Seeking Stearman help

[Robert Lees]

I post this in Humour, Rants & Raves because it is not Taylorcraft.

I'm re-fabricking the centre-section of a Stearman A75N1, and I would like to know whether the top surface of the centre-section should have an aluminium lid above the fuel tank.

I am aware of the 1950 AD that requires the top of the centre-section to be fabric-covered.

If anyone has a suitable person / website I might contact I would be very grateful.

Rob

[Bravo 6]

Re: Seeking Stearman help

Rob,

The stearman(s) that I have been around were all just covered with fabric over the tank. The sprayers were 'double' covered partly because of the 450 HP engine/prop impact.

[Bird]

Re: Seeking Stearman help

There is an airpark near Durham, NC that I drive by when I get a chance to go home, they have several. If I get by there in a short time I will stop in and look about.
Now I have to ask, by aluminum lid, do u mean just a round ring like the taylorcraft has, or the whole dang deck or you don't know?

[LostnSpace]

Re: Seeking Stearman help

My dad instructed in them during WW2, he said then, the tanks were open for easy access and removal, cause they were Army Air Corp., after the planes were sold to the civilian market, it was found the spar would rot because of moisture laying in the bottom of the c.s., that's when fabric started being put on, and like Greg said, we double covered them with 450 and 600 HP, gary

[crispy critter]

Re: Seeking Stearman help

They're supposed to be covered rob. I have seen a couple that had a metal cover fabricated that could be removed to access the tank but they made fasteners straight to the spar...bad idea. One was a local stearman that we had to rebuild the center section on due to rot that we found after removing the tank for leak repairs.

I was told by an old stearman pro to recover the tank with fabric and absolutely not to attempt reusing the metal tank cover because of a couple reasons.... it would leak, it would also sweat on the inside/underside of the cover, and also cause the tank to sweat worse around the exterior leading to moisture inside the center section, and we all know what moisture does to a wood structure in time.

In short, cover the tank with fabric. A single layer of 101 is fine for stock stearmans(i would double it if ya plan to be doing a lot of aerobatics), a double layer for 450 and up is highly recommended, I don't think it's required, but ive been told that it's not a good place to have fabric blow loose in flight. The front edge comes loose and the trailing edge does not, leaving the fabric flapping in the pilots face....or at least that's what one old guy told me.

[Robert Lees]

Re: Seeking Stearman help

Thanks for all the replies guys.

This Stearman came with the fabric covering and no tin lid, but it has strips of wood on the inside edges of the two spars with threaded inserts fitted, as if to take a solid cover.

I'll put it back as it was.

Thanks again.