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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0113.PDF
25 January 1957 113 (Right) The little G.9I lands at Caselle with its twin airbrake surfaces extended. Fiat test pilot Signor Bignamini, who won the McKenna Trophy at the E.T.P.S. a few years ago, made the first flight last August. (Below, right) A line-up of completed Fiat F-86Ks at Turin. The production rate is now rising past the ten per month level. (Bottom) Fiat's jet trainer, the Rolls-Royce Nene-powered G-82, seen over the wing of one of the Merlin-powered G.59 operational trainers. still come from America, but the Nardi company has a productionlicence and will begin manufacture under sub-contract if orders justify it. The electrical wiring harnesses are made up frommeasured lengths of identity-tagged cable with plugs ready attached. Each harness is tested before it is passed to theassembly line, tested again there, and finally rechecked imme- diately before the whole airframe is completed. The pilot-ejec-tion seats are made by North American and sent direct to Fiat. At the Caselle Nord establishment the sub-assemblies arejoined together on fixtures moving on rails through the various assembly stations. First item on to the line is the wing carry-through box. The wing torsion boxes are bolted on and the main undercarriage units attached while the embryo wing is up onend, the tips high in the air and leading edge downwards. Fuel tanks are installed and tested and then the wing is laid flat andleading edges, slats, wing tips, trailing edges, flaps and mass- balanced and sealed ailerons are added. The fixed leading-edgeis attached to the wing top skin by a piano hinge locked by three lengths of rod inserted with the aid of a pneumatic hammer.Panels in this structure give access to the aileron cables which run along the whole length of the forward face of the torsionbox. At this point on the assembly line the pilot circuit is installed and tested with the aid of an Italian-designed mobilepressure-testing machine. At each station electrical wiring is tested for continuity, resistance and earthing, both in cablesand plugs. The wing then progresses to the station where the forwardfuselage is lowered on to the carry-through structure and attached by its four massive retaining bolts. Systems in wing and fuselageare connected up and a further series of electrical and hydraulic tests are completed. The armament, consisting of four American20 mm cannon, is installed in the flank of the fuselage. The space in the under-fuselage which, in the 86D, is occupiedby the Mighty Mouse rocket tray, appears to house electrical equipment in the 86K. There are two inverters producing112 volts A.C., 400 c.p.s., from the generators' 24 volts D.C. supply; and both can be quickly lowered in their mountings fromunder the fuselage for inspection and maintenance. The bat- teries are in the after-fuselage and can similarly be lowered fromtheir stowage on cables. A single pressure-refuelling nozzle is located in the fuselage just above the port wing trailing edge. The rows of turbulators about the tail are variously made upof plain angle-pieces riveted to the skin; of long strips of metal from which turbulators are cut and bent up; and of machined orforged blades welded to the airfrarne skin. The autopilot and radar fire-control systems are supplied direct from America andaccurately checked and tested at Fiat's Electronic Centre, which also takes care of the overhaul and repair of this radar for theItalian Air Force F-86Ks and those of other NATO air forces. The F-86K, like the D, uses stainless steel in "hot" parts of theafter-fuselage where the later F-lOOs have titanium. Completed F-86s are towed down to the flight test establish- ment on the south side of Caselle airfield for air testing prior to delivery. A number of 86Ks and G.82 Rolls-Royce Nene- powered trainers can be seen at Caselle airfield at any time and three test pilots are employed by Fiats to fly them. Signor Sanseverino is well known for his work in developing the G.80 and G.82 series and five of the latter have now been delivered to the Italian air force at the Amendola Jet Training School. Signor Marsan, chief test pilot, and Signor Bignamini test the F-86Ks, and the other Fiat aircraft (G.46, G.49, G.59 and Vampire), Bignamini also having been responsible for the first flight of the promising G.91 NATO ground-attack fighter last August. Signor Bignamini is also well known in England for having won
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