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Post by agalbraith on Nov 26, 2012 21:49:50 GMT 12
Yep thanks Baz! Skint myself as well......I think this will be normal for us from now on!!
Have a safe trip mate, wish I could be there
Cheers Anthony
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Post by baz62 on Dec 16, 2012 18:09:41 GMT 12
Nipped out to the hangar yesterday and set to the main wheels of my Donor Auster exZK-BRA. Although my Auster currently sits on wheels and tyres, the tyres are stuffed, all cracked and only good to roll her around on. The hubs are probably ok though. However BRA had just had a new set of tyres (and probably tubes looking at them) so I needed to get them off and preserved for future use. I am not familiar with aircraft wheels and tyres but the Auster ones were fairly straight forward to get off. I had the help of my neighbour Phil Meredith who was busy finishing off his fuselage fabric on his project. Firstly I had to remove the wheels from the legs. That's fairly easy, undo the big nut and tap it off. Basically the wheel hub is in three parts. One large hub with a fixed flange and a sliding flange that is located with a spring locking clip. Bit like a circlip. My only issue firstly was I didn't have a tool to take the valve out. This makes life easier trying to break the bead of the tyre off the metal of the hub. But with careful placement of a bit of wood and Phil smacking it with a sledgehammer (yeah I closed my eyes a few times!!) we soon had the tyres off. At home I set to with the hose and a scrubbing brush and cleaned up the tyres which had various amounts of mud and bird doo doo on them. I also gave the wheel hubs a careful wash, being careful not to hose water into the bearings. As it was very hot and sunny today I left nature to dry off my work for me. In this photo you can see the separate parts of the wheel hubs and the main hubs are brake side up with the brake drum visible. And the tyres sunning themselves by Teresa's Tomato plants: You can tell everything is pretty new as there is still Talcum powder puffing out when you push the tube! Next step is to take the valves out to make it easier to get the tubes out of the tyres. Advice from my LAME buddies is to get busy with Talcum powder and wrap them up and also to inflate the tubes for storage. As to the hubs I'll give them a good spray with Inox and wrap them up after a bit more of a cleanup.
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Post by agalbraith on Dec 16, 2012 21:15:54 GMT 12
Looking good Baz, like new mate!
Getting BRA will make a great leap forward for you. Whats next? Getting the other leg blasted and primed to match the other one?
Oh, and I hope you mowed your lawns after playing aeroplanes!!
Cheers Anthony
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Post by baz62 on Jan 20, 2013 10:42:54 GMT 12
I was sitting at my computer in what I laughingly call my office (more a Den)and I was idly looking round the room while my PC booted and my eyes fell on a box ,next to my Gipsy major crankshaft, camshaft, box with Gipsy Major conrods, Auster Tyres which had the logbooks from BRA on top. Ah that's right, its got the compass and radio from BRA in it, thoughtfully removed and packaged separately by Dave (BRA's previous owner) No time like the present so lets have a look see. Those who have read this thread may remember I bought the correct P12 Compass for BBZ in the UK. It came in the original Air Ministry storage box, even had the mirror (although the silver backing was showing its age). The only thing missing was a mounting plate and the corrector which sat on top. Well imagine my face when I realised BRA had the exact same compass! Oh well two are better than one! Here's a couple of photos of BRA's one and the radio which I see has been to Christchurch at least once!
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Post by pudlejumper on Feb 2, 2013 14:36:03 GMT 12
i spent hours following your progress so far goood effort , ive also spent a number of years rebuilding an auster , with the help of an engineer but still searching for spares all the time just to say i enjoyed the thred
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 2, 2013 16:12:38 GMT 12
Oh Dear, now they are beginning to come out of the closet...
Soon we will get to the stage of 'who doesn't have an Auster ?'
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Post by suthg on Feb 2, 2013 19:32:29 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum pudlejumper - there is an amusing thread of the journey to pick up BRA from a distant farm on the east coast of North Island and return to Christchurch. I hope you've read that too!
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 2, 2013 20:09:39 GMT 12
Oops, sorry about that. I didn't notice we had a new forum member. Welcome also.
I thought I had recognised the name from previous threads but obviously not.
I was part of Operation BRA, a most memorable week and some here seem to think it makes for enjoyable reading also. Unfortunately for me the saga continues as I endeavour to get my refund for my Trademe purchase.
The good news there is that I did not have funds available to be tempted by ADX...
