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Post by emron on Apr 30, 2023 16:03:04 GMT 12
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Post by emron on Apr 27, 2023 16:43:43 GMT 12
During the walkaround of the rear compartment I noticed one from the pair of aerial tightening reels was missing, so we selected the best one from the spares and Mike cleaned and prepped it for paint. When I came to plug the cables in to the TR1936, the sockets didn’t match. When the replica was built, they must have fitted the nearest ones they could find. Consulting with Dennis, he showed me our better example of a TR1936 in the Hastings console and we figured out the correct combination. I rummaged through the spares boxes and found only one of the required sockets. I replaced that one and adapted another so three of the cables now connect. I’m still on the hunt for the correct VHF one, but for now that will suffice. I fitted the larger of the stowage racks that stands alongside the small flare chute. Repairs are ongoing with the camera wiring and I’m making a second wedge plate to stow the motor on. Other loose equipment being readied to return are the bilge pump and its hoses and fittings.
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Post by emron on Apr 23, 2023 16:45:58 GMT 12
The two stowage racks came back from painting today and were re=assembled, the shorter one shown here with its Type 25 camera mounting attached. In the same box that the VHF cabling was in, I found the cable loom and brackets for the camera panels, seen here also. One of the backing plates has corroded away but that’s a simple shape to replace. The others are retrievable. While searching through the radio shelves, one more time, I was delighted to find a drive motor for the camera (bottom left). We now only have to find the elusive flexible drive cable for us to have a full set of camera gear to display. camera_gear by Ron Wilson, on Flickr
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Post by emron on Apr 20, 2023 16:33:38 GMT 12
The rear escape hatch and the starboard gunner’s hatch are back from the paint shop, Max set about to add the yellow highlighting on the handle and latches. After the next coat they’ll be ready to return to the Sunderland. The two final stowage racks have been broken down and ready for paint. I fitted the locating brackets to the flare chute and after a test fit and paint on the new parts it was bolted back in place. While I was doing that, I noticed the hinged cover that seals the slot, required overhaul so that was removed. flare_chute_cover by Ron Wilson, on Flickr Dennis and I then made a walkaround of the rear compartment checking the locations for intercom and electrical panels shown in the manual. Back in the workshop store we found the test socket panel for the VHF transceiver complete with the cabling. After a clean they will plug together nicely. TR1936_panel by Ron Wilson, on Flickr
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Post by emron on Apr 17, 2023 13:09:04 GMT 12
Another productive one yesterday. Mike finished the last of the floorboard sections and the full set of five were laid out to check for fit, the first time in many years. Then I was able to start fitting some of the equipment back into the rear compartment, starting with the camera mounting. It’s held on by only two bolts, getting them to line up was a battle but with Mike’s help it’s now secured. Next up was the flare chute. I was able to connect it up to the stay arms and lock it into the stowed position but when lowered down onto the ejection slot it became obvious that it was missing the parts to centre it over the hole. I took it back to the shop and worked out that a couple of angled brackets would solve the issue. I’ll return with them next time. The final job was the rack for the T.R. 1936 VHF transceiver. When it came to bolt the four bracing arms to the fuselage side, I couldn’t find matching holes in the frames. So again, back to the shop and with Brian’s help I swapped the arms all about until I got the right combination. Once back in the plane it mounted up straight and level and we sat Dennis’ transceiver replica on top. After consulting the manual to see where other parts should fit, I discovered that one of the two racks still to be painted is the camera stowage rack. So that will first in the queue for the next painting run.
