Quote Originally Posted by Navy7797 View Post
Don't beat me up but sheet metal is sheet metal. When I had a job this is what I did with sheet metal. All made from 4 x 8 sheets of aluminum of various gauges and tinsel strength. First pic shows parts the were mostly made over form blocks that were cut from steel sheets usually 3/8ths to 1/2 thick . The part was then cut rough size, annealed and formed to the steel form, excess was than trimmed down and finished off with a grinder/flapper wheel. The next pic shows the cowl, it was also made from a flat sheet. Formed around a wooden form to get general shape and I mean general. Ends were welded together and then with English wheel, shrinker, hammers and annealing and lots of time it became a 1917 French Spad XIII fighter cowl. There was a bit more to it then that but that's the jist of it. Next pic show some panels, done with the English wheel mostly to get the X Y radius's in the panel. The Last pic is prior to the covering of the aircraft. As I said sheet metal is sheet metal and it can be formed, of course Aluminum is easier then steel. Any questions on how or what I used to do what I'm happy to reply. Now to do my 40 sheet metal.
That's a very cool plane, Navy! Who were you working for, building such a great, period correct replica? The combination of wood and metal craftsmanship is very nice to see, and I too would like to see more pictures of the process and especially the completed plane. I'd love to have one of the old wooden propellers hanging on the wall in that third picture! They are sooooo cool - precision shaping, often with some metal blended in on some of the later ones.