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Chris's Bella Ballerina HD


McG 6969
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Posted by McG 6969 on 11/01/2016 18:24:49:

If I understand the definition of "fudger" well , could I translate it with the word 'detailist' (as with painting your pilots, maybe?)???

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Cowling & Burning Boats Control

LOL! I wish!

Defn: "Fudger" - one who fudges, ie improvises to cover errors so they won't be noticed - too much!

BEB

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Well BEB,

In my opinion, you're a 'detailist' aka 'perfectionist' anyway.

And then as the wise men said earlier, "Errare humanum est" ( sorry Mod Pete).

I guess I will have to 'conceal' some a lot... of errors as well, but on the other hand if I hide too much, I'm not having any progression to look for, right? ...

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Progress Control

 

Edited By McG 6969 on 11/01/2016 22:32:04

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Hi again,

As promised, here is the second episode of the discovering of the Bella Ballerina History.

(continued)

The first sketches were showing a dual version with open or closed cockpit and retractable gear although the first Ballerina prototype only retained the open version and fixed undercarriage.

ballerina_sketch1937.jpg

The fuselage structure of the Ballerina consisted of welded steel tube, with removable front aluminium alloy panels and fabric covering aft of the cockpit. The wings were built of wood around a one-piece laminated wooden spar with plywood skinning. With his experience of the BE-50, Petr’s aim was to design a single-engine, single-seat training & sport aircraft with a quite wide flight envelope.

Suitable engine options were not found in Italy at the pre-war time but thanks to Petr’s connections in Czechoslovakia a solution was ‘quite easily found’ and - with the help of his Swiss friend Henri Fiert - a few weeks later an Argus AS-10 was delivered in the workshop.

argus_as10_rafm.jpg

The Argus AS-10 was, since 1928, a German-designed and built aircraft engine featuring an air-cooled inverted V8/90° architecture, delivering 240 HP (176.52 kW) at 2,000 rpm for a dry weight of 213 kg. It was used mainly in training aircraft such as the Arado AR 66 and other small short range reconnaissance and communications aircraft like the Fieseler Fi 156 Storch.

(to be continued)

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR History #2 Control

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Hi to all,

Following on with Part #3 of the Bella Ballerina History.

(continued)

Together with 3 engineers and 4 carpenters from the main factory, Petr progressed rapidly and the wing load tests took place the 20th of December while the fuselage covering was achieved near the end of January 1938.

Finalizing engine installation, instruments and control lines took another few weeks and the Ballerina had her maiden flight on March 1st, 1938, followed by some trim flights during March and April, weather allowing. All flights achieved with great success, apparently.

As a pre-offensive measure, the Italian Authorities decided to requisition Ottone’s airfield in Caselle Torinese and to transform it into a military base.

Ballerina was grounded for nearly a year till Mr Mastroianni obtained the authorization to transport her to a safer place. Decision was then made to fly her to neutral Switzerland and to leave her in Henri Fiert’s protective hands, as he just started working there as a designer for the Oerlikon Aircraft Division. In the meantime, Petr had also moved to Switzerland being hired by the same Division.

The most experienced pilot that Ottone could think of was family friend Mario de Bernardi, pictured here in a Macchi M-39.

debernardi_macchi_m.39.jpg

He was an army veteran, test pilot and aerobatic pilot, also winning several medals at the Schneider Cups. He accepted the task with great pleasure and took off on July 11th, 1939.

(to be continued)

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR History #3 Control

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Hi AVC,

Thanks for visiting and for your kind words.

When I decided to join, I knew I would be challenging myself with so many new techniques that I very probably would forget more than half of them before finalizing anything... blush

I'm so impressed with everything I'm reading or looking at. surprise

I had no initial plan for an historical approach - feeling a little like Colin Leighfield now - but the flu hit me this weekend and my workshop is a 5 min. drive from where I live. Stucked here with the PC & a copy of the drawings...

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Flu Control

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Ah, man-up Chris - what's a bit of flu? When I was a lad we built our models in the open air at the tops of mountains whilst wearing short trousers, and we didn't let a small matter like a dose of double-pneumonia stand between us and the building board. Sheesh - the youth of today! wink 2

BEB

Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 12/01/2016 15:37:39

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You're right again, Grand'Pa BEB.

