|
Post by kiwi285 on Dec 6, 2019 13:50:50 GMT 12
Some of the team members have started attaching the exhaust sections to the engine and figuring out which parts are missing and then figuring out the fix. Don't these photos show the usual way things operate - one or two person(s) doing the work and half a dozen others watching and giving advice. LOL 061219 (1) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 061219 (2) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 061219 (4) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Dec 6, 2019 13:57:19 GMT 12
Now here is one for our experts. In the course of sorting and cataloging items recently I came across these two identical items that most likely of WW II vintage. I would think that they came out of a bigger aircraft than the Avenger and my guess would be a Hudson or Ventura or maybe even a Dakota or Catalina. They are control units for the trailing aerials but I am no expert here. Can anyone help. 061219 (12) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 061219 (13) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 061219 (15) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 061219 (14) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by flyjoe180 on Dec 6, 2019 14:42:18 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Dec 6, 2019 15:17:07 GMT 12
That's interesting flyjoe180. My Dad was a wireless operator on Lancasters (15 Squadron) towards the end of WW II and I can remember him talking about the TR 1154/1155 radio sets that they operated in the Lancs.
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Dec 6, 2019 19:05:57 GMT 12
The 1154/1155 combination was fitted in following RNZAF aircraft: Mosquito FB.6, (but not the Australian ones), Anson Mk.I (NZ415 - 423 only); Sunderland Mk.III NZ4101 - 04. Our Mk.5 Sunderlands, also Devons, Hastings and Bristol Freighters were of course usually equipped with civilian Marconi equipment. This information all from memory, but fairly certain I have all types covered. A few very late Oxfords could have been equipped with 1154/1155 equipment too, but if so they would have been non-standard fits. American-built aircraft of the RNZAF are unlikely to have been fitted with British-type equipment, at least in WW2 (apart from the early Hudsons which arrived from factory with no wireless equipment at all, so had to be fitted with British, or later Australian-made equipment), and Hudsons continued to be used overseas with Australian transmitters and receivers (MF liaison sets) for operational reasons. Postwar, there was a certain amount of retrofitting and upgrading communications equipment in certain types, including Dakotas, Austers (!), and Avengers. Some marine craft and MT vehicles were also fitted with aircraft radios (often American) or the locally manufactured ZC-1s. David D
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Dec 7, 2019 11:23:50 GMT 12
Really great information David. Yes you are right, the American aircraft would have been fitted with American radios as all their aircraft operating in the SWPA would have been using it too.
|
|
|
Post by agile on Dec 8, 2019 3:48:11 GMT 12
Just to back up David's memory these are part of the T1154/R1155 setup that was fitted to the 73 ex-UK Mosquito FB6s that arrived here. In the Mossie it lives on the port side of the wing deck behind the pilots seat and the R1155 receiver - navigators obviously had long and flexible arms in those days. It's an amazingly clunky thing eh? Looks like you could switch off the power to a small town with it. One day one turned up at Ferrymead with a tag stating that it had been removed from HR339 (our aircraft)! We won't be refitting it, alas, as the T1154/R1155 wasn't part of her wartime radio fit and must have been added later.
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Dec 8, 2019 8:34:49 GMT 12
agile, What was the "wartime" radio fit for your typical FB.6 Mosquito? I have always understood that most RAF long range aircraft (Bomber and Coastal Command, also later Transport Command) used the 1154/1155 combination which replaced the pre-war 1082/1083 combination from 1941/42 onwards. Coastal Command aircraft (particularly the flying boats) generally had a "Marinised" version of these sets to resist the saltier atmosphere they had to operate in. Australian Mosquitos generally had the locally manufactured equivalent installed, with prefix letters AT and AR, numbers I cannot recall, but were very low. These Australian sets were also installed in our Hudsons at Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo and Nausori (Fiji) to provide all the required frequencies for operating in these theatres, although the Australian sets were generally regarded as much inferior in quality to the factory-fitted Bendix equipment. Vincents in Fiji were also fitted with the Australian equipment when operating from Nausori and Nandi for the very same reason. David D
|
|
|
Post by agile on Dec 8, 2019 9:15:00 GMT 12
Hi David, while no doubt it varied by theatre, date and mods, according to AP2019E, aircraft in the range HJ662-HJ682 and HJ715—HJ743 were fitted with the T1154/R1155 HF radio. Subsequent aircraft were fitted with: ARI5083 (GEE) R1155 (HF Receiver only) TR1143 (VHF and intercom) ARI5010 (IFF)
Mod 428 in May 1944 deletes the R1155 receiver '...which is not required in the FB MK VI aircraft when ARI5083 equipment is fitted'. Later mods also swapped the IFF to later versions. Additional corroboration comes from the film of HR339 in which none of the aircraft have the 1154/1155 aerial mast fitted (some have a small whip aerial on the canopy which we haven't figured out but which is too puny for an HF radio) and from RJ Dempsey's logbook, in which he records Gee navigation exercises undertaken in HR339. It's also worth noting that the aerial mast is absent in pretty well every photo of 487 squadron aircraft, although this could be explained by very diligent censorship. Whether fitment of the HF equipment on the aircraft sent out here (a pretty huge undertaking BTW) was an RNZAF requirement or whether there was a general move back to this setup post war I can't say.
