Aeronca C2 - Flying Wires

I recently bought a set of original Aeronca C3 flying wires in excellent condition. They are very similar to C2 wires, the only differences being a slightly larger core diameter and fork ends. When I reconstructed the C2 fuselage I used C3 flying wire brackets anyway, so these wires will fit my fuselage without further modification.
Music: 'Hammock Fight' by Kevin Macleod, 'Honeysuckle' by Honeyroot.
#aeronca #aeroncac2 #aeroncac3 #flyingforfun #aeronca #aeroncac2 #aeroncac3 #aeronica #airknocker #flyingbathtub #douglasdc3 #douglasc47 #spitfire #hurricane #worldwar2 #ww2 #ww1 #airport #airstrip #automobileassociation #rac #aa #vintagesportscarclub #vintageaircraft #vintageaeroplane #vintageairplane #aeroplane #plane #flying #aerodrome #england #praga #oldengine #microlight #cornwall #thrustertst #vauxhall1440 #vauxhall #airplane #magneto #lathe #railway #propeller #makingapropeller
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[@nevillesutherland6069]

Loved this! Fully endorse 'Volksplane 1s' comment. Keep drip-feeding us these treats Nich.

[@sloleydave]

Nice tip on finishing the ratty tails on the (modern) wire ends

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

It makes them look suitably 'Old Rhinebeck'!

[@Volksplane1]

"Please sir can I have some more?" (Oliver) "More!" ..." Yes sir more C2, more flying wires sir".....Tis like Porridge, a very good staple diet

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

I prefer the Oliver Reed diet. More wires soon🙂

[@dcmflydude6320]

Those old flying wires fascinate me. I need to look up how they were made back in the day. You know, struts are fine but you can’t see the rust inside them. You can always see the condition of the wires and their strength has to be similar to struts, especially if doubled. There is grass strip about two miles from where I live. The old fellow Harvey taught a lot about Champs and Stinson’s and old airplanes in general. I remember the tail feather flying wires. I actually have some old fittings. I’ll dig them out and see if they are like yours. And of course, it was nice to see the hacksaw and file getting out again.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

More hacksaw and file action in 'More Flying Wires'. I was given a set of Aeronca Champ lift struts a while ago, they were condemned as too corroded. I cheerfully chopped the rear struts up as I needed some shorter lengths of streamline tubing; they were almost as good as new inside. I've kept the main struts and fork ends intact as doubtless there's no much corrosion. I think a good boroscope inspection is the only way of really telling the condition of the struts.

[@1944Devon]

Thanks again Trecanair for another fascinating video. Every day is a school day, as they say. I look forward to the next episode with impatience. Very interesting topic for me; I'm trying to resolve one or two issues with substituting stranded wires for much more desirable, but unaffordable streamlined wires on my little biplane project. Lynn of Flitzer fame has been a mine of information and has very patiently and kindly supplied me with heaps of useful advice. Despite this and not wishing to bother him yet again with my silly questions, which are also perhaps inappropriate here, I would like to use neater swaged forked ends on one end of my stranded wires. Proper and now eye wateringly expensive turnbuckles on the other end of course. The clevis hole in the only suitable MS fitting is 5/16"D and the holes in my laboriously home fabricated shackles are all 1/4", a nice hefty size and I am contemplating using small bushes in each "tang" face of the MS 20667-6, which is otherwise perfect. All my lift cables are to be 3/16" following advice from above( diameter, not length! he he!). Any pearls of wisdom regarding use of bushes in this way ( not something I would normally entertain ) would be appreciated. Thanks again for your addictive videos! Devon 44 😟

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Is the MS20667-6 a swaged fork end fitting? The bushes would have a 1/32" wall thickness if my calculations are correct? I'd be a bit concerned that the wall thickness isn't sufficient to prevent compression / collapse of the bush material? Is there insufficient material to open your homemade shackles out to 5/16"? My original plan was to rig the main planes using 5/32" cable and the same turnbuckles as you are using. I even bought 12 turnbuckles at great $$$$ although purchased tax free due to my then expat status. Will keep the turnbuckles for another project.

[@1944Devon]

Many thanks Nick! The MS 20667-6 is a swaged fork end fitting and the 1/32" wall bushes bothered me from the beginning. Think I'll abandon that idea. I have looked at the home made shackles and unfortunately there is not enough material to allow the pin hole to be opened up to 5/16" (> 2D radius minimum needed), so I shall also have to abandon the more photogenic swaged fittings idea and revert back to buying a set of the larger AN115 - 32 shackles along with the extra turnbuckles and using Nicopress swages at both ends, including the turnbuckles, of course. I might have to wait for a Premium Bond prize before proceeding. I still have the homemade forming tools used to make my "fabricated"/plans shackles, but this would be too time consuming to remake all 12. Very much looking forward to the next C2 Flying wires episode. Devon 44. @@FlyingForFunTrecanair

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@1944Devon I'm going to send you an email right now, hopefully containing good news re. shackles!