Nothing is like it used to be anymore... blush

Softened & weakened by the comfort of our powered scroll-saws... and the obvious lack of mountain tops around here, of course... angel

Well, at least I can try to finish my 'historical approach'. yes

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Weakness Control

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Part #4 of the Bella Ballerina History.

(continued)

As this was an escape flight, Mario had to fly at very low altitude, finding his way through the Alpine narrow valleys to reach Stans where the Oerlikon plant was situated.

Unfortunately, he lost his way in this unknown territory and was approaching his destination at sunset when the Ballerina ran out of petrol. When the engine stopped, he decided to try an emergency landing onto the Vierwaldstättersee, a small lake a few kilometres north/east of Stans.

By miracle, the belly landing was not too hard. Mario only slightly injured his left leg and was rescued rapidly. The red arrow on the map here under indicates Mario’s touch down location close to the shore.

stans_pilatus_map_900.jpg

The day after, the lady was lifted out of the water. The wing was dismantled and everything was brought to the Oerlikon factory by truck.

With broken propeller, engine crankcase, engine mounts, landing gear and perforated coverings all over, Ballerina remained there forgotten under a cover for many years…

With no answer to his multiple contacts with Italy - even after the war - Petr slowly started to repair the wounded lady in his free time. Fabricating a new landing gear, recovering the entire fuselage with the newest materials and even fabricating a totally new motor mount for a forthcoming experimental turboprop engine.

(to be continued)

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR History #4 Control

 

Edited By McG 6969 on 12/01/2016 13:56:19

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The Bella history is beginning to sound like one of Peter Miller's 'airynuttical histories' ........

( for those who don't remember those they were Peter's almost convincing history of his latest design, they just got more fantastic until eventually one realised they must be a spoof )

 

fudge can mean " to bodge" according to my dictionary so a fudger must be a bodger!

Edited By kc on 12/01/2016 14:44:20

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Nowt wrong with being a bodger!

The original term, as I understand it, refered to groups of itinerant workers in medieval times who made household furniture, stools, chairs, tables etc. Each member of the team specialised in making one part - say legs or seats. The piles of component parts were then brought together by the most skillful of all members of the team who would select from the piles a set of components that would fit together and, if necessary, fettle them to achieve a good end result. That individual was "the bodger".

See, lots of history on this thread! Amazing what you learn doing a mass build!

BEB

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Hi kc,

I really think my flu is getting worse now.

When I type 'airynuttical' in my online translator, it is asking me if I want to translate from 'Finnish'... frown

When I type 'hairynuttical' (thought you made a typo), it asks "from Estonian"? ...

'Bodger' seems totally unknown, as well as "to bodge"... indecision

The only decent result that I get is with "spoof": there it says 'parody' or 'burlesque'.

And that seems to be quite logical as the Commedia Dell'Arte is just all about that... with Harlequin, Colombina (Ballerina), Scaramouche, et al... see what I mean?

Maybe those antibiotics were a bad idea after all... surprise

Anyway if you have a digital version of your magical English dictionary, I could PM you my email details...

Happy translating

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Antibiotics Control

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Thanks BEB,

Amazing Mass Build, indeed.

So in fact, I'm a 'bodger' then.

Trying to bring all the bits & pieces together to get the item built.

Only not being pieces of furniture but more simply the unveiled Story of the Bella Ballerina.

Sometimes I wish I could find some mountain tops & short trousers... frown

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Mountain Top Control

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Chris, I love your thread, it's quite enriching: there's a bit about the "Bella Ballerina", a bit about medieval history (very interesting BEB wink), a bit of 'airynuttical histories' (whatever that means smiley),... It's not like those boring building thread where the builder just post thousands of photos and say "I've done this, I've done that..." (upss, I'm afraid I'm describing my own thread...)

Anyway, I'll grab a seat in this room...

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Thanks for the nice words AVC,

No idea what 'airynuttical' could signify neither.

So, I mailed a friend of mine who is a College English teacher with the mission to get some assistance. The only thing she answered was that I shouldn't be mixing alcohol & antibiotics... surprise

... and keep your blog as it is, please. I'm a daily follower.

Cheers

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Alcohol Control

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