start from scratch. Most of my aerospace career has been with special mission products and modifying aluminum structures. However, there is something therapeutic working on fuselages and other space frames. Attachment 14907Attachment 14908Attachment 14909


Attachment 14906

[chicobushmaster]

Finally some construction.Attachment 14911Attachment 14913Attachment 14912

[chicobushmaster]

Working my way front to back.Attachment 14914Attachment 14915Attachment 14916

[Steve Pierce]

So people cut tubing out of the fuselage over the years? I have done a lot of fuselage work but I think starting from scratch would be a huge undertaking. Some of those fittings etc are a real pain to fabricate. Look forward to following your progress.

[chicobushmaster]

A little more progress on the tail today. Most of the tubing is tacked in place except for the top diagonal that you see missing. I am going to make a fixture to hold the pulley brackets in place while I change the diagonal tube out.Tail Progress 2-27-19.jpg

[Stephen]

Beautiful work. The longerons are coming out nicely.

[chicobushmaster]

I kept the same angle from the diagonal brace and extended it to the top longeron. This way I didn't have to make tooling to hold the pulley brackets in place while I replaced the tubing and intersected the top cross tube. I then put a short tube to the other side to complete another triangle.Longeron construction 6.jpg

[chicobushmaster]

Beginning preparations for Seaplane Doors and AFT Landing Gear Tube 2.jpgAFT landing gear rear attach.Seaplane Door 8.jpg