"Memories of Flight School"

[JohnReid]

Basic Block Assembly
The block assembly is pretty straightforward .Just be sure to drill all the holes where indicated and test fit the tubes.I used epoxy glue and joined the two halves together,glued on the 6 bolting feet, and then sealed with the laquer mix and painted it with a white gesso-water mix as a base coat.I then over coated this with a light silver-gray using liqutex silver with a little black gesso added.Don't make things too dark in the beginning as we want to leave lots of room for weathering later on.
This 90HP ,V8,water-cooled engine is one of the earliest ever produced and goes back to the dawn of aviation,1910.Glenn Curtiss,genius that he was,is mainly responsible for its development.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

The prop shaft housing and the oil pump are actually part of the block casting,so they will be painted the same color as the block.I glued and pinned on the oil pump.The oils fills and copper wire tubing will be glued on later as they are just to subject to breakage if installed now.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

The basic block is a little too blueish ,but I will rectify this when I weather it with acrylic washes and pastels.All other parts were left their natural metal color and sealed with the laquer mix.I will give them a coat of matte varnish later in order for the pastels to stick on better to the surface.When glueing these parts I just scrape off the laquer where the parts join together.To be on the safe side I also pin these parts together using steel pins cut to length.
I somehow lost the inner half of the water pump and had to scratchbuild it ,there is also one of the middle bolting feet missing.I had to put a small shim between the camshaft gear box and the engine to get it to sit vertical in order to install the magneto.The mag installation is next.........

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Mags & Cylinders.
I drilled in 8 holes in the magnetos face and test fit the wire leads.I then glued and pinned the magneto to the top of the block.

I also glued and pinned each cylinder to the block.No problems there,just make sure to re-drill all holes and test fit the manifolds and water pipes.All spark plug holes are drilled on the rear side of the cylinder with the the water pipe hole pointed outboard.With the cylinders pinned in and the manifolds temporarily fit on ,I glued down the cylinders using super thin crazy glue at the base of each cylinder.

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

Missing parts/Carb heat
The copper piping and plastic red piping were added by me because the cast parts were missing from the kit.I bought the 2nd Jenny kit from a friend and somehow these pieces were missing.When painted and weathered it won't be noticeable.
Speaking of weathering ,I think that I will heavily weather this one .The engine on the Canuck now looks relatively new , so this engine could represent an engine change having taken place.A broken prop still attached to the shaft would go well with the broken wing tips on the wings.A little moderate damage from a ground loop or nose over.I plan to finish this engine as a type that would have been installed on a JN4Aor D with the exhaust manifolds and carb heat tubing.
Speaking of carb heat ,I never did resolve how the short stack version like on the Canuck,bleed off carb heat to the engine.Any ideas?

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]

OX5 V8 in 1913
For some reason I always mistakenly thought that the V8 engine was a Ford development of around 1930.Guess where he got the idea!Looks like Curtiss had one in a 1913 flying boat.Ford never did get a ride in the flying boat though,he said his wife wouldn't let him!

 

[JohnReid]

 

[JohnReid]