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Post by rayo on Oct 8, 2015 17:14:39 GMT 12
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Post by rayo on Nov 20, 2015 17:34:18 GMT 12
I Visited Classic Flyers Museum last week and took some update photo's of the Avenger. As you can see steady solid progress is being made. Here is the Team hard at work  The engine is looking pristine. It is capable of running I am told.     The Gun Turret cover has gone from this  To This Work of Art  The plumbing on the wing-folding mechanisms have all been refurbished and in working order  The hydraulics are powered externally to Pumping mechanisms from a Hiab Truck tucked away in the capacious fuselage.  It is hoped the weather will be kind at the January Air event so the "in progress" Avenger can be rolled out for all to admire. |
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Post by nuuumannn on Dec 7, 2015 13:21:34 GMT 12
At the request of some of the volunteers of GAPS I spoke to yesterday, here are a few photos I took. Fletcher outside  Lodestar Cyclone  Fieldair Tiger ZK-AZG on a WW2 bomb trolley  DC-3 ZK-BYF   'BYF interior    Lodestar ZK-BUV   More... |
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Post by nuuumannn on Dec 7, 2015 13:31:58 GMT 12
'BUV  'BUV interior   The Lodestar and DC-3  Most likely the rarest large object in their hangar is this passenger pod, which was built by Safe Air to fit inside their Bristol Freighters. Are there any more of these left, or is this the last one?   Tiger Moths ZK-ANL and 'BAL   Former Fieldair loader lorry - one of the volunteers especially requested I photograph this  Auster ZK-AXJ  Yesterday, the rescue Helicopter hangar next door had an open day and a PR company was simultaneously running an auction for rides in vintage and classic vehicles for a local school, so, with a fair crowd of people on site, the hangar doors were flung open and a number of punters got a peek. Squirrel ZK-HYP  |
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Post by keroburner on Dec 7, 2015 19:35:39 GMT 12
Nice. Thanks for sharing these with us. I plan to go down to visit sometime soon. Looks like a pretty decent hangar facility they have now plus the concrete floor. Glad to hear they have some volunteers working behind the scenes too. Pretty big projects to tackle all at once but from your photos they all seem to be progressing and looking better than they have for a wee while. Cheers.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 7, 2015 20:09:09 GMT 12
Thanks for the photos Grant!
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Post by starr on Dec 8, 2015 9:01:07 GMT 12
Great shots. BYF looks a bit different to what it did when I loaded it at Ardmore in 1961.
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Post by nuuumannn on Dec 8, 2015 9:43:19 GMT 12
Hi Keroburner, thanks. The GAPS hangar is open from 9am to 1pm on Sundays, or you can contact them on their website. They are a friendly bunch.
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Post by rayo on May 7, 2016 17:58:44 GMT 12
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Post by rayo on May 7, 2016 18:43:28 GMT 12
I forgot to add they had a successful engine run a couple of weeks ago as well. I missed it unfortunately but you can see it here.
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Post by Damon on May 7, 2016 19:03:25 GMT 12
That will bring back some memories for BAZ I'm sure !
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Post by keroburner on May 7, 2016 21:05:36 GMT 12
Nice progress there!! They do some very nice work at this museum. Well done to all those involved. And love these photos. Keep it up.
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Post by Richard Wesley on May 7, 2016 23:09:11 GMT 12
Very impressive progress on the Avenger and amazing to see the engine come to life again. Wouldn't really have believed it was all possible actually just a short time ago.
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Post by baz62 on May 8, 2016 9:02:26 GMT 12
That will bring back some memories for BAZ I'm sure ! Yep you are quite correct Damon! They have done an amazing job considering she was bascially a bare airframe with an engine bolted to it with no systems to speak of. The cockpit panel is a bit non standard but I doubt there was anything at all in there so they have a pretty good likeness to a TBF panel. I think I see a round brass hand primer just below and to center of the panel below the slot for the map table,the original primer was electric with the switch on the electrical panel on the right side of the cockpit (probably long gone and I don't mean the small one in shot there was also a large rectangular box to the rear of this) I'll have to get up there and reacquaint myself with a live TBF! |
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Post by rayo on May 8, 2016 9:56:17 GMT 12
Cockpit photo Page 3 of this thread 2/3 down I will look to see if I took a photo of the panel at some stage  |
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Post by baz62 on May 8, 2016 13:09:28 GMT 12
Yeah I can't recall wether the main electical panel was in NZ2505 when I looked at her at Wigram. It was a substantial box as it had all the arming switches engine priming and starter plus all the switches for the nav lights etc. Very similar to this photo of one in a TBM-3e:  |
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Post by shorty on May 8, 2016 15:57:15 GMT 12
"Most likely the rarest large object in their hangar is this passenger pod, which was built by Safe Air to fit inside their Bristol Freighters. Are there any more of these left, or is this the last one?"
There was only one of these built and it was used in ZK CRK (the only one with windows left in) on the Chathams run.
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Post by rayo on May 8, 2016 16:07:55 GMT 12
Yeah I can't recall wether the main electical panel was in NZ2505 when I looked at her at Wigram. It was a substantial box as it had all the arming switches engine priming and starter plus all the switches for the nav lights etc. I cannot remember seeing the Electrical Panel at all so can't help you there Baz sorry. |
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Post by baz62 on May 8, 2016 16:40:08 GMT 12
No worries Rayo would have been surprised if it was in there. Looking at the TBM-3E panel I dont see the primer and starter switches so possibly moved them to somewhere else on these models. The big switch sticking out the side is the Flight/Battery. I think we used to start NZ2504 on the battery setting which had the external powercart plugged into the starboard side just behind the exhaust. Then for taking her "for a walk" you would flick it to flight so the internal batteries (located in the bomb bay just behind the engine) took over. The other major difference is they have installed a "direct drive" starter which means like a car as long as you have the button presses the engine turns over. Whereas the TBF originally had an inertia starter. Namely hold into the energize position for around 15 to 20 seconds (priming for the last 5 or so) then flick switch to engage and she turns over a couple of times and hopefully starts! If she doesn't repeat. Harvards still use these starters but I see the TBM-3E Avengers are all direct drive and wondr if that was from new?. Always wondered what the attraction was of the inertial starter was.
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Post by curtiss on May 8, 2016 18:37:28 GMT 12
"Most likely the rarest large object in their hangar is this passenger pod, which was built by Safe Air to fit inside their Bristol Freighters. Are there any more of these left, or is this the last one?" There was only one of these built and it was used in ZK CRK (the only one with windows left in) on the Chathams run. There is a passenger pod stored at Omaka as well. |
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