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Post by emron on Apr 12, 2023 16:52:33 GMT 12
Mike has built up two of the wooden floorboard sections and the third will be finished next time. This will allow safe access to the rear compartment to refit the various racks and shelves along with the sonobuoy chute, flare chute and camera mount which were completed today. mount_ and_chutes by Ron Wilson, on Flickr
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Post by emron on Apr 5, 2023 18:24:09 GMT 12
We cut and dressed the wood for the Sunderland floor boards today and Mike started assembly. The port gunner’s hatch slipped smoothly back into place and latched closed. Once I’ve relocated a top bracket on the rear crew door that will latch open as it should too. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the workshop the DC-3’s right undercarriage is painted and the other one has been prepared. DC_3_right_leg by Ron Wilson, on Flickr
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Post by emron on Apr 2, 2023 17:50:17 GMT 12
John and I finished fitting the replacement window in the waist gunners’ hatch and with some touch up paint left to dry it will be ready to install next time. We then stripped out the old, perished rubber seal from its channel around the tail access hatch, cleaned out the groove and repainted it. Once the groove was dry we began to press in the replacement seal. After quite a struggle and with added help from Peter, we eventually got it seated snugly. This hatch is now ready to be painted on the inside along with the other waist gunner’s one which I freshened up the masking tape on. Meanwhile Mike has been painting the flare and sonobuoy chutes, camera mount and various other shelves and brackets so they can be re-installed in the Sunderland’s rear compartment. If time permits next time, we’ll cut out the wooden battens so we can complete the missing sections of boardwalk that run between the rear door and the turret. We can swap out the front door anytime now, so it too will have its painting finished soon.
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Post by emron on Mar 26, 2023 16:08:48 GMT 12
We re-hung the Sunderland’s rear door today. I noticed it was binding a little on the frame, we’ll make some adjustments next time, so it swings freely and latches tight. We’re working through the set of external doors and hatches to paint the interior side of each. Next on Mike’s paint bench is the second waist gunners hatch, followed by the access hatch in the tail. Once we’ve got a temporary replacement ready, we can swap the front door out too and that will soon also be in the queue.
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Post by emron on Mar 20, 2023 13:05:20 GMT 12
Now that the structural repairs to the DC-3’s empennage are done I’ve taken a break to help Brian finish the fit-out of the Sunderland rear door. The door lock had taken a beating over the years. At some stage the inside handle had sheared off the end to its shaft, so I swapped out the shaft with a better one. The correct outside handle was missing and unable to find a spare I machined up another one. Of course, it was only after I’d trimmed it to fit that I found a genuine NOS one in the bottom of the spares bin! Both handles are now painted and ready to fit next time. We finished tightening up the small screws and bolts around the fire extinguisher and axe compartments. That just leaves some touch-up paint, and the door will be ready to go back on display. Once I’ve trimmed the handle of the replica axe it will slip into the clip and that will complete the set up.
Meanwhile the DC-3 hasn’t been forgotten. Now that Grant has finished repairs and strengthening in the right-hand wheel bay, some of the newer members of the team have been sanding and scrubbing the undercarriage legs and they’ve already had a fresh coat of paint. I know I was involved in at least two earlier attempts to paint them only to be undone by a prolonged spell outdoors. But I’m confident that this time it will be an enduring fix.
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Post by emron on Mar 10, 2023 12:12:11 GMT 12
Group Captain de Lange was Commanding Officer at Wigram, March 1957 – May 1960. Group Captain Quill followed him in the role.
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Post by emron on Mar 9, 2023 10:03:22 GMT 12
They were all also honoured with CBE for their service. Frank Gill was Deputy Chief of Air Staff 1965-69 and later Minister of Defence 1978-80. Theo de Lange retired as Air Board Member for Personnel in 1966. Stan Quill was Deputy Chief of Defence Staff 1971-74.
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Post by emron on Mar 8, 2023 16:42:52 GMT 12
It’s satisfying to see some of the long overdue repair jobs on the DC-3 nearing completion. Rex and Peter have reinstated the ten brackets with hinged covers on the trailing edge of the wings and these are now ready to attach the ailerons to them. This job had been on the waiting list for 30 years or more before they tackled it. DC_3_bracket1 by Ron Wilson, on Flickr DC_3_bracket2 by Ron Wilson, on Flickr DC_3_bracket3 by Ron Wilson, on Flickr Earlier in the week Steve drove the last of the rivets to rebuild the tail compartment that encloses the rudder crank. Today, I re-attached loose fittings and secured the control wires onto the crank arms. Probably the first time in fifteen years that these parts were together again. DC_3_tail by Ron Wilson, on Flickr
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Post by emron on Mar 7, 2023 15:25:20 GMT 12
P/O Higgins was selected for the RNZAF in 1938 after successfully completing the third flying training course at Wigram. Others selected from that course included T. M. de Lange, T. F. Gill and S. G. Quill.
