Lockheed Vega Restoration - Skin Fabrication
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
- The Lockheed Vega restoration has been making great progress lately. It is being restored by Kevin Kimball at his facility in Mt. Dora, Florida. I got the footage for this update from Kevin recently showing the progress on the fuselage. We finally got around to editing the clips together and have a really informative video here showing what they've been up to. Watch as Kevin explains the process of fabricating new skins, and other needed components, to get the Vega fuselage back to original shape. Looking forward to seeing this project come to completion, and have her back in the hangar here at Fantasy of Flight, and ready to fly. Come on along and check out the progress.
Kermit Weeks
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Kermit Weeks
A 91 year old aircraft made of wood returning to showroom condition.
SO COOL! WHAT SKILL!
💛
Kevin Kimball and his son are such a pleasure to listen to about what they are doing in this project.
Never ceases to amaze me with this Kermit Weeks character, No matter how bad something turns out to be after the teardown, Aircraft restorations Always turn out to be the best they possibly can be. I can only imagine all those aircraft, after the sun has gone down and everyone's gone home and there's nobody around, Except maybe KW! ... all those planes are laughing with each other, Singing away how great life is again! That mythical Aviation fountain of youth.
He is the Jay Leno of airplanes. His money allows him to do this. When we are all gone, the airplane will still be around for future generations.
Kermit, I thought your new videos could not be better, more informative and explaining processes better as those you already posted in your Mechanic‘s Corner. And I was wrong. This one is even better, or at least on par with the best of the other ones. Don‘t get me wrong, they are all good. But with every new video you amazingly broaden the wealth of knowledge shown already. You got some real masters of their trade working for you. Thank you for letting us join you in watching those excellent videos. One learns something new with every single video.
Incredible how the skin was made, and how these artisans are resurrecting the skills to make parts needed to make the Vega airworthy.
Kermit has a real genius working for him..
Very educational with constant detailed explanation at all stages. The Vega was way ahead of the game . I wonder if this manner of construction was common practise as it's well documented that the De-Havilland Mosquito was famed for this constrution method. Thanks Kermit. And many thanks to Kevin.
It's amazing how hand built some of the old machines are. Beautiful!
And I thought glueing the balsa wood models of my youth together was hard. Beautiful patience requiring work by pros.
The journey is similar, although I start with a box full of new parts, rather than having to restore or fabricate parts from scratch.
I like my hobby right where it's at.
And I love all things made out of wood!
Wow. The cradles are as amazing as the skins! Super nice work.
Wow, such a shame the frame is in a bad shape with all of those repairs and mods over the years, but I know Kevin and his crew will make it all good again. Nice to see the fuselage skins being made and just how thin the raw material is...vacuum bagging is going to save so much time and effort.
Great presentation Kevin, it is nice to see all the hard work that goes into restoring these beautiful aircraft.
Thank you once again Kermie for sharing these FoF Mechanic's corners...looking forward to part two!
Wow!
High Tech from 1927!
IMPRESSING 👍
Thanks for some new unknown wisdom Kermit 👍🌷
Flying history being brought back to life and absolutely amazing unmatched skills possibly a dying art hope not
Wooden aircraft are so subject to rot and decay. Having the skill set to repair these aircraft is a challenge.Hopefully Kermit has the technicians to be able to complete this restoration. I am so impressed with what they have achieved so far. If anybody can get this accomplished,it’s Kermit and his crew.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
How very interesting, a modern take on some old skills that should not be forgotten.
Incredible! It’s amazing that Kevin (and his team) have revived this lost art.
Wow! I sent some time searching for the drawings of the Sirius. I am so very happy that Kermit & Kevin are teaming up to reproduce this great airplane. The "Wooden Lockheeds" were so important in the '30's expanding the capability & exploration by air. Another example of Lockheed engineering excellence. Thanks for sharing all of this information.
Wow! Thank you for sharing and explaining it all. Never knew it was done like that.