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Post by baz62 on Feb 2, 2013 20:48:10 GMT 12
i spent hours following your progress so far goood effort , ive also spent a number of years rebuilding an auster , with the help of an engineer but still searching for spares all the time just to say i enjoyed the thred Welcome aboard WONZ pudlejumper! And another Auster rebuilder, crikey! So which one do you have (are you in New Zealand?). Yes chasing spares is all part of the fun. I've been removing a few items from BRA's cockpit today so I can take out the cockpit floorboards to see whether they are good enough to use after a clean-up or just as patterns. The good thing about BRA was she was an active aircraft up until her crash last year, quite unlike my Auster (and Anthony's T7) which hasn't flown (or been in one whole piece) for decades, with mine crashing in 1965 and Anthony's was taken out of service (after a landing accident?) in about 1972 (is that right mate?) A few photos: Only a few items kept by the previous owner, the altimeter, Mag/start switch and (I think) the CHT gauge. Looks quite normal in the photo: This is what lives under the seat cushions. I only had one rather tatty example, now I have two tidy ones! Removed and marked so I don't forget how it goes in position. This is quite neat. The space under the seats is empty but someone (possibly the previous owner) built this little compartment for pickets, tie-downs, control locks etc. It will be going into my Auster! Also under here you can just make out the bungee cords for the undercarriage (the cord with the little "dashes" on it. Basically big rubber bands or shock cords to ease your arrival. The left leg got mangled and its bungee is still intact but the other one was cut to remove the precious intact right leg! I have new bungee cords from the UK for my undercarriage. And this was how the seat cushions were held in place, with a couple of buckles for quick removal. This photo is where the leading edge of the left wing would normally butt against the fuselage. The hoses and fittings are for the Pitot-static tube for the airspeed indicator, Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) and the altimeter. The pitot tube sits on the left wing's jury strut. Another useful part will be all these strips of alloy that seal all the perspex window joints, and some of the screws may possibly be used again after a cleanup. Some of the screws are brass and some are anodised (some screw into a perspex "arch" on the roof and some go into wood attached to the metal fuselage frame.) This photo illustrates how the lower edge of the windscreen was attached, bit simpler than a car! Austers seem to use a variety of methods to seal the windscreen here. I have all the interior trim for mine but BRA's trim is in excellent condition. Thats all for now!
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Post by agalbraith on Feb 2, 2013 21:03:35 GMT 12
Yes, good score there with BRA as a source of bite.
You are right, mine last flew with the RAF in 1971 when F/o Spencer came in on a strong crosswing and groundlooped her. Knocking 2in of the prop tips and grazing to port wing. Much to everyones dissapointment she was wheeled into the hangar, new prop fitted, wingtip resprayed and there she sat on display looking pretty, whilst she watched the Beechcraft Barons, Allouettes and Islanders roll into service before being pushed outside into the weather.
Yep, its good for you to have an airframe for you to take so many good bits off.
Welcome aboard Puddlejumper! Let us know your Auster story, perhaps Baz and I can help with bits??
See you at the hangar tomorrow arvo mate
Cheers Anthony
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Post by ngatimozart on Feb 3, 2013 16:26:38 GMT 12
Oh Dear, now they are beginning to come out of the closet... Soon we will get to the stage of 'who doesn't have an Auster ?' I don't have one and have no intention of obtaining one. ;D
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Post by baz62 on Feb 3, 2013 17:51:10 GMT 12
Oh Dear, now they are beginning to come out of the closet... Soon we will get to the stage of 'who doesn't have an Auster ?' I don't have one and have no intention of obtaining one. ;D You'll be the sad bugger at Forum meets when we all start talking Austers.................. ;D. With all this good fine weather maybe we should have one out at Auster central? A few beers, look at aeroplanes in bits and most importantly have a laugh!
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 3, 2013 19:25:46 GMT 12
What a good idea. We can all bring along all the old Auster parts we have laying about. A wheelbarrow load of concrete, some 4x2 or some steel angle. Going by the weight of BRA I have to assume all those items belong in there somewhere.
Did I mention the entire Tomahawk fuselage weighed less than 70 Kg ?
Anyway I am sure I can remember another Auster story for your meet
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Post by baz62 on Feb 3, 2013 19:53:21 GMT 12
Cheeky sod! Yes the fuselage is heavy, wonder they fly really!
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 9, 2013 17:50:20 GMT 12
Nothing to add to the Auster banter going on but I did post some progress pics. I got mixed up with threads though so I have moved my dribble from this thread over to the BRA recovery one.
