Thread: Birmabright. An interesting opinion & mainly based on fact??

LR switched from Birmabright (a specific type of aluminium alloy) years ago (not sure when but a long time ago) and went to a modern "car"grade aluminium alloy (the aluminium bits on my RRS are not Birmabright) and later at about the last of the defender TD5s and the start of the Pumas many of the panels changed from aluminium alloy to steel.

The outer alloy panels of D1s are not Birmabright but a different aluminium alloy.

Didn't I read in that article that S3 onwards was the " new" alloy? The Light Green Paint was "supposedly( ?) war Surplus left over from the internal colour scheme of bombers & Spitfires etc. One wonders how true that little story is? Certainly the inside of the Scampton UK Gate Guardian Lancaster (now located elsewhere these days) that I was fortunately "allowed" to inspect, was that colour.

The mind boggles to how effective Plastic Spits & Lancs may have been with today's technology. Certainly the Plywood Mosquitoes acquitted themselves well.


FLAK hole? Break out with the heat gun & filler Engineer, & get us home..

Originally Posted by 4bee

Didn't I read in that article that S3 onwards was the " new" alloy? The Light Green Paint was "supposedly( ?) war Surplus left over from the internal colour scheme of bombers & Spitfires etc. One wonders how true that little story is? Certainly the inside of the Scampton UK Gate Guardian Lancaster (now located elsewhere these days) that I was fortunately "allowed" to inspect, was that colour.

The mind boggles to how effective Plastic Spits & Lancs may have been with today's technology. Certainly the Plywood Mosquitoes acquitted themselves well.


FLAK hole? Break out with the heat gun & filler Engineer, & get us home..

Roger, Biggles.

Well, we all do want to get to the Mess for pints, Algy.

Originally Posted by 4bee

The Light Green Paint was "supposedly( ?) war Surplus left over from the internal colour scheme of bombers & Spitfires etc. One wonders how true that little story is? Certainly the inside of the Scampton UK Gate Guardian Lancaster (now located elsewhere these days) that I was fortunately "allowed" to inspect, was that colour.

Arthur Goddard in the video "They Found our Engineer" seems to think it was from the Rover car colour range.

For a long time the 'story' was that the aluminium used was left over from aircraft production, Arthur claims it wasn't. As he was there at the time he possibly has a better idea than most.....

Steel was in short supply after the war so that certainly drove the choice of aluminium rather than steel.


Colin

Birmabright I believe is a slightly higher tensile alloy with a coating of pure aluminium both sides. Used because it was available after warplanes stopped being made.
I suppose the supply would have run out eventually.
Another good reason to own an old series or two.
Terry

I thought Birmabright was War Surplus and L-R got more credits from the "Rationing Dept" for using it instead of steel. IIRC the London Double-decker buses were made from it as well, pro'ly for the same reasons.

Originally Posted by rover-56

Birmabright I believe is a slightly higher tensile alloy with a coating of pure aluminium both sides. Used because it was available after warplanes stopped being made.
I suppose the supply would have run out eventually.
Another good reason to own an old series or two.
Terry

Apparently chosen because it was available as soft, 1/4 hard or 1/2 hard, also had excellent corrosion resistance.
High tensile....yes but no pure aluminium both sides.

Details here (if you believe Wikipedia) Birmabright - Wikipedia
The details above mention that Birmetals made aircraft alloys.

Some interesting old adverts here Birmetals - Graces Guide
Posted earlier was this article on Birmabright including another 'story' on why it was chosen for Land Rovers Defender body panels are not Birmabright | FunRover - Land Rover blog & magazine


Colin

P.S. Just found this if you have the time to read it......Birmabright