Thank you for taking the time to present this Kevin. It's very interesting to see how you crated the skins in an alternative way, and introduced modern techniques to an old concept. You and your team should be very proud of your success. My respect to all of you, and nice to see the dog joining in. I wish that I could take my dog to the hangar, but he's a Boxer and would court certain disaster... :)
The dog is Roscoe Turner, named after the famed aviator from the 30's who flew the Gilmore sponsored airplanes including a Lockheed Air Express.
Kevin Kimball Great name for a dog - Roscoe :)
Amazing and incredibly complex work - the mold is brilliant.
Thanks for posting this Kermit it's very interesting to see the progress on your Vega I've been wondering how it's been coming along. I imagine when the time is right these are the guys to have a go at recommissioning your Mosquito. Surprised the new wooden strips expanded and shrunk so much with the humidity. Great video.
Fascinating explanation of the original process and the 2020 solution to the problems of restoration. Congratulations to Kevin for an engaging and informative presentation.
Amazing talent ! I would love to volunteer and learn from these folks. Guess my riveting skills blip, back to layering fiber ! Keep vids coming please , excellent commentary sir ! 🇨🇦👍
21:44 of pure joy! Thank You Mr. Kermit.
Mr. Kermit, as a born Okie, Willey Post was my first aviation hero! Again thank you......
Amazing. I hope this man has apprentices. He truly is an artisan.
Thank you for your time to explain the dedication of your restoration and craftsmanship, it's a credit to you. Its not quite as easy as "oh we need to reskin the vega as it's getting a little tired" I would think it takes 6 months just to get to the stage of putting the first of the plys onto the mold!
Many thanks again.
Kevin is the best! Tons of skills and an unbelivable nice human beeing - thanks for the footage and spending all the money to keep history alive Kermit!
OMG. You could make carbon fiber Vegas with that fixturing!!! Don't let @MikePatey see this!
This video really stirs me. Wood laminations for aircraft are amazing. From the WW1 Albatross, the inter-war Vegas and DH Comet Racers, WW2 Mosquitos and post-war Bellanca Viking wings, wood has such adaptability. Many people are surprised how much wood is in a Lancaster.
After 30+ years and many wood splinters of woodworking, I am in awe to see someone knowledgeable and skilled to save this aircraft. The humidity impact on unfinished wood is a bear that is constantly looking to bite, especially in humid Florida, but here we deal with extreme humid summers to desert-dry winters. We would receive 2 by 6's studs on the worksite and 2 days later some would be unusebly twisted. We called them 'Hamilton Standards', because regularly changed their pitch!
So when the Vega is done, will it be time to bring the Mosquito into the shop as promised Kermit?
Now l know a little bit of what it takes to....Rebuild older aeroplanes....Thanks very much...Kermit for sharing part of your life....!
Thank You for sharing! This answered so many questions that I had wondered about.
Seems Like you could get into the “New Vega” building boom.
You're the Jay Leno of aviation,I like that you bring in experts for your aircraft.Thank you for what you do,Hope one day I will go down for a visit.
If anyone has ever built a cedar strip canoe you will recognize the method Kevin used to make the fuselage mold. Great video!
Excellent work and commentary!
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing. Bedford, UK.
This will all be worth it just to see her fly again.
Wood the original composite, every guitar owner knows that temperature and humidity affect tuning. Amazing work you are doing, thanks for the update.
I love the bulkhead frames hanging off of the roof trusses at 21:44.
Absolutely fascinating, excellent description of the process!
This shows amazing craftmanship and patience, I watched the video and it reminded me of the plywood fuselage on the Mosquito? Great job keep up the good work it's really important for us to keep these amazing old aircraft flying. Stay safe best wishes to everyone from NZ.
Very interesting, beautiful work! Aircraft restoration is fantastic, keeping history alive!
This will be virtually a new aircraft off of the paten of the original one. It will be a sight to behold.
Guys, this is not ANY Vega!!! This is Wiley Post’s Vega!!!! It has flown around the world twice, once by Post, one of THE most famous names in aviation...Solo... in 1933!!!!! This is HISTORY and not just an old plane!!!! Thank you Kermit for saving the plane from being just a “Hangar Queen” and then some day to fly it again!!!! The woodworking alone is Fascinating!!!!
