January XP-82 Twin Mustang Restoration Project Update

We have been very busy this month starting to complete hundreds of small to-do tasks that had to be finished, i.e., gun sight, completing the 90 degree periscope on the gun strike camera, making heat and defrost, repairing or remaking electrical switch panels, bomb arming panels, fairings that surround the throttle quadrants, a second mounting panel for the oxygen quantity gauge, blinker and diluter valve mechanism, two induction trunk carburetor filtered air boxes, one last 28-volt power supply harness going to the breaker panel, preliminary locating and shielded wiring of the microphone and headset jacks, modifying the shelf underneath the oxygen diluter mechanism to fit the new Garmin radio package, along with the avionic electrical harnesses, etc., etc., etc.

All of these panels, which we had to repair or make new, have been shipped off to our screen printer for him to silk screen all the correct verbage on each panel.

Pilot's radio control panel now being silk-screened

90 degree periscope on gun strike camera now installed

Curved co-pilot breaker panel now being silk-screened

Repaired throttle quadrant fairings

Gun sight pending mounting bracket

Second mounting panel for the oxygen quantity gauge, 

blinker and diluter valve mechanism

Garmin Radio Package

Our avionics specialist came to Douglas with the Garmin radio mounting tray and fit it into the pilot’s righthand cockpit underneath the oxygen diluter panel. With a small modification of one rib, it fit in perfectly. The microphone and headset jacks will mount in the original locations in the adjoining switch panel to the left of the Bendix Radio panel. And, in the co-pilot’s cockpit, they will mount in the original radio switch panel with the addition of drilling one hole for the headphone jack. 

Bendix Remote Control Unit

With much searching Weezie was finally able to find this Bendix Remote Control Unit from a collector in California. An extremely rare unit, the last time we saw one change hands was back in 2006.  We were able to purchase this unit only if it was going to be installed in our XP-82.  Thank you.

Filtered Air Boxes

The last major thing being done on the firewall forwards is the manufacturing of these two filtered air boxes. The rotating carb air valves located under the spinners have four selectable positions:  ram air, hot air, half-hot air and filtered air. These are two complicated boxes with many angles and shapes that hold the filters for filtered air.  It will still take two team members about two weeks to complete and fit both.

Internal Press Dies for the Main Gear Door Skins

Our machinist from Michigan has completed these two huge (350 lbs. each) mirror image press dies and personally delivered them to us on his trip to Florida. I did not want to trust these to UPS or FED EX. These were very expensive to 3D design and machine, not counting the cost of the two 40” square x 3”thick aluminum plates. These press dies will be taken to Atlanta to press-form the skins as our rubber press is not large enough on exterior dimensions. 

The torch is there to give a reference to the size of each door press die

The Kat

Allison is not a happy kat when it is cold. Stays in the sack all day.

Thankx

Tom