PAGE 1 | August, 1998 | We construct the tables and do some planning. |
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All the principal planning is finished and shapes are laid out and measured on the work tables. |
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The final planning is accomplished and each member of the group writes a check for the first shipment of aluminum tubing. |
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PAGE 4 | January, February, 1999 | We make some tubing bending jigs, ribs, and start on the tail rudders, horizontal stabilizers and elevators. |
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PAGE 5 | February, 1999 | We make more bending jigs and start the construction of the tail. We finish all the bending and deburring of the tail pieces. |
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We finish all the cutting, forming, fitting, shaping, and deburring of the fuselage pieces (five sets!). Ralph starts on his full fuselage as a prototype for the rest of our Nieuports so that all the kinks and problems can be worked out and documented. |
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We continue building fuselages. We certainly get a lot of practice cutting and shaping aluminum tubing, making gussets, using Clecos and riveting. |
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PAGE 8 | August, September, 1999 | We are still building fuselages. John's fuselage is out of the jig. Ray is working on his. |
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PAGE 9 | October, 1999, to March, 2000 | We've finished building three fuselages. John's special belly rib gussets. Wing work is being done at members' home workshops so it isn't shown here. |
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PAGE 10 | April, 2000, to May, 2000 | John bought the plans and the ABS plastic "shells" for the Lewis gun from Ted Callahan. The others said they were just going to use revolvers or throw bombs. After searching for and obtaining parts, John starts work on the Lewis machine gun. |
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PAGE 11 | June, 2000 | While still working on the wings, John continues with his obsession to build a Lewis machine gun. He makes the gun mounts and gun sights. |
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PAGE 12 | July, 2000 | John finishes up the work on the Lewis machine gun. Most of the group is spending time at home (in air conditioned comfort) constructing small parts for the Nieuports including tail wheel modifications as suggested by members of the Kansas City Dawn Patrol in their video. |
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PAGE 13 | August, 2000, March, 2001 | John and Ray work on beefy tail wheel assemblies. |
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PAGE 14 | September, November 2000 | Ray, Ralph and John's engines -- we finally have engines for our Nieuports! Ray works on his cabane. |
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PAGE 15 | December, 2000 - July, 2001 | Ray has his tail covered; Ray and Ralph have finished their wings and have set the cables. |
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PAGE 16 | July, August, 2001 | Some of the hardest and longest work was setting the rods and cables to all the control surfaces. |
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PAGE 17 | August, December 2001; September, 2002 | This page will be constantly changing -- it has a lot of the "miscellaneous" stuff we're building for the Nieuports such as fuel tanks. Ray's instrument panel. |
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PAGE 18 | January, February, September 2002 | This page shows the work Ray has put into his cowling and BMW engine as well as the other builder's engines. Ray tests his engine. |
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PAGE 19 | March, April, October, 2002 | Ralph finished his subwings in October. Ray was first in covering his subwings. |
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PAGE 20 | May, June, October 2002 | Ralph finished his main wings in late October, 2002.
Ray is finishing up his top wings -- it's covered and he is rib stitching
it.
Ray painting his top wings. |
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PAGE 21 | June, July, September, October, 2002 | Ray has covered his fuselage. Ralph finished his fuselage covering in October. |
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PAGE 22 | July, August, September 2002 | Ray is painting and decorating his Nieuport. |
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PAGE 23 | October - December, 2002; March, 2003. | Ray is taxi testing his Nieuport. He also made his first flight around the pattern! Ray then fixes some initial problems. Ray washes his finished & tested Nieuport. |
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PAGE 24 | January - March, 2003 | Ralph made a large paint booth inside the hangar so he could paint his Nieuport. Fuselage & wings painted. |
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PAGE 25 | April-May, 2003 | Ralph is doing his firewall forward work and putting finishing touches on his Nieuport. |
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