Standard J-1
The Standard J-1 was produced in 1917 to train pilots for the Great War. They were not very popular due to the relatively unreliable Hall-Scott motor. After the war, most of the surviving aeroplanes were re-powered by more reliable motors. The most popular was the Hisspano-Suissa which had almost twice the rated horsepower of the original motor. This particular J-1 was resurrected by Ray Folsom in 1973 to be used in the movie “The Great Waldo Pepper”. The only available Hisso at that time happened to be an E-4 rated at 240 HP ( nearly 3 times the airframe design rating !! ). Some other appearances were in “Ace Eli and Roger in the Sky”, “The Young Indiana Jones”, “The Rocketeer” and a still cameo in “Titanic”, on TV in “The Fall Guy”, and numerous commercials. The final appearance was a Japanese beer commercial a couple years before entering the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum.
In the shop 3-4-09
Tail is off
Wings coming off
Left top wing is off
Both right wings
Center section is off
Motor is off
Fabric falling off the fuselage
Undercarriage is off.
Bare fuselage frame
Removing rudder fabric
Elevators half way uncovered
Taking the fabric off the wings
Bare wing.
Disassembling the undercarriage
Inspecting the fuselage
Fuselage in the alignment fixture
Standard J-1 in kit form ready to assemble
Metal fittings restored
Fuselage being reassembled in the fixture
Safety wiring all the turnbuckles (105 of them!)
Fuselage removed from the fixture
Making a new rear deck framing
Gluing parts
Fitting stringers
New instrument panel
New seat upholstery
Fuselage framing finished
Carving new landing gear legs
New undercarriage fitted
Gear legs finished.
Wings being installed to fabricate new rigging wires
Soldering a cable end
One of many many many new cable ends
Wing rigging finished
9-14-09
Fuselage prepared for fabric cover
Rolling out the fabric
Cutting fabric
Fabric laid on the bottom
Gluing fabric on the bottom
Bottom and right side on
Applying finish tapes
Fabric finished and colored to represent cotton fabric used in the 1920’s
Covering the vertical tail
Stabilizer covered
Center section covered
Fuselage painted
Motor installed
Sheet metal parts painted.
Side panel installed
Doors installed
Side and top finished
Fuselage finished
Tail and center section installed
Waiting for wings and wheels
Top right wing ready for fabric cover
One wing covered
Rib lacing using 17 needles and walking around and no bending over
All the wings are covered
Both right wings finished
Assembling right wing cell
Ready to install
Right side is finished!!
Left wing cell going on
Too windy to go farther out
Waiting for undercarriage and propeller
Landing rear assembly
Installing shock cords
Shock cords finished
Left side done
Finished undercarriage assembly ready to mount on the aeroplane
Ready for the undercarriage
Retractable landing gear ????
Out in the Sun FINALLY !!!!!!!
Ready to FLY ??!!!!!!!!!!!
