Friday 3 August 2007

Plate - top - blanking radiator (Part # AMK5053)


After making adjustments to the radiator frame I made this upper panel. As I am not quite sure of the purpose of the slots, I have marked but haven't cut them. This is because the shrinkage caused by my bending may have slightly moved them and I think it might be best to cut them when fitting the panel to the van later.

This reminds me of the development of the Bensen autogyro. Bensen acquired the plans for the Hafner rotochute, a one man aerial assault rotor glider designed by the man who was the subject of my dissertation for my degree, Raoul Hafner, later the designer of Britain's first helicopter, the Bristol Sycamore. Hafner designed the rotochute during the war with a hook affair under its main chassis longeron. Unsure what this was for Bensen retained it in his design, which he marketed as a civilian gyro-glider. It was later revealed that the redundant mechanism had been intended as a means of carrying a Bren gun under the aircraft.

I don't think my panel slots are redundant, but until I am sure what they are for I won't cut them.

Tomorrow I shall make the Panel- interior - front R/H, using the original as a pattern, then go back to working on my front leaf springs, which are dismantled and half de-rusted, but which need finishing before I work out how to make the shackles and get hold of cold rivets.

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