F/O Smith gained his Pilot’s Licence at Wellington Aero Club in 1932. He later became assistant flying instructor there. He was the pilot of Moth Major ZK-ADP from which “Scotty” Fraser made his fatal parachute jump at the McGregor Memorial Pageant in March 1936. He was appointed to the NZ Territorial Air Force in 1935 and was transferred from the reserve of officers to the general duties branch of the RNZAF in April 1939. He too later flew Catalinas in the Pacific and as Wing Commander was C.O. of No.6 Flying Boat Squadron at Halavo Bay from June-September 1945.
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Post by emron on Mar 6, 2023 13:25:24 GMT 12
I guess that they (Gordons) were considered "new" to New Zealand at the time? Also the Pilot Officer L H Hipkins mentioned above was more likely to have been Hopkins; have never heard of a Hipkins in pre-war RNZAF. Most likely this was Wilfred Arthur Hopkins, who was definitely in RNZAF just pre-war, was one of the two occupants of a certain Territorial Air Force Baffin which ditched in Little Pigeon Bay in May 1939 (unhurt). I think he was a regular on strength of Wigram at the time. The correct surname in the article was Higgins. Later, Acting Squadron Leader Lancelot Henry Higgins was killed in a training accident overseas (Catalina NZ4002), 23 September 1943.
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Post by emron on Mar 5, 2023 14:40:35 GMT 12
My question is: How did the astronaut manage to plummet to Earth faster than the Skylab/space station that they presumably ejected from?
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Post by emron on Mar 2, 2023 14:17:14 GMT 12
Despite interruption by the Cyclone, we managed to make steady progress on the tasks sheet last month. Repairs to the two fairings that wrap around the DC-3 stabiliser were completed. They were test fitted and new screw holes aligned and drilled in the replacement sections. They are held on by about 150 8-32 screws attached to rows of rivnuts on the stabiliser and anchor-nuts inside the fuselage. During the decades out in the weather many of the nuts were damaged or broke loose, so we have been progressively replacing them. Yesterday was the chance to finish off the last 10 or so that were in the hard-to-reach places. Steve drew the short straw and managed to crawl into the narrow space in the tail beneath the stabiliser. The riveting was promptly done, and he had already clambered out before I noticed we’d missed one on the other side! Anyway, that was soon done too. The Hastings’ ladder turned out to be the one for the rear door. I’ve treated the worst of the rust and got it folding, so further work on it can be done in spare time.
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MOTAT
Mar 2, 2023 13:10:29 GMT 12
Post by emron on Mar 2, 2023 13:10:29 GMT 12
Looking forward to my first trip back to the Aviation Hall since 2019. As it’s been a while, excuse me asking the Forum but what day(s) is the blister restoration hangar now open for visitors? I’d love to see the Dak is progressing since my last trip. Thanks everyone. The restoration hangar is open to the public on Live Days only (usually third Sunday of month) Please check direct with MOTAT to confirm upcoming dates.
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Post by emron on Feb 18, 2023 12:13:51 GMT 12
Fair enough. I wasn’t suggesting that discussion about Avspecs belonged in the Overseas Board, just that there can be a difference between the preservation of NZ’s aviation past and that of preserving aviation history in NZ. I agree Avspecs does both. I still think if there’s to be ongoing discussion here on this thread about The People’s Mosquito then that topic deserves a separate thread, if one hasn’t already been created.
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Post by emron on Feb 14, 2023 14:18:03 GMT 12
Just a minor point. There’s no denying the world leading quality of and the universal interest in Avspecs Mosquito restorations. However, the majority of their projects have been of an imported airframe for an overseas owner. Admittedly now all of them may well have some genuine de Havilland parts built-in that were sourced within NZ, but I don’t think enough to endow NZ heritage. So, until it’s known what identity this latest project will be and together with new discussion here about the People’s Mosquito I wonder if this thread qualifies to be included in the “Preserving New Zealand Aviation History” Board.
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