Sorry to disappoint you, but the Wiley Post Winnie Mae Vega is in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. This is another original Vega from 1929 that David Jameson restored to stock condition in the 1960s and painted in the markings of the “Winnie Mae. I acquired the aircraft in the early 1990s and we're currently restoring it, again in the Winnie Mae markings, to a more original and airworthy condition.
Enjoyed seeing the Stearman and Bonanza in the background. Mr. Weeks should pay to have that hanger retrofitted as a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. The camera (probably an iPhone) should have had Notifications silenced before filming started. Good narration from an expert -- not too technical, just right. Like many other restorations, the amount of work needed grows as the teardown exposes more of the inner structure. Looks like this Vega had a hard life and will end up with mostly new innards. Would be interested to know the percentage of original versus new materials used, after the project is complete. As always, I offer my gratitude to Mr. Weeks for sharing this fascinating inside look at an increasingly uncommon example of craftsmanship.
Beautiful work. Who would have thought anyone would ever mold another Vega shell. Maybe a new Orian some day.
Very interesting. Bet there's very few that can do this today.
It would be more correct to say - can afford to do it, the job itself is not complicated at all, the issue is that it is time consuming - which makes it expensive, the technology itself is very similar to modern composites, with the added difficulty of working with "live" material like wood (moisture induced dimensional changes and how to deal with it), so there are quite a few places this could be done, it is all about the time and money
This is the invaluable charity part of what Mr Weeks is doing - giving this work out to people and then documenting the process for future generations, there are small jewels all across his restoration videos, things that are not written down in educational books or on blueprints, because they were passed down from master to apprentice in workshops, small details that you can learn only when doing this stuff...
Amazing professional skills!
This was fantastic, thanks.
Incredible work of engineering and artistry combined.
Excelant update video , can't wait for part 2 and to see more of Kevins excelant craftsmanship..
This was nutz. Start to finish. Mad skilz! Thank you. It was so appreciated...and you betcha this got shared!
Thinking of the restoration of this aircraft reminds me of my favorite film that I'll have to re-watch tonight
"Angels have wings" 1939 Howard Hawks
WoW - really incredible !
Fabulous... Maybe Mike Patey could do a carbon fiber skin....
I wish my Dad was here to see this
Nothing but the best for Kermit
That's a beautiful aircraft!
Very good job explaining the process 👍 I couldn't help think that you could get some ceader and make yourself a nice sailboat after ! Lol
Such nice people!
Wow so much work lol. Crazy they were able to crank out 1 of these in 2 weeks.
I learned a lot. Great video.
Fascinating. Where do y'all get the tech data for these - you must have for the comments "return to original" and "inconsistent with the drawings" ?
Thank you for the video, Eastern washington is very dry, I would suggest if you end up making more skins, a desert facility would be easier for layup.
The Vega, sweet
I like to build (not in this scale) so for me, this was a fantastic video! Thanks for sharing Kermit.
Excellent presentation! Good hands.
Great project Kermit. Could the tooling be used again... there might one day be a flight of amazing Vega's... imagine that!
Simply, Amazing!
fascinating...
I love these build video's!!!...👍👍👍🗽🇺🇸
Probably the relative humidity didn't vary so much in Burbank compared to Florida!
Very cool man now I know how it's made that is cool thanks for sharing wow...
This is amazing, thank you for sharing this.
So iconic beautiful plane.
Just ordered a bottle of your Rum.
This was fascinating !
any cabinet maker knows how to do these things, wood always expands exponentially more in width than length so by manufacturing your own ply wood alternating orientation you cancel out the expansion of the alternating layers. All this wood should be kept at a 10% to 15% moisture content to stabilize it before laminating, unfortunately they didn't do this because they are not in a climate controlled room. So they just waited until the afternoon when the moisture content matched that of the pattern cutting.
É trabalho maravilhoso !
