And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Meh. Carbureted, not fuel injected. In a negative G turn it would vapor lock and fall out of the sky. They made do with it, but the Merlin had serious flaws.
The problem was (mostly) rectified when a lady engineer suggested a perforated disc be fitted where was an existing open space which allowed fuel to gravitate freely.
They are probably removed for a periodic inspection which I believe is every 75hrs for a Spitfire. The oil cooler is under the left wing and the coolant radiator is under the right so the lines to them are in the wing root area. Also I can see the wing attach bolts in the photo and the aileron and flap controls will also be in the wing root area. Aircraft maintenance is very pro-active, we open the cowls, fairings, wing fuel tanks etc on an FAA/TC approved schedule and look for leaks, chafing, fretting, loose fasteners, loose wires, corrosion, contamination in the fuel and oil filters etc because if you wait until the pilot notices a problem the results can be fatal. At my old job every 200 flight hrs or 12months a Beechcraft C90 would require at least five days with four AMEs to complete the OPS 1 inspection. That's just for the inspection, rectifying any problems found required more time. Al_in_Ottawa
p2, I loved Chapter 5 so much that my blood pressure dropped by 40 points the day I submitted my retirement letter. I have a hard time suppressing my laughter when people moan about the cost and inconvenience of an oil change for their car. Al_in_Ottawa
p2, oh yeah I do, so much that my blood pressure dropped by 40 points the day I sent my retirement email. I still have a hard time keeping a straight face when people moan about the expense and inconvenience of an oil change for their car. Al_in_Ottawa
You find out how well it's really engineered when you go to change the oil...
ReplyDeleteOr the spark plugs.
DeleteBeautiful Spitfire.
ReplyDeleteMeh. Carbureted, not fuel injected. In a negative G turn it would vapor lock and fall out of the sky. They made do with it, but the Merlin had serious flaws.
ReplyDeleteThe problem was (mostly) rectified when a lady engineer suggested a perforated disc be fitted where was an existing open space which allowed fuel to gravitate freely.
Delete"Miss Shilling's orifice"
DeleteI looked this up after reading your comment. Fascinating story.
DeleteWondering why the wing root fairings are absent.
ReplyDeleteThey are probably removed for a periodic inspection which I believe is every 75hrs for a Spitfire. The oil cooler is under the left wing and the coolant radiator is under the right so the lines to them are in the wing root area. Also I can see the wing attach bolts in the photo and the aileron and flap controls will also be in the wing root area.
DeleteAircraft maintenance is very pro-active, we open the cowls, fairings, wing fuel tanks etc on an FAA/TC approved schedule and look for leaks, chafing, fretting, loose fasteners, loose wires, corrosion, contamination in the fuel and oil filters etc because if you wait until the pilot notices a problem the results can be fatal. At my old job every 200 flight hrs or 12months a Beechcraft C90 would require at least five days with four AMEs to complete the OPS 1 inspection. That's just for the inspection, rectifying any problems found required more time.
Al_in_Ottawa
Doncha just loooove Chapter 5 of the maintenance manual?
Deletep2, I loved Chapter 5 so much that my blood pressure dropped by 40 points the day I submitted my retirement letter. I have a hard time suppressing my laughter when people moan about the cost and inconvenience of an oil change for their car.
DeleteAl_in_Ottawa
p2, oh yeah I do, so much that my blood pressure dropped by 40 points the day I sent my retirement email. I still have a hard time keeping a straight face when people moan about the expense and inconvenience of an oil change for their car.
DeleteAl_in_Ottawa