Riga Parts Collected
Riga liked
to get her hands dirty. Like she was now. Inside the medium sized aircraft
hangar work was being done. Her shark like green and brown Messerschmitt 309
was raised up on supports. It was being taken to pieces for servicing. Outer
panels had been removed. Others were open. They gave access to the engine,
radio, guns, ammunition, to the aircraft's systems. Part of the wing covering
was being removed. Rivets needed to be carefully drilled out to do this. This
was to get to the main wing spar. Bolts would be removed and the wings taken
off. All parts would be inspected, serviced or replaced. The tail unit and
landing gear would be dismantled. All of it.
Riga worked
with two younger mechanics. They knew what they were doing. Their names were
Mayor and Vigel. Riga pointed. "I have a section of wing skin almost
removed. A flush rivet is bent. My drill will not reach it."
Vigel nodded
and replied. "I need to finish this tricky bit. I have to disconnect these
electric lines. Mayor please help Riga with the rivet."
Mayor smiled
and went around the port wing to Riga. He looked at alloy skin and problem
rivet. The metal was carefully streamlined. Any pulling it would bend it
ruining the aero foil shape and also the rivet hole. Flush rivets were
difficult to remove. They were smooth with the skin. If you drilled it wrong
the drill could slip and damage the wing skin. "I see what your problem
is. Let me take a look. I had one like this before. There's a way to remove
this. I will show you..."
"I will
watch with interest. Then I will know how to do this," Riga commented as
Mayor got his pocket knife. He opened a long narrow blade, sized up the problem
rivet and thought. He nodded and murmured.
'There is
always a solution to engineering issues. This isn't in the book. Watch closely
Riga." The mechanic placed the blade by the rivet. "Support the wing
skin. There, yes. Take the weight. Here we go..."
Riga was
silent and watched. Mayor did something very quickly with the blade. Her eyes
were fast but she missed it. She held the metal and it suddenly came free. She
carefully carried the metre-wide panel over to the work bench and placed it
down on an oily sheet. Upon returning to Mayor she said, "Well done Mayor.
Just what exactly did you do with the knife? You were fast."
"Well
Riga, Vigel taught me this. It's all about control and force. Using just enough
controlled force in the right place. I used the knife and popped the rivet out
of the hole without damage. It's all physics. But very delicate physics. Now we
can remove the wing after getting the bolts out..."
"You
know your stuff. Show me how to loosen the bolts and steps for taking off the
wings please." The gal pilot was fascinated. She had never seen a full
plane being disassembled before. Especially her own.
"Of
course. I will show you what needs to be done. Hey Vigel, you nearly done with
those wires?" Mayor was ready.
"Just
finished it buddy. I will help you both. Here's the spanners and correct socket
sizes..." Vigel replied. He removed his head and shoulders from a fuselage
access panel and got the tools from his box.
"How
hard or easy is this procedure?" Riga asked. She looked at the exposed
wing spars and bolts. Three big steel bolts held each wing on.
"Easy
enough. It has to be done right though. First, we remove the forward bolts then
the rear bolts and finally the middle bolts. Then we slowly slide the complete
wing off. The three of us will be able to support it but it's heavy. Ok Riga
and Vigel?" Mayor smiled at his small female boss. Vigel gave a thumbs up.
Vigel and
Mayor got their tools ready. It was time.
"First
the forward bolt. The under wing supports will take the weight..." Vigel put his 25-millimetre spanner on the
bolt and tested the torsion. His spanner had a gauge on it and registered the
number. He nodded then slowly moved the spanner to the left. The bolt came
loose.
"That's
right..." Mayor commented. He was ready for any issues if Vigel got into
trouble. It was fine. Vigel continued and lifted a large wide long bolt out
then held it up. He handed it to Riga. She took it in both hands.
"It's
very heavy. Look at that..." She turned it over and inspected it.
"That
holds your wing on to the spar and the fuselage. It saves your life every time
you fly. It's made from high grade stainless steel." Vigel added.
"Fine
German engineering," Mayor said. "I will remove the rear bolt. Riga,
you will remove the middle bolt. Then we will slide the wing free. And after
that, we do the same for the other wing. Please put the bolt in the tub on the
desk there..."
"I
promise to be careful. This is my plane and it carries my life as you
say..." Riga put the bolt safely down and grinned. "This is serious
work but fun!"
"We
knew you would like to take part. Now you see how complicated a machine your
plane it. Precision engineering for high performance. Just wait till you see a
turboprop or a jet. Now they're something else..."
They
continued their work servicing and dismantling Riga's 309 piston engine warplane.
It was a small plane but huge job. She had new views and more respect for her
mechanics now. She would buy them both a beer when they were off duty...
***