MA1010 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny build

[jbradford]

I hope it is okay to post this build here. If not, please let me know where it should go.

I was getting a bit burned out on my Fair American, so I wanted to try something a bit different. After seeing Donnie's Sopwith build, I decided to break out the Jenny,
I went through all the parts, following Donnie's build thread and glad I did. The Britannia castings are not very good at all. Also, the wood strips do are not very accurate to the sizes listed.
I have sent a replacement email order for some missing and damaged parts, but they have not shipped out yet.

After reading the instructions a bit and checking the plans, I started removing the wing ribs from the laser cut sheets, I tried sanding the charred coating, but that black soot gets everywhere. I smoothed them up as much as possible without damaging them. I then began cutting the rib stiffeners from the stock strips provided. Once again, the strips are not the size shown in the plans or parts list.

I have cut about 50 - 60 of the stiffeners to .20" in length and glued them to the ribs. I have many more at many different lengths to cut.

 

[jbradford]

Some of the parts and plans.

 

[jbradford]

Rib stiffeners

 

[Namabiiru]

I have yet to build one of these Model Airways kits, but it’s fun to watch others’

 

[jbradford]

I have gone back through the plans to calculate the number and length of rib stiffeners I will need.

 

[jbradford]

I think I have all the rib stiffeners cut and glued to the ribs. Part 2 says to set up the wing spars using a heavy main front and rear beam, two small stringers, a trailing and leading edge. It shows a wing rib jig setup, but it is not very clear how to set this up.

 

[jbradford]

Well, here is a shot of my attempting to assemble one of the top wings of the Jenny.

 

[Roger Pellett]

My father, born in 1907, lived among other places in Warren, Ohio shortly after the end of World War I. There was a grass strip landing field nearby. A guy by the name Earnie Hall flew a war surplus Curtis Jenny from the field. He “hired” my father to chase away the other kids and to assist with routine servicing. In lieu of pay he took him flying.

The plane used to be exhibited in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. I remember it being brown or maroon with “Halls Flying Service, Warren, Ohio” written in script on the side of the Fuselage.

In the early 1970’s, Earnie Hall was still flying. He was supposedly the oldest flight instructor in the USA. A dubious advertisement!

Roger

 

[jbradford]

Here is a Jenny at the Smithsonian.