Notebook of James Stuart Leslie Ross - Part 8

Rigging Lecture III. 14.7.17
Sail Making.
How to Mend a Bullet or Shrapnel
Hole in a Plane.
First cut out all bad parts in
shape of a Square. Cut each corner
¼" diagonally, turning in edges
¼". Cut a patch ¼" bigger all
round, turning in edges ¼", sewing 
patch with an under & over stitch.
Clean around patch with acetone.
Cut a second patch an inch
bigger all round, with  frayed 
edges. Stick second patch on top
of sec first with dope. To finish
apply 2 coats of dope & 1 of varnish.
To Mend a Slit or Tear
Draw tear together with under 
& over stitch. Clean round
stitching with acetone. Stick a
patch 1 inch wide over stitching
& a second patch of 2" wide
with frayed edges & finish with

2 Coats of dope & one of varnish

Dope, Uses of.

Waterproofing, Strengthening,
adhesive purposes, tautness & 

renders the plane airtight.

Never apply less than 5 Coats

of dope & 2 of varnish to a 

new plane.

Plane, Covering of 

Before covering, see that all

turnbuckles are safely locked.

Joining 2 pieces of fabric &
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
sew Seams.

Air holes in under side trailing 

edge to give ventilation to interior.

To Keep camber in planes, string

ribs.

To ascertain whether plane needs

re-doping, apply finger test.
Rigging Lec III 14-7-17

Directions for Wire Splicing with English
"Tuck" Splice.
1 Bind wires with thread for 2in at distance
of 6in from end & shape loop & secure.
2. Separate Strands & bind ends.
3 Find ''heart'' wire & put thro' the centre of
cable & secure loose end.
4. Hold cable with loose ends pointing away &
downwards & take lowest strand on right

& pass it under strand on right of

'heart' wire.

5. Work from right to left.
6 Enter No 2 wire where No 1 comes out,
& pass under one strand & pull out.
7 Repeat with Nos 3 & 4, entering them
where previous wire comes out.
8 Enter No 5 where No.4 comes out & pass
under two strands, coming out where No 1
entered.
9. Enter No 6 in the same place as No 5,
i.e where No 4 comes out, but pass under
one strand only.

10 First round completed, one wire will come 

out at each space it is not now

necessary to place No 5 wire under 2 strands

as in the first round.

11 Repeat for 3 strand rounds over one

strand & under one & always bury

"heart" wire.

12 Always pull wire tight & beat into

shape after finishing each round.

13 After completing 3 rounds take Nos 1, 3 & 5

wires & pass them over one strand &

under two.

14 Cut off ends & bind with thread

(the binding should not be more

than 1in long).

Rigging. Lecture 4. 15-7-17.

BE2C Main Plane.

Diagram - see original document
A Trailing Edge
B Leading  "
C Spars (2)
D Compression Ribs (4.)
E Camber Ribs (10.)
F Form Ribs (13.)
G Drift Wires.
H Anti Drift Wires
I Stringers 3 (2 in plane & 1 in aileron)
J Stiffeners 4 (2 "     "    & 2  "      "  ).
Materials Leading Edge - Spruce
Used Trailing Edge - Ash

Spars are main transverse members

of the plane made of spruce

Compression Rib acts as an ordinary rib

besides bearing stress of compression

produced by tension of drift &

anti-drift wires - made of spruce.

Camber Ribs - Light skeleton ribs which chiefly

serve to give shape to plane

(Have spruce flanges & 3-ply ash webbing).

Form Rib - a small rib which improves the

camber between leading edge & front

spar. Made of spruce.

Stringers Keep the ribs at proper distance apart,

also prevents them from twisting
made of Spruce.
Stiffeners a diagonal piece of wood which
strengthens the wing tip or any corner.
Spruce or ash.
Propeller Torque.
The tendency of a prop to turn over a
machine over side ways in a direction
opposite to that which it revolves.
Wash In. when the angle of incidence is
increased toward the wing tip

Wash Only when angle of incidence is decreased

toward the wing tip

The Root First bay of plane. is

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Rigging (Lec 4) 15.7-17.

