Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Stumpy, don't restrict yourself to only Glenn Miller. There are MANY more great Big Bands! Near midnight with the sound of Goodman, Miller, the Andrew Sisters, Ray Anthony, Dorsey, Ellington and all the others isn't spooky at the airport, it is the sound of joy.

Hank

The RV guys will think we are all nuts.....who cares!

[Stumpy]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Hank,
Got 'em all. Jury rigged my Sirius sat radio connection in the hangar last year, 40's channel was the constant....but the buggers took it off the end of March and replaced it for three months with Billy Joel! I was considering canceling---what a travesty--replacing Billie Holiday with Billy Joel, sheesh.

Found my original cast brackets last night. part numbers are even legible, no cracks. Might approach our local foundry...or at the very least I'm going to try to make a couple of casting molds myself.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Those brackets are getting really rare! There are (or were) lots of cracked one around, but good ones are different. I have a set and a second set of welded steel ones. I seriously considered making a mold to cast resin around the welded ones so they would "look" original once painted. Wouldn't be hard to do at all and no one would be able to tell the difference.

Hank

Got to find a set of original "Taylor Birds" for the outboard sides of the pants. It was a doubler riveted to the side where the outboard bold goes through.

[Stumpy]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Hank,

Is this what you're referring to? They are kinda-sorta attached ;-)...but if you'd like I will gladly make a tracing/pattern for you and send it east....easy enough with them in the bench and off the plane...looks like a simple thing to gin up, if your hands are steadier than mine anyway.

[woodmw]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Stumpy,

Could you post a tracing, or maybe a picture with a small rule for scale? I'm thinking one could make a guide and cut them with a plasma cutter. Even easier with a CNC mill.

[Stumpy]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Mike,

That would be the slickest way to do it for sure. Pants are at the shop at home. Might be a day before I can get to it but I will do both and post.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

That is the Taylorcraft Bird. They were really pretty simple and were just cut from sheet aluminum. I understood that they were first used as a doubler over the wheel nut so the bolt wouldn't tear the pant. I have one tracing, but a second that matched it would be nice so we would have verification someone didn't just make one from a photo.

Hank

[Stumpy]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Gentlemen,

Scans of a trace and a rub, and a pic with scale...of course the "trace" is bigger than actual-outline..."rub" is accurate. Didn't have much time...can make a better attempt if you'd like or just snail-mail a hard copy if it makes using it easier...PM your address if you want to do that.

[Joe cooper]

Re: Original wheel pants...how "rare" are they?

Gentlemen,

Scans of a trace and a rub, and a pic with scale...of course the "trace" is bigger than actual-outline..."rub" is accurate. Didn't have much time...can make a better attempt if you'd like or just snail-mail a hard copy if it makes using it easier...PM your address if you want to do that.

If you go to the registry and see 43338 you will see the pants that the rebuilder made out of glass complete with stainless little wings for the side of the pants plus a chrome strip that he made. They really set the airplane off and worked well on a wet grass strip saving lots of time cleaning the underside of the wings. He was a master rebuilder. The new owner agrees. It's now in Arizona. ( and let us not forget helen ward, the best of the big band female vocalists.)