Interesting Video on CT Corsair Project

[Jerry O'Neill]

I found this while surfing the net.
Looks like Craig is well on his way to a new spar!
Jerry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT81p4CEEn4

[warbird1]

A few questions:

1) Is this a separate project from the Corsair on the pole at Bridgeport? It sounds like it is. If so, I'm not familiar with this project, any details?

2) From the video article, they make it sound like this has never been done before on a warbird restoration. With the new scanning technology, it sounds relatively straightforward to make a new spar. I had always thought that the reason it was so hard to reproduce, was because the spar had to be machined out of a very large solid piece of aluminum. Why, all of a sudden, is this project going to make manufacturing new spars feasible when in the past it hasn't been? Is it a technology thing or a money thing? Surely, one of the multi-millionaire warbird restorers like Allen, Weeks, Lewis, etc. would have used this by now if it was so readily available. How come not?

3) Will these new "machined" spars be airworthy in the eyes of the FAA?

4) Who is that guy being interviewed and what is his background? I've never seen or heard of him before. Does he have lots of resources or is he getting lots of companies to donate time and money to his project thereby saving him money?

Cool article, Jerry, thanks!

[Warbird Kid]

A few questions:

1) Is this a separate project from the Corsair on the pole at Bridgeport? It sounds like it is. If so, I'm not familiar with this project, any details

Yes, this project unlike our current "goal" at the CASC. Instead, Craig is actually trying to bring back a Corsair to show to the public in the most effective way. Flying it. I could only hope that down the line we could have a small squadron to the state. 3 to 4 maybe?

His site is here: http://www.connecticutcorsair.com/

(2) Why, all of a sudden, is this project going to make manufacturing new spars feasible when in the past it hasn't been? Is it a technology thing or a money thing? Surely, one of the multi-millionaire warbird restorers like Allen, Weeks, Lewis, etc. would have used this by now if it was so readily available. How come not?

I believe from what I remember Craig said to me was that spars have indeed been built and remanufactured, but at a high cost for the buyer and a large input of time by the manufacturer. So, yea there have been new spars built, but I believe Craig is going to try and reproduce them for cheaper, among other parts and components hopefully.

(3) Will these new "machined" spars be airworthy in the eyes of the FAA?

I certainly hope so! I believe he's trying to do everything by the book so to stay on everybody's good side.

) Who is that guy being interviewed and what is his background?

Besides what he said on the video, (Early military career, working on B-52's, aviation consultant) He's also flown for Collings Foundation in the past as well as "The National Warplane Museum" aka "The Wings of Eagles Museum", as well as a few other entities I believe.


Good find Jerry!

[warbird1]

Thanks for answering the questions, Chris. That sounds like a really neat project!

Is this Craig guy primarily a pilot, mechanic or engineer? What is his area of expertise?

When did he start this project? Does he have the resources (money) to complete this or is he relying more on volunteerism and donations/sponsorship to complete it?

I wish him all the luck on this. The 3D scanning and parts duplication sound particularly intriguing!

[Rob Mears]

Is this Craig guy primarily a pilot, mechanic or engineer? What is his area of expertise?

I think he probably qualifies as all three warbird1. Craig has been around for quite a while and is well known among most Corsair enthusiasts. He started out as a one man, grass roots operation to the best of my knowledge, and from the looks of it he's succeeding greatly with what he wants to achieve. He's certainly a tenacious SOB!

If he succeeds at turning out airworthy main spars for the F4U, he'll have done what no one else could. It may take decades, but sometimes a "whole lot of heart" can acheive things that are otherwise unobtainable to those with a lot of money, but a passing fancy.

FWIW, the original spar cap for the F4U was a continuous chunk of extruded aluminum about sixteen feet long that was formed into its unique shape by what I believe were massive rollers. That original tooling has long since been destroyed, and you can just imagine what it would take to duplicate that process and successfully turn out a precision-made piece. Many years ago, a well known warbird restorer once figured it would take a million bucks just to tool up for the task, much less to produce anything. Even today's market wouldn't support that kind of herculean effort IMO.

For all it's value, if a Corsair has just one deep spot of rot in that spar cap, it becomes nothing more than a static display piece, and there's no quick fix that will solve the problem. If Craig's method can produce new spar caps for a fraction of that cost, it will at the very least allow a small number of otherwise hopelessly grounded Corsair projects to fly again.

Imagine if he's able to use modern computer design & manufacture processes to replicate and produce all of those "unobtanium" forgings and castings at will. Maybe we'll see 'dataplate' Corsairs appearing out of the woodwork as regularly as new-production Mustangs flow out of the Dakotas.

