Re-Producing Streamline Tube

[Wheels up]

If this post should be in the classified forum, feel free to move it Mr. Moderator.
I recall that during the build of the F3F's that Herb Tischler had worked with, they were forced to produce very special, commercially unavailable, streamline tubing for the interplanes. These may have been aluminum, I don't recall. We are deep into a project (sorry folks, not real warbird, but civvie) that employs a British Air Ministry T-1 steel tubing of Blah blah blah dimension. We have exhausted all avenues of finding a source off the shelf. Is it possible someone out here has experience in drawing this stuff on limited quantity or can locate obsolete sizes? Anyone know of a some one or a firm with this ability?
Thanks in advance.

[JDK]

Bruntons of Musselburgh do RAF type streamlined rigging wires; presume you've tried them?

[Wheels up]

Negative. I assumed they did only stainless solid wires and therefore didn't draw steel tubing. As the technologies are a bit detached I didn't think of them. Perhaps they do, and it is worth a whack.

[jcw]

when the Texas Aircraft Factory built up th F3F's they did indeed have to make there own streamline tubing as the commercial manufactuers would only make large runs with hiigh settup costs. they solved the problem by making their own machine with several rollers and then used 6061 T6 round tubing. 6061 is maluable and formed well as compaired to 2024. working with steal in the 4130 type would create a new set of problems but could be done. everything has to be much bigger.

[Wheels up]

I recalled they had a form rolling machine cobbed up using multiple stage rollers and roller chain drive. Yes, AL is a less daunting material but steel streamline is done in similar manner. It all starts out as round tube. The unknown area for me is if they use an internal support mandrel. This would be a most cumbersome item seeing that most streamline tubing is supplied in 20' plus joints and having a floating mandrel with 20 foot capability is interesting at the least!

[Broken-Wrench]

[quote="Wheels up"]If this post should be in the classified forum, feel free to move it Mr. a British Air Ministry T-1 steel tubing of Blah blah blah dimension. quote]

Blah blah blah pretty much explains britsh aircraft manufacturing.

[visaliaaviation]

Achim Engles, of Germany has rolled several sizes of streamline tubing for his various Fokker WWI reproductions. IIRC he gives details on line.

this is a leangthey thread and has recently started part two, but the dies he made appear here:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/repli ... jects.html

[Wheels up]

Charles,
That is a fantastic link! That guy has some incredible talent and dedication! Making your own turnbuckles? Incredible!
I have already exchanged info with him and the feasibility of rolling your own streamline tube is entirely possible.
Thanks for the link.

[visaliaaviation]

You are quite welcome.

Achim is a great guy. I turned him onto some Russian data on real early BF 109's. I wouldn't be surprised to see something a bit sleeker coming from his workstatt in the near future!

[gregv]

Achim Engles, of Germany has rolled several sizes of streamline tubing for his various Fokker WWI reproductions. IIRC he gives details on line.

this is a leangthey thread and has recently started part two, but the dies he made appear here:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/repli ... jects.html

Oh my various Gods, that link is amazing!

So much for any chance of work productivity for the next few days....


cheers!!!

gv