Overview:

This is a brief followup to Restoration Update No.102 which covered the restoration of our SBD's parachute flare dispenser. At the conclusion of the previous article, Pioneer Aero's engineers had completed overhauling/refabricating and painting its set of components, with a majority of these parts being original to B-22. It was now time to rivet everything together in preparation for installing the dispenser in the Dauntless once the rebuild of its fuselage is completed.

Riveting:

Pioneer's chief engineer, Martin Hedley, was responsible for reassembling the parachute flare dispenser, first clecoing all of the parts together and then replacing the clecoes, one-by-one, with rivets. This was a more complex task than might be imagined, because the domed head for each rivet penetrating a flare canister cavity had to line its interior wall. Douglas Aircraft designed the assembly this way to minimize the chance that a flare might snag against a rivet either during loading or deployment. Accomplishing this, involved 'back-riveting', with the rivet gun's set hammering against the tails to flatten them, while the rivet head was supported with a special tool which could reached inside the canister (a process described more fully in Update No.109).

After riveting the flare dispenser assembly together as far as was practical, Hedley applied a further coat of paint to both cover the rivets and provide a more even distribution over the entire structure. With this completed, the parachute flare dispenser reentered storage to await re-installation in the fuselage once that is structurally complete.

The following images illustrate the process described above.

This image shows the parachute flare canisters during the final assembly process. Note that the lower rings have been back-riveted in place; the heads being located within the canister interior to minimize the possibility that a flare could snag on them during either the loading or deployment phase. Refer to the recent life raft compartment article (Update No.109) for a more detailed description of what back-riveting involves. The empty holes between the rings are where the lower door hinge brackets will fit. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
This image shows the parachute flare canisters during the final assembly process. Note that the lower rings have been back-riveted in place; the heads being located within the canister interior to minimize the possibility that a flare could snag on them during either the loading or deployment phase. Refer to the recent life raft compartment article (Update No.109) for a more detailed description of what back-riveting involves. The empty holes between the rings are where the lower door hinge brackets will fit. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A closeup of the parachute flare canisters after they have been riveted together. If you look carefully, you can see that the heads for the rivets holding the lower rings in place are positioned on the canister interiors. As already noted, Douglas chose this approach to limit any chance of snags during flare loading or deployment. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A closeup of the parachute flare canisters after they have been riveted together. If you look carefully, you can see that the heads for the rivets holding the lower rings in place are positioned on the canister interiors. As already noted, Douglas chose this approach to limit any chance of snags during flare loading or deployment. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

A view of the flare canisters during the process of riveting the two v-shaped pulley brackets midway down each canister exterior. The upper rings are clecoed in place atop each canister (at image right) awaiting final riveting as well. In each case, the rivets are shot with their heads lining the canister interiors for the reasons already explained elsewhere in this article. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

This image was captured after the upper and lower rings, pulley brackets and lower door hinge mounts had all been riveted into place on the parachute flare dispenser assembly. Again, the rounded heads for all of the rivets used in that process line the canister interiors. While it may be challenging to see, the assembly is sitting atop the steel bar which holds the concave-tipped rivet set used in the back-riveting process. The bar is clamped to the steel bench at the right, allowing it to reach well inside the canisters to support any given rivet while its tail is flattened with the rivet gun. Update No.109 has a full image of this bar and now it is employed. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

Here we see that the upper doors have been riveted together and then riveted to the upper rings atop the flare canisters. Just visible in this image, we see that the upper mounting bracket has also been riveted in place. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

This image shows the upper doors after they have been riveted together and attached to the upper rings atop their respective flare canisters. Winged Dzus fasteners (for securing the lids in the closed position) will be installed at the end of each door once another coat of paint has been applied — note the holes where they will eventually go. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

Here we see the lower mounting plates and middle rib in the process of being riveted to the flare canisters. Note the lower curve of the rib (at right) will eventually be riveted against the inside of the lower fuselage skin once the flare dispenser assembly is installed in the airframe. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The inboard and forward ribs are in the process of being riveted to the lower flare canister mounting plates here. Note that the lower curve of the rib (at right) will eventually be riveted to Fuselage Frame #11 in the SBD’s lower fuselage once the airframe is reassembled. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

An image showing the outboard rib being trial-fitted to the middle and aft ribs belonging to the lower mounting structure for the flare canisters. The outboard rib - and then the flare canisters themselves - will be riveted into the fuselage once the SBD’s upper and lower fuselage halves are mated together. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

The inboard face of the SBD's parachute flare dispenser following its final assembly and last coat of paint. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)

A view of the parachute flare dispenser’s outboard face following its final assembly. Martin Hedley riveted it all together as far as practical. It now awaits re-installation in the SBD’s rear fuselage once that is back together again. Hedley applied another layer of top coat paint after shooting the rivets to cover their tails and provide a more even distribution. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)
A view of the parachute flare dispenser’s outboard face following its final assembly. Martin Hedley riveted it all together as far as practical. It now awaits re-installation in the SBD’s rear fuselage once that is back together again. Hedley applied another layer of top coat paint after shooting the rivets to cover their tails and provide a more even distribution. (image via Pioneer Aero Ltd.)