Again, again, again
If you use heavy-duty props from a large hatch back you will bend the bonnet
supports. I have done this. We had to go to a lighter duty strut from the
hood of a car. We used two. One person can effortlessly open the hood. The
travel is also correct. If you look at most spitfires where the bonnet
support tubes mount to the bonnet with the U bracket there are usually small
stress cracks. You may not notice them unless you remove the bracket. On
most spitfires I have seen these stress cracks. I usually MIG weld them to
fix them.
Because of this I would recommend as we did to make a bracket and weld it to
the bonnet support tube. I should be back in the US next month and will try
to take some good pictures that illustrate this. I certainly can give you
the exact strut number at that time. Again you don't need heavy-duty struts
because of the leverage of the hinges on the bonnet. You are not lifting
the entire weight of the bonnet.
Dayton J. Carpenter, Esq.
President of International Business and Legal Affairs
Foundsoft Science & Technology Group
12 F Office Plaza World Trade Centre Zhejiang
15 Shuguang Road
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310007
China
Tele: 86-571-795-0135 ext 8011
Fax: 86 571-795-0137
>From: Tburke4@aol.com
>To: PABowen@sar.med.navy.mil, djcarpen@hotmail.com,
>reid.w.simmons@intel.com, spitfires@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: Hood Prop
>Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:49:34 EDT
>
>Hi folks,
>
>I have an Aerostar which has a very heavy rear hatch and a pretty strong,
>highly stressed pair of struts. They look like they could do the job if
>properly mounted. Their compressed length is 17.5" (measured to the c/l of
>the pivot pins holding them) and their extended length is 24.25" (as
>installed on the Aerostar). There should be plenty of these in your local
>boneyard.
>
>Tom Burke
>80 Spit
>
|