Thanks Kevin for correcting my False Conclusion that the Mosquito was the first aircraft to use a Laminate Skin. No it was the Vega!! Just to think today that variations of those laminates are still being used to construct aircraft coming out of the Skunk Works. (At which point Kermit starts spitting venom at me)! :) TRUE CRAFTSMEN, WELL DONE GUYS!! ;)
Some first world war air craft used this if not in full, in part of there construction.
SOME ALBATROSS FIGHTERS IN WW1
World War I Albatros D. I, D. II and D. III used plywood fuselages
The De-Havillan Commet used this technology.
It's the twin engine red airplane that's featured in FSX .
It won some world competitions at the time.
That's how Jeffrey De-Havilland learned the tricks he later applied to the Mosquito.
The glues used then, are no longer approved for aircrafts construction, so I estimate they are using epoxy or something.
I wonder if those same molds could be used to make a carbon fiber fuselage? Imagine, an all carbon fiber. Lockheed Vega. All the grace with half the work.
More of these videos plz!
Cool
Good God The Knowledge,,, and The Craftsmanship,,,, This Guy Would Make "Michelangelo",,, Look Like a "Rank Beginner",,,
Thank you so much
I have repaired many an Radio Control model airplane. Use old one for reference and build a NEW fueslage. It will be as fast and a lot better than repairing the old. Keep old feuse for reference and proof of justification
Love these videos.
Very helpful; I learned a lot.
So cool. And so much work. Starting from scratch migh be cheaper but I guess the romance is gone?
Finally get to see a beautiful Stearman on Kermie's channels! But wait... it's not his😢
Kermit -- what are they using for an adhesive to bond the layers together and is it something period correct or a modern adhesive? (Thank you for having them document the process itself!)
Gotta be new ones. Why would you use old inferior adhesives instead of benefitting from decades of progress? Especially when your or others lives may be on the line. This isn't an old painting or something.
Probably American Gorilla Glue.😅
@@kennysherrill6542 And Flex Seal.
I have heard the older glues actually breath better when bonded, at least in antique furniture that is the way they go.
AMAZING.
Excellent video, explanation of the work required, and the thought process. Truly artisans at work. I was curious about the glue-up phase, did you worry about the woods moisture content and how that may impact the glue-up? Thanks!
the spruce veneers expand a lot when the glue is applied to them. This expansion is a big part of the challenge in getting all the plies to lay down smoothly.
What an undertaking! It's no wonder why the old Lockheeds weren't rebuilt after accidents. It's obvious it's in very capable hands. He makes it look easy, it's not. Working with wood is very difficult. So excited to see the next video. Was this the Vega that belonged to Dave Jamison of Oshkosh? Dave let me sit in the airplane one year. What a tremendous airplane!
They were rebuilt by mixing and matching parts from wrecks. Lockheed did the same thing with a few Constellations.
I know the Kimball’s nice family!
I live in Northwest Wisconsin. Wooden musical instruments that have been in this area for any length of time all have cracked pine or spruce tops. The only answer for this is to have an instrument made in this area or keep the thing humidified in the winter. 40 to 50 percent is ideal. When it's a lot below zero and you have 40 percent humidity in your house you gave puddles on your window sill. Keep your airplane in FL or the Southern US.
Florida here. You have to worry about mildew. And insects. And hurricanes.
Amazing
Perhaps you should build an entirely new fuselage...
Interesting work.
Great video.
Why are they not using plywood ?
It will be faster and chepaer.
Attach plywood to the fuselage ribs, and you get the desired form and the desired strengh.
Ekko Sierra Most plywood is rotary or strip cut and laminated including aircraft plywood and these strips are tapered to conform to the fuselage shape. A pre laminated sheet of plywood can be curved in one direction but can not achieve a complex curve as this fuselage requires.
I'm really enjoying this, but I also am missing the ME 108 restoration. Its been 6 months since the last report. Is Paul alright?
We were shut down for four months with the CoronaVirus lock down. We just started coming back in a month ago. Things are ramping up slowly.