|
Post by baronbeeza on Jun 5, 2015 15:10:58 GMT 12
Well be careful. That is far too close. You know what these guys are like. If you show any interest at all they will sell you one of those things, an 'Auster' that is. Well it will be a pile of bits but they would proudly exclaim a few letters like SFA or WTF and then act as though there is some form of aircraft attached to them. You will be impressed, there will be a left rudder pedal, a rudder and maybe even a wing or something. An easy project !!
Just you wait and see, can't say you weren't warned. Don't drink their beer.....
|
|
JasonF SA
Sergeant
I used to be indecisive... but now I'm not so sure...
Posts: 12
|
Post by JasonF SA on Jun 5, 2015 17:38:29 GMT 12
Well that's gotta be a first... Since When do "True Red Blooded"Kiwis EVER advise to avoid the Beer?
|
|
|
Post by baronbeeza on Jun 5, 2015 17:57:02 GMT 12
See, we have all seen your profile. Those guys can read a little and will get a fair idea of your vulnerability. The phones will be ringing now and they will be ganging up on you. You made the mistake of including a few Auster pics as well, they ignore all the other posts but mention the 'A' word and they all perk up. Adding a pic only makes it too easy for them. You mentioned you had money for a Cessna.... bad for two reasons. a), they know you have dollars, and b), they will now spin a story (or half story) about how one of their very smart 'friends' has all kinds of worldly experience. They will say how he only ever bad mouths the Cessna and how over-rated they are etc. That last pic is a good one. A man in your weakened state would probably succumb before the dancing. If you see them dancing about you will know you are doomed. I have seen it all before.
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Jun 5, 2015 18:52:16 GMT 12
Oh dear the Baron has been at the Meths again............Jason let me know when you would like to see my bits................oooooo errrr of aeroplane that is. There's even a Cessna in the hnagar at present having it's SIDS done. So as not to hijack Peter's Omaka thread here is Andrew Vincent's reply regarding AZF:
"ZK AZF was first certified in 1944, and the original “Ministry Of Aircraft Production” (MAP) paperwork that I have (for her first Weight and Balance prior to certification) refers to her as an “Auster V Special”, fitted with an Auster III Gipsy. As I understand it, the term “special” is due to her being effectively a one off “hack” for the Auster factory. From the C of G paperwork, it is obvious she had the following: 1. Pistol, 2. Cartridges, 3. First Aid Kit, 4. Battery ( or as they said back then, an accumulator), 5. Radio (all 58.5 lbs of it), 6. Armour, 7. Rear seat, 8. Nose fuel tank only.
The armour is the interesting bit, as it is 81.5 lbs of it! As I understand it, when Alan Wheeler bought TJ187 (“Alfie”) from Auster, they (The UKCAA) wanted a more specific model designation for their records, and it was decided to call her a Mk 5c. Although this info comes from a reliable source, I can’t confirm it, as we don’t have AZF’s first logbook. This is a real pity, as I think she has had a really interesting early life.
When she was purchased from the UK by Goodwin McNut of Waipukurau, he flew her for a couple of years and then took her to Palmerston North and had a number of mods installed, including a full blind flying instrument panel, full electrics (including wing mounted generator and lights), J1B front and rear perspex, Mk6 doors, and, as you refered to, the wing mounted fuel tanks. At that stage they would have removed the nose tank, and I can find no reference anywhere to her ever having a belly tank.
As an aside, Goodwin told me recently that he regretted doing the mods, as it added a lot of weight to AZF. He reckoned that prior to the work it was a sprightly strip plane, but afterwards it was heavy and slow. The funny thing is that I like the mods he did. It makes her a good useable cross country plane for us with good range and sufficient speed.
As to "what makes it a c”, I think you could sum it up by saying….. Mk 5 fuse, (including the original Mk 5 front and rear windows), short undercarriage gear, small fin and rudder, front fuel tank and a Gipsy 1.
AZF is the only original Mk5c, but has, like so many Austers, been modified a lot over the years."
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Jun 8, 2015 8:24:57 GMT 12
Fascinating stuff Baz, thanks to Andrew for sharing. An armoured Auster?! That really would make it The Steel Aeroplane.
|
|
|
Post by scrooge on Jun 8, 2015 11:17:07 GMT 12
Jason,if you'd like an Auster project Stan Smith at North Shore Airfield, Auckland has one - ZK-AXE. I'm sure Baz can add some more details- Fuse is done in silver with blue trim, wings are covered and need paint, I think the panel is mostly done. Engine available. His number is 09 426 3735.
