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Re: Christer - Spitfire response from 24 October

Posted by PeterA on Mon Oct 28, 2002 04:09:27 AM

In reply top Re: Christer - Spitfire response from 24 October posted by Christer on Sun Oct 27, 2002 07:58:31 PM

Christer,
From my memory: About 15 years ago the late Charles Church commissioned Dowty Rotol, the original maufacturer, to make a small production run of the four blade hubs. This was part of their 'service to the nation' policy and I think the price was in the region of ?20k per machining. Tony Edwards, CEO of Dowty, told me in 1968 that they cost them double that to produce! I may be off on the numbers but they were very expensive.
In the mean time the dearth of hubs and the high cost has broadened the search to locate such items by the 'treasure hunters' with some success. The man who finds a cache is on to a sure winner.
I believe there is a more tolerant view now on what is considered acceptable corrosion pitting that can be reclaimed.
Co-operative purchase: This does happen within the Spitfire fraternity and I am sure throughout the Warbird world. Things like tyres, brake bags, special bearings, canopies and currently fuselage frames have been orderd in modest quantity to effect an economy of scale or tempt a supplier to get the tools off the shelf.
Peter




: Peter,
: thanks for explaining!
:
: When the hubs were manufactured, were they one-offs by dif
: ferent companies or was there some kind of small "series"
: production? I can imagine that research and tooling repres
: ented a substantial proportion of the cost so, divided by
: even a small number of units manufactured would reduce the
: cost per unit.
:
: The bottom line, is there any co-operation in these cases
: where cost might be prohibitive?
:
: Christer

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