The Question of 2-2-V-1

[Ric Gillespie]

Ric,
Is the "heated" edge of 2-2-V-1 towards the keel or out board?
Ted

Keel.

[Ted G Campbell]

Then heating by friction in Hawaii is still a possibility?
Ted Campbell

[Ric Gillespie]

Then heating by friction in Hawaii is still a possibility?

I don't see how. The artifact only fits the starboard side and entire starboard side skin was replaced. 

[Ted G Campbell]

Was a heat gun (heating) a practice in getting a repair piece to conform to a possible deformed main assy.?  I am sure that the keel took a hard blow.

Sorry Ric, just looking for a possible reason.
Ted

[Mark Pearce]

There's a brief description on the old forum about three of the B-24 parts that have been found on the island.     Has anything more been written up about the "forward wing spar cap strip"?  Did it turn out to be something else?   

"...The three identifiable B-24 parts we've found on Niku have actually been kind of scattered all
over the place.  The navigator's bookcase, as you know, was found near the Co-Op store.  The
piece with the "32B-" part number (later lost by NTSB) was found near "John Manybarrel's
House" (in the area where we think the Manra immigrants were settled), and the forward wing
spar cap strip was found at "Sam's Site".

http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Forum/Forum_Archives/200212.txt

[Ric Gillespie]

    Has anything more been written up about the "forward wing spar cap strip"?  Did it turn out to be something else?   

No.

[JNev]

The nearest aviation repair shop to Gardner island circa 1930's I can find so far is this one.

"May 1939: Pan American World Airways arrives on Kanton Island to build a service station for a flying boat service to New Zealand. The service starts in July 1940."

Didn't mean to but believe shot past this note when delving into the Airacobra possibilities -

Does artefact 2-2-V-1 have to be from a missing or crashed aircraft if it isn't from the Electra?

I believe probably "yes" as 2-2-V-1 has the distinction of representing a twice-failed structure:

- First, it is distinctly NOT original construction but a repair (and/or alteration) piece of material, and
- Second, it was removed forcibly in some manner of failure having to do with that previously repaired (and/or altered) structure to which formerly attached.

The exception could be that a shop didn't like the repair and replaced it, discarding what we now hold as 2-2-V-1; but that is highly unlikely (to the inth...) as no shop seeking to 'improve' the structure would have used a can opener to remove it in the fashion we can see - as strongly suggested (figuratively...) by the failures we see on the part.

But for argument's sake, did any of those Pan Am boats pile in in the area?  I don't recall that.

[JNev]

What is it that I am seeing here in the area of skin between stations 239 and 269 (aft cabin belly), RH side?  It appears to be 'open' skin for some reason.

I snagged this from a TIGHAR bulletin on "Artifact 2-2-V-1*".  Was this taken 'during' the repair sequence?  If so, it appears that area was 'lagging' others for repair action for some reason, or perhaps left open or re-opened for some reason.

If at another time (before the repair), was this area under mod work for something we have not found out about so far?

To me it adds to the likelihood of a 'different than original' area on the airplane for some reason - either mod or expedited / slightly altered construction scheme to accomodate some reality of damage / needs of other modification to belly in that area.

[John Ousterhout]

Jeff - are you referring to the dark area on the starboard side of the belly?

[John Ousterhout]

Where did the idea come from that 2-2-V-1 is a repair piece and not original on an aircraft?  Is that a safe assumption?

[JNev]

Jeff - are you referring to the dark area on the starboard side of the belly?

Yes - way back at aft end of cabin area.

[JNev]

Where did the idea come from that 2-2-V-1 is a repair piece and not original on an aircraft?  Is that a safe assumption?

Irregular hole spacing and variances in rivet sizes clearly indicate post-original work.  Those features are common in repair / replacement skins, not in factory originals.

[Greg Daspit]

Where did the idea come from that 2-2-V-1 is a repair piece and not original on an aircraft?  Is that a safe assumption?

See this reply from Ric
"the letters AD are faintly visible on the surface of the sheet.  They are etched remnants of the original labeling applied by ALCOA.  The unique style (font) of the letters enabled ALCOA to identify the full designation as ALCLAD 24S – T3    AN - A – 13

• The labeling indicates that the sheet was manufactured by ALCOA not earlier than 1937 (when the T3 process was introduced) and not later than 1954 (when 24ST became 2024). The "13" signifies that it is "reserve stock" sheet that has been certified for uses other than original construction (i.e. repairs"

[Jerry Germann]

Was wondering about the seemingly jagged edges near where 2-2-V-1 is purported to fit......is it a shadowing effect as in other areas circled... ( or perhaps reflected objects on the floor beneath the plane)?

[Mark Pearce]

Where did the idea come from that 2-2-V-1 is a repair piece and not original on an aircraft?  Is that a safe assumption?

See this reply from Ric
"the letters AD are faintly visible on the surface of the sheet.  They are etched remnants of the original labeling applied by ALCOA.  The unique style (font) of the letters enabled ALCOA to identify the full designation as ALCLAD 24S – T3    AN - A – 13

• The labeling indicates that the sheet was manufactured by ALCOA not earlier than 1937 (when the T3 process was introduced) and not later than 1954 (when 24ST became 2024). The "13" signifies that it is "reserve stock" sheet that has been certified for uses other than original construction (i.e. repairs"

Many replies up-string cover the AN-A–13 designation [reply #218 through #231, and others].  The "ALCLAD 24S–T3  AN-A–13" stamping appears in original WW2 construction also.  Here are three examples, found at crash sites.  First photo is of a B-24, next two are B-17s.



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