[@kbjerke]

Nice to see progress on the project, Nick! A question about the Lunkenheimer ends, though - I could not tell if the bodies had a "witness" hole drilled in them, to indicate your minimum safety condition. Other cable ends I've worked on had them, and if you stuck a bit of lockwire in them, you could tell immediately if the end was in safety or not. Anyway, great find on those flying wires! 👍

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

No witness hole in the fittings, one of the several reasons to measure twice. ‘More Flying Wires’ will be out in a week or so, there has been progress since 🙂

[@kbjerke]

@@FlyingForFunTrecanair Eagerly anticipating the next installment! Best wishes to you and yours, as always!

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@kbjerke Thank you!

[@ericohara2582]

Thank you, In always enjoy your presentations..

[@theflyingfool]

That's a very interesting video thanks Nick. Is there any surface rust on the fuselage or tail tubing? I can't quite see any but there's a bit of what looks like bubbling in places...

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

There’s a small amount of light surface rust only. I keep the fuselage reasonably well oiled so corrosion is minimal. The elevators are new, the tailplanes are original with repairs as the end of one had corroded through; probably left on a dirt floor for years. It will all be cleaned and blasted before painting.

[@theflyingfool]

@@FlyingForFunTrecanair Thanks for explaining that. It's exciting to think this will be airworthy at some time :D

[@tennesseered586]

Those C-3 tail wires look plenty thick enough. I have an original set of PA-12 tail wires in the attic and they are smaller, even though for a much heavier and faster airplane. (My original set had to be replaced with round wires some twenty years ago because of an AD.) I should think on a C-3 that every ounce counts.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

I had to replace the lower wires on my Champ due to corrosion. They were round wires too, which are easier to tension as they can be locked in any orientation but I should think round wires are susceptible to vibration; I guess the tail wires are short enough for this not to be a problem.

[@tennesseered586]

I put a Super Cub tail on my PA-12 and used Piper's round, stainless steel rods. Bolted right on and made a big improvement in handling. Kinda wish I had kept the Super Cruiser. Vibration in flying wires is no joke. I know of two Fly Baby accidents caused by vibrating stranded flying wires which in turn caused metal fatigue and fractured attach fittings. Apparently, the vibrations were hidden under the wings and couldn't be seen or felt by the pilot.@@FlyingForFunTrecanair

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@tennesseered586 I think stranded wires are fine as long as one gives them a 'life' and periodic replacement, irrespective of apparent good condition. The wire and nicopress fittings are cheap and should be regarded as disposable, which is probably a good reason not to use expensive swaged fork ends etc.

[@johnjephcote7636]

My father-in-law always had a length of RAFwire that he employed as a paperknife.

[@paulhelman2376]

The Aeronka K came about in part due to outlawing of wires in favor of struts.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

That is correct; a shame the Aeronca K is so disappointing after the C-series.

[@MemphisBBQ640]

​@FlyingForFunTrecanair The Aeronca K may have been a disappointment, but it gave rise to the Aeronca 65-CA Chief.

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@MemphisBBQ640 oh yes, the K was a dud but the Chiefs and Champs were superb. My first aeroplane was a 1946 Champ.

[@MemphisBBQ640]

@FlyingForFunTrecanair I trained for my Private Pilot license in a Cessna 150 and got my tailwheel endorsement in an Aeronca 11AC Chief. I am now the proud owner of a 1946 Champ--there are a lot of them out there...

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@MemphisBBQ640 the Champ is one of the finest aeroplanes in the history of flight. I sold mine in 1997 and have regretted it ever since.

[@grandpadansfixit2080]

Great to see someone handy with brazing!! Not many of us left with that skill learned by lots of practice!! As kind of a dummy here, could you please explain the difference between landing wires and flying wires?? Thanks

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Brazing is good! Especially for dissimilar stuff; the cast iron exhaust manifold on my Vauxhall has been brazed up with several patches and it’s lasted 20+ years. On the Aeronca, flying wires are the ones under the wings, they are in tension during flight. Landing wires take the strain when the aircraft is on the ground; the wires above the wings in the case of the Aeronca.

[@kenphillips5221]

Rat Tikka Masala 😂😂😂

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Clifford the Cat keeps the rats away! He's quite adept at catching grey squirrels and pigeons too.

[@kenphillips5221]

Wetter than Rishi Sunak 😂😂😂 Your killing me 😂😂😂😂

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

🤣

[@aue82a]

"More Sheiks than an OPEC conference"

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

@@aue82a 🤣🤣🤣

[@jeffboatright]

Given that both top wires are too long and both bottom wires are too short, are you sure that they shouldn't be traded upper for lower?

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Good idea but I tried just that off camera. It didn’t work. However, that is one of the reasons I need to set the fuselage up and check everything before cutting. Measure twice, cut once!

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

We’ll find out in ‘More Flying Wires’🤣

[@paulhelman2376]

Could have plugged tube with plaster I suppose..

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

Which tube?

[@paulhelman2376]

Why not brush paint?

[@FlyingForFunTrecanair]

A good suggestion, I thought the same after squirting most of the paint onto the cardboard. I'll probably brush paint the big wires.