Bill writes...
snip!
>The metalwork above these plates had been sandblasted (as had much of the
>shell) and there was quite
> substantial perforation of the bulkhead front face, just above the seams
>where the closing plates joined.
> I still can't imagine any way of doing a correct repair in this area without
>undoing the newly completed
>repairs at the sill ends. It's always made me wonder about the quality of that
>rebuild - not one I would
>personally use as an example!
It's funny you mention this. Is this the later PC Spitfire
restoration, the red car? The holes you mention are clearly visible in
the book, even as they're closing off the endcaps. These holes appear
to be perhaps 3/4" in diameter, there are two, and they're surrounded
by numerous pinholes. They must have a huge investment in new
sheetmetal and manhours and they completely ignore this rotted
section. Amazing.
Rimmer lists these bulkheads as NCA so that may be part of it.
I make mention because nowhere in the restoration did I see any
patches fabricated. All the new metal going in seemed either OEM or
pattern part. Perhaps they don't know how to knock tin? :-)
On the back page where the car is presumed finished, there's a shot
of the right side bulkhead top. The paint appears rough and cratered
in this area and I'm surprised because they had it down to bare metal.
This kind of defect normally doesn't show up in photos but there it
was, and I remember thinking it odd they would leave it that way.
Despite it's shortcomings, I think the PC Spitfire restoration is an
excellent photo essay on the topic. (it may be the *only* one
covering the spitfire 1500) I was near tears viewing the sequence of
panel replacements needed to "save" the bonnet. The only thing left
of the old was the top piece. Thank goodness the leading edge was
intact. <grin>
Cheers!
Tom O'Malley
/// spitfires@autox.team.net mailing list
/// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool
|