|
|
|
Post by johnnyfalcon on Jun 11, 2015 17:33:42 GMT 12
ZK-AXE? Completely original...only the handle and head has been replaced
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Dec 31, 2015 13:08:38 GMT 12
Last day of 2015 and popped out to the hangar (with camera woman Teresa) hoping the Christmas elves had put her back together.........and no was the answer. Anthony had done a favour for me and put some two pack on the wooden formers which go between and behind the undercarriage mounts. This the one behind the rear mount: And the one that fits between the mounts: The rear most one can only go on one way but I'll have to go back into the photos of BRA's ones as the central one fits both ways. For some reason Anthony's T7 only requires the rearmost former. As the T7 predates the J5 I'm wondering if they added the central one for some reason. I'm only guessing but I think the formers are to help the fabric sit better as the frame tube changes direction from behind the undercarriage towards the firewall. I had started putting the flap selector handle back together but had a "which way up does it go?" moment. BRA is very helpful for just this sort of thing: With that sorted it's home to put the handle and the small roller back into position. (The roller goes into each segment as you select the amount of flap.) I noticed I had been too careful with the masking as with the handle back in it's mount, its not a perfect fit right up to the shoulder of the handle. So the primer is still visible in the gap. Another spray of colour next time I'm painting will fix that. My hangar mate, 172 EXE is looking a bit more like a Cessna again and I notice the rudder and elevators are now back on. After the holidays I'm sure she will soon be flying again. I'm going on a Polyfibre Fabric course in the new year at Te Kowhai airfield, organised by the SAA (Sport Aircraft Association of NZ) and Bruce Cooke who will be running the course. I see two outcomes. Hell no this is not my cup of tea I'll get a friendly fabric expert to do it or hey this is easy bring it on. (Might be a combination of the two, time will tell!)
|
|
|
Post by nzjet on Jan 1, 2016 17:30:33 GMT 12
must be flying this year.....
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Mar 4, 2016 17:45:36 GMT 12
Things have been quiet on the Auster front but I'm currently working on the flap selector arrangement and hope to have it installed over the next week (as long as I don't find out I'm missing something else......again!) However I did manage to get my hands on something fairly rare for the engine. This is the rear cover for the engine where the magnetos and oil pump live (and occasionally a starter and vacuum pump on some models of Gipsy). However this one is off the Gipsy major 10-2 as installed in the Chipmunk and this has the ability to have a generator installed which is what I plan to do, solving the how am I to charge the batteries?
|
|
|
Post by suthg on Mar 6, 2016 19:21:49 GMT 12
Oops I was not fully reading your post about a generator built into that rear housing. Not sure about COG though with added weight of a battery somewhere behind you - at least that casting piece and starter motor plus generator additonal wenight would be in front - just a matter of checking COG
|
|
|
Post by baronbeeza on Mar 6, 2016 20:13:54 GMT 12
You just wait, - it will be a starter and Vacuum pump on the list now...
|
|
|
Post by suthg on Mar 7, 2016 7:42:56 GMT 12
He could have a powered sunroof (or shade)...
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Jun 24, 2016 21:56:16 GMT 12
Well things have been quiet on the Auster front. However a container is currently on its way from Canada (with something inside I have to stay quiet about)that has a nice cache of NOS (new old stock) Auster parts for Anthony and myself. The Gipsy Major I bought over there is also in there. This year has been quite the ride as my parents moved back here after spending 26 years living on the Gold Coast so they can be close to family. Fortunate move as Mum ended up in hospital and ended up having surgery. Scary for an 88 year old but she got bombed by the Germans in 1940 so she was not too worried! Plus Teresa and I are building a house at Wigram Skies (parents are in Lady Wigram retirement village) so the next 6 months are going to be interesting. I've made sure the garage is big enough for the Auster fuselage and its going to be insulated to keep Auster restorers from freezing to death while trying to bolts something on!
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 24, 2016 23:23:23 GMT 12
I have been wondering if you were still working on the project. I hope your Mum is on the mend.
Nice and handy living there at Wigram with the Auster hangared in your garage, you can operate it off the grass by the museum.
|
|
|
Post by agalbraith on Jun 25, 2016 7:38:12 GMT 12
Baz, wonder what the neighbors will think when we turn up on moving day with an old aeroplane on a trailer! Lol we should stick a fake pole in the ground by your driveway a week beforehand!
Leave BBZ outside by it for the day! Lets see the locals stress about another plane on a pole.....no?? Ok, I will see myself out...
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Jun 25, 2016 8:17:29 GMT 12
you can operate it off the grass by the museum. Funnily enough we are going to be very close to the grass bit. All I'll need is a gate in the fence and I'm off. Mums doing OK. She's now in the brand new Hospital at Burwood for physiotherapy and to get her strength back. The complication is Dad has onset Dementia. Knows who everyone is but has very poor memory plus has forgotten to do basic things or thinks he has done them. Mum is really his guide through the day. One thing he hasn't lost is his appetite. Mum joked he might not remember where the knives and forks are but he has no problem getting a snack! Anthony already got your T7 pole ready for the driveway......
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Jan 8, 2017 18:39:05 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Feb 3, 2017 16:05:52 GMT 12
Anthony Galbraith came over on Monday to use my blasting cabinet. While it was all hooked up I decided to tidy up the flap handle. The original grip material was stuffed and afetr prising it off it was rusty underneath after 65 years it's not surprising. A good blast with the gun and a coat of etch primer has it looking much better. Next job is to sort out a grip. I know one of the Auster rebuilders used that electrical heat shrink tube the sparkies use to seal wiring joints so might give that a go. Some have modified motorbike grips. As removed with the grip on the right: All cleaned up: The other job I need to do is find the quadrant the flap lever uses to select flaps up, through three positions to fully down. I have the spacers and bolts all nicely bagged up sitting on the bench but for some reason the quadrant isn't with them. If I can't find it I'll take the one off BRA but I know what will happen then..........i'll strip it, paint it and find the original one!
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Feb 3, 2017 16:52:23 GMT 12
If I can't find it I'll take the one off BRA but I know what will happen then..........i'll strip it, paint it and find the original one! ...making you one step ahead when you get to BRA! Brilliant! Great to see you back at it Baz.
|
|