1941BL12-65 swing out windows

[hoosier]

new member here, has anyone replaced the door swing-out windows in a 41 deluxe, and if so how, and where do you get the plastic and seals and approx time. Also how much time and labor involve in replacing the leading edges of the wings without recovering the whole wing. Mine looks like a golf ball and a couple of false ribs are damaged. Any help would be great.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

Good timing. My 41 doors are in the house getting ready to go to the upholstery shop. The windows and hinges have been reworked and all of the interior is off with everything easy to see. Exactly what are you looking for? I can send you pictures or post them (now that I figured out how to do it). Got any pictures of what you have and what you need?
Hank

[hoosier]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

hank, please send me the pictures. I have never replaced the window pane in the door and would like to see how to accomplish that. please send to [email protected] Thanks a lot

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

Are you only replacing the transparency? That is (in theory) pretty easy, until you want to put the vent in and realize all of the false info out there on drilling the plastic. Do NOT listen to all the "sages" at the airport with their suggestions to use concrete bits, metal bits running backwards, melting the holes with a soldering iron, punching the holes (boy, is THAT exciting!).
Go to a plastics company and buy the bits that are DESIGNED for the plastic you want to use. Polycarbonate is tough as nails, but you don't want to expose it to fuel or fumes, Acrylic plastic is the standard but it will scratch easily and any cleaner with Ammonia will ruin it. Check the ingredients of your cleaners carefully. Also, make sure you put the "glass" on something soft and VERY clean while drilling and cutting to prevent scratches. While you are getting the drill bits and "glass" at the plastics supplier, get the saw blade you will use to cut the windows out. The teeth on lots of saws can shatter the Acrylic. Another killer is any kind of paint solvent. MEK, Lacquer thinner, dope thinner or, actually almost anything of that type that stinks will ruin your windows. Keep it away. Even Gasoline will eventually ruin Acrylic. If you need to clean tape glue or really nasty sticky stuff off, use either Acrylic cleaner (from the plastics place) or JUST A LITTLE mineral spirits. I have used alcohol and Prep-Sol in a pinch, but always flush the snot out of it with clean water afterwards. To clean it, flush ALL of the grit and dust off with running water and your bare hand (skin is really soft and you SHOULD be able to feel any grit and STOP RUBBING before you scratch the window). For non-skin cleaning I use worn out, washed to death, all cotton diapers. If you drop it, toss it in a bag to clean and get another.
There is a whole additional set of ways to remove scratches and pits if anyone is interested, but it will take a while to put together.
I'll try and put together some pictures of my doors (and glass) to send out and post. While you are working on the windows do the hinges on the windows and doors too. On the 41 they are just screws into the wood and the window really makes a mess of the stab if it blows off in flight! My DOOR blew off (years before I bought it) and evidently did some pretty bad damage to the tail. The screws just pulled out of the wood on the door. Evidently someone was doing the "door spoiler" trick on landing and the hinge screws failed. HONEST! It WASN'T me, but I have a newer door on the passenger side than the pilots and the stab has been repaired.

Hank

[Ragwing nut]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

DeLuxe door glass is the easiest to replace out of all the others. Has no frame and just screws to the outside of the kickout. My kickouts were so corroded, I made a buck and formed new kickouts out of square aluminum tubing that was thick enough to tap machine screws and used countersunk washers. For a seal I just used sticky back foam on the door and the window closed against it.

Mike

[Buell Powell]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

Hank,
I used some plexiglass from Sheffield plastics Inc. to make all the windows for my 41 about 8 years ago and they seem to resist scratching really well. I am using lexan to make some for an F19 now. It works well for the rear windows because it can be bent without cracking which is what you have to do to install them. The problem is that they do have a tendency to scratch very easily. Aircraft Spruce has Plexiglass Drills-They are listed in the Everything In Plastics group.

[Guest]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

I have gotten good results cutting the acrylic with a router using a straight carbide bit, actually it is a laminate trimming bit. Messy but nice edges. Have to use a guide to run the router along to get a straight edge.

Also used a carbide tip circular saw a couple of times but I recall that saw had a couple of special blades with special tip shapes for metals and plastics.

[Buell Powell]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

A band saw with metal fine tooth blade works well too

[Guest]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

A band saw with metal fine tooth blade works well too

oh!

Nice, I wish I had one of those!

[Buell Powell]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

I got mine several years ago from Harbor Frieght. It's one of the most useful tools I have. I cut wood, brass, aluminum, plastic and other stiff with it.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

OK, trying the first shot of the outside of the pilots door. Notice the "glass" is just held to the frame by a set of slot head (they didn't have Philips heads prior to WW-II) screws into the frame. Also notice the screws in the door hinges, more on that on the next pictures.
Hank

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

OK, that worked well, no picture. Trying again.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

This is the inner face of the door with the upholstery off. Note teh window vent, lower right of "glass". Alos not the hinges are secured with the screws int Stainless "T" Nuts instead of simple wood screws into the frame. MUCH stronger. You need to file the edges of the T to get them to all fit but stainless fasteners are a HUGE improvement to the spinning wood screws!

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

OK, so I didn't proof the last one for typing errors. I'm an engineer, not a typist! This is the "T" Nuts for the window hinge screws. Again, you need to trim the "T" nuts.

[Hank Jarrett]

Re: 1941BL12-65 swing out windows

Window screws from the other side.