What did people talk about before we had aircraft ?
How come it took so long to come along with a conversation piece like how a 2 Ton light aircraft can fly... or even better let's call it aerobatic.
Maybe they are just better chat up lines when parked in a hangar or being dragged around the countryside.
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Post by baz62 on Feb 9, 2013 22:02:53 GMT 12
Had one of those happy accidents which happens now and again in the restoration of old aircraft/cars /motorcyles. I had bought an airchute (duct really) for the Gipsy major which arrived yesterday. This bolts onto the left side of the cylinders and directs the air coming into the intake on the nose cowling onto the cooling fins of the engine cylinders. I bought a three piece duct which looked correct after consulting the engine manual. However what I should have been consulting was the Parts manual as you will see. When I got the new part home I tried to figure out how it went together. Two parts forming the longitudinal part of the duct were there, but I couldn't figure out why the part i had (called the rear) didn't seem to line up. I went and consulted my Gipsy major manual and had a forehead smacking moment. The rear part of the chute is called the rear baffle and i hadn't got that at all. There were clearly TWO styles of airchute, one for the early Gipsy major and one for the later marks. I had got the later mark chute and what i thought was the "rear" or rear baffle was actually the rear HALF of an early chute!! Bugger. So Saturday saw me nip out to have a chat with Anthony and show him the bits I had and have a look at his parts manual, then look through all his airchute parts he had to try and find an end plate for mine. As we sipped coffee and studied the manual we both realised something. My Auster has the Gipsy Major 1 series engine so would use the early airchute. Anthony has the later Gipsy Major 10-2 (used on the MK 6 and 7 Austers and also Chipmunks). I had bought the later airchute. He had the early model airchute. ;D ;D ;D You guessed it, we swapped! I now have the correct airchute for my engine and Anthony has the correct one for his! (Although he will need to find the rear baffle). Just so you can see what I've been going on about here are the parts book exploded views: This is the early style. Not shown clearly is the fact that the item marked "Scoop" is actually two parts and I had bought a rear half and not the item marked "rear baffle" And the later one. I had bought items 2 and 6. And this is the early rear half of the airchute "scoop". This is NOS (New Old Stock) and I now have a couple of them with the bits Anthony has traded with me. ;D So a good day in the Auster world!
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Post by ErrolC on Feb 12, 2013 21:40:01 GMT 12
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Post by baz62 on Feb 13, 2013 11:40:16 GMT 12
Thanks Errol, yes I am subscribed to his blog, very interesting and some great photos of a trip he did round the Scottish coast last year in his Auster. Including a lovely shot of his Auster parked on a huge beach with not another soul to be seen. Ah the freedom to fly where you like and see whats there! Thaaks for the airplane geeks link too, sounds like us!
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Post by baz62 on Feb 16, 2013 18:34:36 GMT 12
I was sending some photos of my Auster to a new friend in Australia (he's just about finished a Harvard IV in post-warLuftwaffe markings no less!) who has a ex RAAF Auster MK III and I noticed something the Canterbury Aero Club had sent me about the history of BBZ. Aircraft Registration: ZK-BBZ Aircraft Type: Auster J5F Aiglet Trainer Status: Written off Titiraukawa on 09-01-65. Aircraft serial number: 2772 Previous identity: Ownership: As ZK-BBZ The Bristol Aeroplane Co(NZ) Ltd-Wellington-1953 H.D Christie & son Ltd-Christchurch-1953 Canterbury Aero Club-Christchurch-May 1953 Auckland Flying School-Auckland-09-02-64 Ruapehu Aero Club-Ohakune-January 1965 Bob Yates - Rolleston Known Accidents: 1)Heavy Ldg U/C collapsed 28-10-60 2)Taxiing accident Christchurch on 27-08-61 Comments: Present owner Robert Yates at Rolleston is restoring BBZ to airworthy status by 2005.Using tail section from ZK-BCQ and wings from ZK-CYQ(ex BBU) Purchased by Club for £2450 and sold for £750. I'd say this photo is the taxiing accident as the undercarriage isn't collapsed. Nice background , is that Harewood/Christchurch Airport? Photo Credit: The Canterbury Aero Club
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Post by thomarse on Mar 3, 2013 17:26:09 GMT 12
Baz, any chance that the once-owner Robert Yates is the same one as in Reply #677 in Obituaries and Death Notices?
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