Torque is counteracted by adjusting

fin

Propeller Pitch & Slip
Pitch is the distance the prop. will
screw thro' the air in one rev.
supposing the air to be solid. As the
air is not solid & gives back to the
thrust of the prop. blades, so that the prop
does not travel at its full pitch. Such

give back is known as Slip. 

Usually 25 to 30% Slip. Pitch (actual distance)

usually 5 to 7 feet.

Advanced Rigging 16.7.17.

Lecture 5.

B.E.2C.

Engine 90 H.P Raf. Tractor Machine

with a non-lifting tail.

Span 36 ft 11 1/8 ins

Overall length 27 ft 2½ ins.

Chord of Main Planes 5' 6".

Dihedral Angle 3½° or 9½" measured
from top of centre Section to a
string stretched across from outside
struts over the front spar
Gap 6' 3½" measured up the front
struts
Angle of Incidence 3½° or 2¼" measured
at the front spar
True-ing Fuselage. mark the centres
on all vertical struts, tie a straightedge
across No 1 pair of struts, also
one across No 9 pair, Keeping them

exactly to the centres. Attach a string

from these straights edges along each

side of the fuselage, adjust the

internal bracing rods getting them an equal
length in pairs. Adjust the side bracing rods

to make the centres correspond with the string.

No 4 centres should be 3/16". below the line

Trueing the Centre Section.

Adjust the drift & anti-drift wires to make

the Struts vertical from side view.

Adjust the C.S. bracing wires getting

them an equal length

Trueing the Under Carriage  (V Type).

The U.C. bracing wires should be an equal

length.

To Assemble a Set of Main Planes.
Place the planes on their leading edges,
fix interplane struts, stagger wires,
landing & flying wires of the outer bay
To True the Dihedral
Adjust the front landing sending
& flying wires getting them an equal
length in pairs
To adjust the Angle of Incidence

Adjust the back landing & flying

wires working the Stagger wires in conjunction.

The Stagger 24 inches, adjusted by stagger wires

Rigging (Lec.5.)

The Angle of the Tail Plane 3½° adjusted

on No 10 Vernier struts
Adjustment of Controls The Ailerons should droop
5/8".
To Adjust Rudder Fix the foot control
Square across fuselage, adjust the control wires
so that the rudder points directly backwards
To Adjust Elevators. Fix the control lever
6° forward, adjust the control wires so that
the elevators continue a straight line of the
tail plane.The fin placed central.
Engine Cowling. Covering the engine.

The Combing Covering for fuselage.

The Fairing for stream line effect.

The Centre Section Struts are made of steel

tubing, covered with wood fairing &

bound with fabric      
Diagram - see original document 

(Lec.6.   17.7.17).

To Fix Tail Plane:

The Rudder post, vernier Struts & bracing

rods of last 2 bays must be left out

till after the plane has been placed

in position

Diagram - see original document 

BE2C  Tail Plane has 4 Compression tubes

(not ribs not being in Compression)

Tail Plane has internal bracing rods -

not called drift & anti drift wires as

in main planes.

When trueing fuselage work from

front to rear.

A Lifting Tail would have an angle
of incidence & be either cambered
or straight underneath.
A Non-Lifting Tail is same both sides,
& streamlined with air currents
Transverse Bracing on BE2C is made of ash
Rigging Lecture 6.  22-7-17
FE2B.
Engine 120 HP Beardmore

Speed 76 miles p.h. (average)

Nacelle To True up.

Place machine in flying position -

Engine bearers, bottom longerons &

rear transverse struts level.

Mark the centres of the first & last

pair of vertical struts. Place

straight edges across & adjust internal

& side bracing rods until straight

edges are parallel sighted from the

front. Trammel all transverse bays.

Materials Bottom longerons & engine bearers
are ash.
Top longerons & all other struts are spruce
Under Carriage "Oleo" Type
Constructed of steel tubing, covered
with fairing. The shock of landing
is taken on the rear struts which

are telescopic with a spiral spring

fitted at the top. A small wheel

in front is mounted on 3 steel. booms

supported to the nacelle by 2 pairs of

V struts. Connecting the rear V struts to the

axle are 2 radius rods

To True up Undercarriage.

