Windshields for the Kurki cockpit and cabin

Suomeksi.

The aluminium-framed windshields of the I.V.L.K.1 Kurki cockpit and passenger-cabin can be folded down forward to make covering the open cockpit and passenger-cabin with a tarpaulin against rain easier.  The vertical frames are at the edges and in the middle of the wind-shields, which are each additionally supported by three triangular support frames. In 1920ies manner the windshields themselves are made of celluloid. The bottom frames of the windshields which also acts as hinges have been formed with a groove into which the 2 mm thick celluloid has been riveted.

Many decades of storage has led to almost total destruction of the celluloid sheets, leaving only minor parts in the grooves of the frames. Only three of the triangular support-frames, two middle and one edge-support, have survived and of the frames along the edges of the windshields only a short piece remains. Thus the windshields have to be almost completely rebuilt.

The work was begun by removing the windshields from the frame. The cockpit windshield hinged frame was fastened to the fuselage with screws and was easily removed but the windshield of the passenger-cabin had been fastened with small bolts through the fuselage cover-plywood. Removing the corroded bolts was an arduous undertaking. The rivets holding the remains of the celluloid windows to the bottom parts of the windshield-frame were drilled out so that the small parts of celluloid still remaining could be removed. The frame-parts were thoroughly cleaned and then painted using silver-coloured Isotrol. As the original type of celluloid-plate is no longer available the new windshields will be made out of 2 mm thick polycarbonate plate.

The three missing triangular windscreen support-frames were made using the remaining triangular end-support frame as a template. The frames were cut out of 1.5 mm thick aluminium-plate then bended and finally lightening holes were drilled into them.

Templates for making the windshield “glazing” were made of plywood and these templates will also be used when installing the triangular windscreen-support frames and when trying out the installation of the “gazing” in the hinged bottom-frames.

The templates will also be useful when making the bent aluminium edge-frames for the windscreens and in making sure they will fit correctly to the “glazing”.

First photo: The foto archive of the Finnish Aviation Museum, others: Lassi Karivalo.