I found this interesting...
Wiki: Standard sizes of square drives around the world include 1⁄4, 3⁄8, 1⁄2, 3⁄4, 1, 1 1⁄2, 2 1⁄2 and 3 1⁄2-inch square drive sizes (a de facto international standard with no metric equivalents
If you work on aircraft, you won`t have any use for metric tools, no matter where the plane was made.
If you work on aircraft, you won`t have any use for metric tools, no matter where the plane was made.
I've worked on A320 and A330 Airbuses, both mechanical stuff and wiring repair, the wire sizes were metric and the nuts and bolts stuff was a mix of SAE and metric, needed both kinds of tools. Could be Airbus used SAE on the airframe, don't really remember, but some of the components made by various European companies are metric. Back in the '70s I worked on some aircraft with Rolls Royce engines that had British Whitworth fasteners that didn't fit any of the tools I had; fortunately the company that owned them had all the tool sizes needed. Never touched a Russian aircraft, but suspect they're metric, their cars and motorcycles are. Not much of an issue in the U.S., their aircraft are pretty rare here.
Sounds like I need to get a job in the aircraft industry. I can’t stand the metric system.
Maybe that’s something I need to think about when I get laid off.
Unless its really changed, outside the airlines (and not even all of them) you could make better money at some car dealers, not worth the investment required to be an aircraft mechanic. Of course, you'd definitely need metric tools to be a mechanic on about anything in ground transportation. Even a Harley requires metric tools now, another mix of metric and SAE. I wish these companies would stick to one type or another. Seems like anything I work on now requires a 7/16, a 5/8, a 17mm, a T23 or 25, all mixed up among 6 point sockets, philips, Japanese Standard, torx, allen, and I've even run into some square drives. The old days of carrying 6 combination end wrenches out to the car has turned into just rolling the toolbox out there you'll need so many different tools. One thing I have to admit, if I could have all SAE or all metric, I'd take metric any day, less sizes, just simpler to use, no weird oddball sizes like 25/32 that most tool kits won't come with and you can't find by themselves in most stores. I have tools I used on airplanes I've never used on anything else.
G'day Fellas.
I'm lucky in where I did my apprenticeship fitter & machinist we had all three systems, Metric, SAE and British. Also at a time when changing from Imperial to metric measurements.
I have 3 tool boxes, Metric, SAE and Whitworth/BS/BA.The Honda only needs the metric, the BSA's only need the Whit but the HD needs Metric and SAE! Can do most things on the Honda/BSA's on the side of the road with the small tool kit carried. The HD needs the ute and trailer!
Cheers
11-22-2020 | 08:07 AM