Last edited by Rob Mears on Fri Oct 09, 2009 9:09 am, edited 3 times in total.

[oz rb fan]

arent the guys at wangarrata(oz) doing new spars for the one they have with a cut spar?

[Rob Mears]

That's what I understand the facts to be, Oz. Murray Griffiths is apparently using the intact spar from Kermit Weeks' FG-1D (BuNo.88086) as pattern. I haven't heard any rumblings out of that camp lately, but it would be interesting to find out how that project is moving along.

[RMAllnutt]

arent the guys at wangarrata(oz) doing new spars for the one they have with a cut spar?

Yes they are... and so is John Lane. I know for a fact that John Lane has produced six... yes, SIX ... spar cap sets for Duane Doyle and his fellow restorers out west. It's a good time for the corsair.

Incidentally Rob... you were correct... Vought did roll the spars. I have some photos of the spar caps being made by just such a process, as well as the extruded sections too. Craig is a whir of activity, and it's very exciting to see what he's been able to accomplish. I can't wait to see the aircraft fly again.

Cheers,
Richard

[snj-5]

RPM (Rapid Prototyping & Modeling) technology is interesting stuff.
Machines and capabilities that used to cost hundreds of thousands
of dollars are orders of magnitude cheaper now. Check out what
Jay Leno is doing with 3D scanning & printing in support of the
restoration of his fleet of vintage automobiles:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/jay_leno_garage/4320759.html#

Think of all the corroded vintage aircraft brackets, castings and forgings
you could copy with equipment like this... then feed the data into
a CNC machine, and presto.... (new parts for your Corsair, Bearcat
or whatever!).

Bela P. Havasreti

[warbird1]

If he succeeds at turning out airworthy main spars for the F4U, he'll have done what no one else could. It may take decades, but sometimes a "whole lot of heart" can acheive things that are otherwise unobtainable to those with a lot of money, but a passing fancy.

FWIW, the original spar cap for the F4U was a continuous chunk of extruded aluminum about sixteen feet long that was formed into its unique shape by what I believe were massive rollers. That original tooling has long since been destroyed, and you can just imagine what it would take to duplicate that process and successfully turn out a precision-made piece. Many years ago, a well known warbird restorer once figured it would take a million bucks just to tool up for the task, much less to produce anything. Even today's market wouldn't support that kind of herculean effort IMO.

Great info, Rob, thanks!

This is extremely fascinating and I hope he becomes super successful with this, so we can see many more Corsairs become airborne. When he is successful, what will prevent "newly manufactured" Corsairs from popping up all over the place?

One question - in the aritcle, he stated that he is using the wreck from Corsair Bureau number 97330. Since he is using a wrecked airframe, what methods can they use to ensure that the main spar is not bent? Does it get as technical as using lasers to measure every part or is the spar put in some kind of fixture/jig to see if it's straight? I'm assuming that with the highly accurate 3-D scanning they employ, that if the spar is bent, it will be reproduced bent as well? Just curious about the technical aspect of it. I know that 97330 was bailed out of when it was destroyed. Can the main spar survive a bailout and NOT be bent after it's crash? If it WAS bent, how hard is it going to be to reproduce that spar within Vought manufacturing standards/tolerances ?

[Jerry O'Neill]

Craig has a structurally undamaged, non-airworthy spar from a different aircraft that was used for the measuring and dis-assembly for scanning.
Jerry

[Jerry O'Neill]

If you watch the video closely, at about 2;50 minutes in there is a shot of the display booth used at the Paris Airshow, you will see both the original spar and a green composite material spar made to test the tolerances and the cutting machines ability to get it right.
Jerry

Last edited by Jerry O'Neill on Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[warbird1]

Craig has a structurally undamaged, non-airworthy spar from a different aircraft that was used for the measuring and dis-assembly for scanning.
Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. Do you know how long until he finishes the first new Corsair spar?

[Jerry O'Neill]

I think it's pretty much up to some of the sponsors he has, with the economy the way it is, money's a little tough. The educational aspect of the process he has been working has been a benefit to the project as sponsors see it as a means to an end. I don't think it will be too long though.
Jerry

[warbird1]

I think it's pretty much up to some of the sponsors he has, with the economy the way it is, money's a little tough. The educational aspect of the process he has been working has been a benefit to the project as sponsors see it as a means to an end. I don't think it will be too long though.
Jerry

Fantastic! I wish I had a company that could sponsor him. I'm assuming that once he provides "proof of concept" and gets FAA certification for this, that the sponsors should start pouring in. Just think how many potential warbird owners could help him out if the word got out. Before you know it, we could have a mass production of Corsair spars that could be very inexpensive and critical to making many previously unairworthy Corsair projects airworthy!