[simpits-tech] Forming polycarb..

[Chris Woodul]

A-4 Skyhawks rock.

My father flew them in Viet Nam, he is also a board member of the A-4
Skyhawk association.
In 1998, I was at a company that built two TA-4SU simulators for Singapore.
As you may know, the TA-4SU was a strange two seater that had seperate
canopies.
The Singaporean A-4s were rebuilt from old A-4Bs ( Navy Surplus) The SU had
an F/A-18 GE engine in it ( non afterburning)
I went out and bought four A-4 B cockpits, had to find four canopies,
ejection seats, throttle quadrants etc. \
We grafted two cockpits together ( very carefully ) with lots of sheetmetal
work, cutting and splicing, raised the angle of the rear canopy frame and
did a nice job of it.
The cockpits got mounted on large steel frames and went into big domes. I
spent a week in Singapore ( in 1zillion percent humidity) surveying the real
cockpits, and taking pictures and measuring.
I also had a trump card, I know a fellow collector who lives in Singapore,
who has tones of A-4 Spares...so I just brought home extra suit cases of A-4
cockpit parts that were standard parts.
The whole cockpit area of each crewstation was totally reworked and made
like new, and the High Tech Cockpit of the SU variant was fully replicated
( along with the refurbished real parts)
I saved my company alot of money by utilizing as much real stuff as
possible. We were told to cut out the plexiglass though, as it detracted
from the visual systems acuity. I was sad the day we cut out the plex ...

The Kiwis had really shit hot A-4s too, do you have a Kiwi variant?
Id love to see what you are working on.

Chris Woodul

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Galbraith" <sean.g@paradise.net.nz>
To: <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 1:22 PM
Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Forming polycarb..


> At 07:23 AM 6/12/02 -0500, you wrote:
> >HI Sean and Roy
> >
> >You brave souls... ; )
> >
> >WHo is doing the A-4? Id like to know more about that.
>
> <hand_raised>  Guilty.
>
> http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/seang1/
>
> Sean.
>
>
>
>
> >Chris W
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Roy Coates" <roy@flightlab.liv.ac.uk>
> >To: "Simpits List" <simpits-tech@simpits.org>
> >Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 6:50 AM
> >Subject: Re: [simpits-tech] Forming polycarb..
> >
> >
> > > On Wed, 12 Jun 2002, Sean Galbraith wrote:
> > >
> > > > Well it's time to learn a new skill :)
> > > >
> > > > I have almost completed the front windscreen on the A-4 so next up
is
> >the
> > > > main canopy.. complete with complex curves!
> > > >
> > > > Does anyone have ideas/suggestions for how I can achieve this?  The
> >canopy
> > > > is being framed with aluminium, so strength is not the real issue,
just
> >the
> > > > shape.
> > >
> > > Having talked to our materials guys, and perusing the materials
database -
> > > Acrylic sheet was recommended to me since this responds well to heat
in
> > > that once its shape is changed, it'll stay changed!
> > >
> > > You need to uniformly heat the sheet until it becomes plyable enough
to
> > > take up the shape you need, then allowed to cool. The big problem is
> > > providing the uniform heat.  I tried - and failed ;)
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Roy.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Simpits-tech mailing list
> > > Simpits-tech@simpits.org
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> >
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