N5202M Update.

[Blind_Lemon]

Been a bit but thought I'd drop in to show some progress.

Had issues with the cowling being off center at the prop hub. Which was too bad because it was "new" sheet metal, not the original. I don't know what happened to it. I could not figure out how to "fix" the cowling without having it look like hell.


So I committed to fabricating new lower and upper cowling. Turned out pretty good, never done it before, but there is a lot of good information on this sight. Thank you Scott and others for posting your information and pictures on your builds.

Here are a few pictures.



Exhaust is located, louvers are in, rear lip is not in yet. I haven't really figured out what type of upper to lower cowling closures I am going to use.




I have started looking at the metal doors and they do not appear to be the originals. The doors fit the opening just fine but the door hinges do not line up with the air frame hinge points I am thinking that I will rivet doublers on the doors and reposition the hinges. Or ideas?

Bob

[Scott]

I think the crooked cowling problem is caused by the stagger in the engine cylinders. The right cylinders are further aft so if any part of the cylinder is used for reference, things end up cocked!

There are various ways the door hinges can get installed incorrectly. The hinges on the door should both have the rivet flange down. The hinges on the door frame are different. The top hinge has the rivet flange down, and the lower hinge has the rivets up.

There are some big spacers between the door frame and fuselage at all or most of the attach points. The doors are adjusted by adding or removing spacers (starting with the forward frames).

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IzMnQwd7Eis/Vaqe_wiKe0I/AAAAAAAABkQ/Q7HDLu2uN3s/s1600/DSCN3326.JPG

[Blind_Lemon]

Thanks for the response Scott. Not sure I follow you when you talk about the spacers. The hinges on my doors look as if they are factory installed, the door hinges do not match up correctly the the air fame hinges. My boot cowl is on right now, maybe I'll see what you're talking about when it is removed?

The doors do fit the openings in the air frame and I made up spacers to center them, without hinges pinned of coarse.

Bob

[Hank Jarrett]

There were several different doors for different models and some times the hinges and door design could even change during a single models production. The most common doors were the early tube doors, the later wood doors (these were pretty much limited to the pre war Deluxe planes) the late tube doors (of which there were two different designs but lucky for us seem to be interchangeable with the major difference being how the internal diagonals were laid out), the early sheet metal doors and the later sheet metal doors that had a different "bend" in them to match the later fuselage contour. After sometime in about 1947 the planes are too new for me to know much. I have no info on the Ferris planes.
Another problem is a LOT of planes do not have the original fuselages! That make it REALLY complex. If you can find the serial number on the fuselage (NOT the one on the data plate, the one stamped into the actual fuselage) I may be able to do a sort and determine when the fuselage was actually built. That would help narrow down which door you need. I have several old doors of different types and if you were closer (I think you are in Oklahoma aren't you?) we could try different doors on your fuselage. It would be kind of a windy flight to SE Virginia with no doors! ;-)

Hank

[Blind_Lemon]

I think it may be easier to adjust the door hinges than to hunt up new doors.

Yes I am a proud Okie. BOOMER SOONER

Bob

[Woody]

I think you have metal door frames welded in. That is the way my serial # 10235 was. What they are referring to is spacers between the door frames and mount points. Your frames are fixed.

[Blind_Lemon]

Woody you are correct, my door frames are welded in. I didn’t know they came any other way. Gary Crookham, member here and a fellow Okie, came by to check progress and he educated me on the different door styles and jam/frame types. It’s nice to have someone experienced living close, really appreciate him.

And thank you for helping out with the door handle.

Bob

[Blind_Lemon]

Thanks Woody

Bob

[Jim Herpst]

Been a bit but thought I'd drop in to show some progress.

Had issues with the cowling being off center at the prop hub. Which was too bad because it was "new" sheet metal, not the original. I don't know what happened to it. I could not figure out how to "fix" the cowling without having it look like hell.


So I committed to fabricating new lower and upper cowling. Turned out pretty good, never done it before, but there is a lot of good information on this sight. Thank you Scott and others for posting your information and pictures on your builds.

Here are a few pictures.



Exhaust is located, louvers are in, rear lip is not in yet. I haven't really figured out what type of upper to lower cowling closures I am going to use.




I have started looking at the metal doors and they do not appear to be the originals. The doors fit the opening just fine but the door hinges do not line up with the air frame hinge points I am thinking that I will rivet doublers on the doors and reposition the hinges. Or ideas?

Bob

Looking great ! Metal work is where I was about a year and a half ago. Doors were a little before that.

Your doing great keep it up!