Drop a plumb line from leading edge

of bottom planes & adjust cross bracing

wires until the centre of axle is 2 7/8"

behind plumb line

Centre Section Assembling.

Place top centre plane on L.E. on ground,

fit struts (8.) (shortest at rear)

Lift up & bolt the 4 centre struts to

top longerons of Nacelle attaching

crossbracing, drift & anti drift wires

to hold in position. Fit the 2 lower

sections & wire up

To True Up. First trammel crossbracing

wires & adjust front landing & flying

wires until leading edge of top plane is

straight. Adjust rear landing & flying

wires for incidence. Stagger Nil

Main Planes Dihedral 4° or 10.85 inches measured

at each end of Centre Section

Rigging Lec 6. (Contd)  22.7.17

Angle of Incidence is 4° 9" or 2¼" from centre

of rear spar to centre of front spar.

Ailerons droop 5/8"

Rigging Lec 7   23.7.17

Tail Sections Assembling outrigger

Lie the top & bottom booms of one

side on the ground (top boom is

longer) fit struts & side bracings.

Do the same with other side. Lift

both sides upright & fit transverse

struts & internal bracing wires

The Skid is fitted to lower rear transverse

strut. Now fit rudder post & rudder

(Rudder post is double, the Inner tube acting

as a strut, the outer tube, to which

rudder is mounted runs on ball-bearings

on the inner tube). Lift outrigger

up & bolt to Centre Section

To True Up. 

First trammel internal bays

Adjust side bracing wires making lower

booms level & straight in flying

position. Side struts vertical, top booms

straight.

Tail Plane is non-lifting. Stream line section.
Fitted to top of top booms. The front
spar pivoted x, rear spar is attached 
to a vernier scale from which
adjustments may be made.

To True Tail Plane

Adjust on vernier scale until the

distance between the under side of

rear spar & the top of top booms

is 3½". This equals an angle of 3¾°.

(This is for trial flight). Bolt the

fin on top of tail plane & adjust

top & bottom tail bracing wires

making tail plane horizontal & fin

vertical. Fin is set  central

Materials Used. Tail booms are hollow spruce.

All Struts are solid spruce

Fin & rudder are of steel

Tail Plane Spruce with 4 steel

Compression tubes
16-7-17.

Materials used in Aeroplane

Construction.

Wire is always used where there is tension

Wood "     "         "         "       "        " Compression

Chief Woods Used :-

Spruce, Ash, Mahogany & Walnut

These combine lightness & strength.

Spruce, light & tough, very straight

grain, no Knots & very tough

under compression. Used in Main

Members of fuselage (longerane).

Ash. is very light & Strong & has "whip".

Used for Spars & struts & nearly

always for undercarriage

Walnut & Mahogany are used in

props.

All wood should be treated with

shellac varnish. This gives a polish

to wood.

Wires Piano Wires are always used where

there is an even stress && never

never used when there is an uneven

strain. (Now being superseded by

RA.F. Wires). which increase speed 6 - 8 MPH.)

Cables always give warning when about
to break. Is flexible & is used
for control wires
Framework of Machine Covered with
Fabric. light & strong linen &
secured to framework by small
brass tacks or threaded to
Spars etc.
Dope. placed on fabric for purposes of

tightening & for waterproofing. If

painted with RA.F paint leave

off 2 Coats of dope.

Woods. Ash flexible, very tough & resists

Properties of  a sudden strain. Is used in

undercarriage (largely)

Bamboo Liable to split, is light & strong

Used in Tail booms of a Pusher

as an F.E.

Beech strong & close-grained, not durable

if exposed.

Birch strong, close grained & non -

splitting

Cedar stands exposure used as veneer

Materials Used in Aeroplane

Construction.  16-7-17.

Elm durable, tough, stiff & strong but

warps

Hickory Strong, tough & non-splitting.

Durable if varnished, sometimes

used as a tail-skid.

Mahogany liable to split & does not stand

exposure

Maple Light & non-splitting.

Oak very strong but too heavy

Poplar is durable, tough & very light

Walnut is light, tough, but brittle.

Teak compact, uniform quality & very 

durable.