Sorry for the momentary diversion from the marvellous progress on the Avenger - as you were!
Cheers Alex
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Dec 8, 2019 9:24:22 GMT 12
Alex, Thank you so much for the amplification of the radio fit story, all rather complex, but then technology was progressing with great rapidity, with many systems (or facets of systems) becoming operationally obsolete after a period in service, superseded by new developments. Guess the NZ Govt was not contemplating spending any money on building the necessary ground stations required to operate the Gee system, thus the pragmatic reversion to the 1154/1155 combination (which would have been available at a reasonable price I imagine), so it was back to an earlier, simpler time. After all, the RNZAF was unlikely to be required to mount concentrated attacks at night or in bad weather against any hostile targets within their operating radius in the immediate future. The Mosquitos were only ever envisioned as an interim measure, and technology was still moving forward overseas, so our single Mosquito squadron could only be regarded as a very limited attack force within its operating sphere, although technically capable of being used to reinforce Singapore for instance. A small amount of their training included long range over-ocean training flights to pin-point targets in daylight in the very early 1950s, sometimes based on Fiji, and it is possible that the RNZAF leadership was wondering if the EE Canberra might be a possibility at some future date, although they were stuck with the very operationally limited Vampires for the immediate future. David D
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Dec 30, 2019 21:02:02 GMT 12
I just wanted to advise that my maternal grandfather Rhys Bartle, who ran the garage across from the playground and child-proofed and painted NZ2539 for installation there, died last night in Australia after a long illness. My Mum had recently asked him what he remembered about the Avenger but he said he didn't recall much, but Mum has fond memories of both she and her sister playing in it.
|
|
|
Post by agalbraith on Dec 30, 2019 21:19:23 GMT 12
I just wanted to advise that my maternal grandfather Rhys Bartle, who ran the garage across from the playground and child-proofed and painted NZ2539 for installation there, died last night in Australia after a long illness. My Mum had recently asked him what he remembered about the Avenger but he said he didn't recall much, but Mum has fond memories of both she and her sister playing in it. Hey Zac, sorry to hear that buddy, R.I.P
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 30, 2019 21:34:35 GMT 12
Sorry to hear that Zac.
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Dec 31, 2019 14:01:45 GMT 12
Yes sorry to hear that. All the old links to this aircraft are passing on so we need to preserve everything that we can whilst we have the opportunity. RIP.
|
|
|
Post by baz62 on Dec 31, 2019 14:57:20 GMT 12
My condolences Zac. Funnily enough I was at the Air Force Museum yesterday afternoon showing my brother in law round and of course had to stop and take a couple of pics of NZ2504.
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Dec 31, 2019 23:30:17 GMT 12
Thank you gents. Unfortunately I've known for a while he'd not get the chance to see the finished article in person but I hoped he'd be with us long enough to at least see photos and video. He actually joined the forum a few years back and posted about '39 but I'm unsure how up-to-date he was on the project. I was a little choked up when I first visited the museum and saw her, not long after she arrived, and was so again at the later forum meet when restoration was well underway. I'm excited to see her live again
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Jan 2, 2020 9:44:15 GMT 12
I am sure we can do Rhys justice and at least have her taxiing, with wings folding and bomb bay operating. I would bet that the turret and the rear compartment are the most complete around and that would include quite a few from overseas. We have been lucky in that Ken has had the equipment available.
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Jan 8, 2020 15:20:53 GMT 12
Went into the museum today for the first time this year and I see that Dave (T) has started spraying primer onto 2539 and during the morning she was re-positioned in the hangar to give better access to it. Dave (S) is still beavering away in the rear compartment and it is really starting to look smart. I will take my good camera in next time and try and get some better shots of the rear compartment. Des and I are still rattling away on entering all of the Vampire stock into the computer. So far we have entered 1560 different line items and a total of 20780 parts altogether. My fingers and eyes agree with those totals. 080120 (1) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 080120 (2) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 080120 (3) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 080120 (4) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by ZacYates on Jan 9, 2020 23:21:14 GMT 12
What a change from when I last visited the museum. That last, interior shot is amazing. She's looking fantastic, bravo to all involved!
|
|
|
Post by kiwi285 on Jan 15, 2020 16:03:24 GMT 12
Here are a couple more photos of the rear compartment. Unfortunately when you open the hangar doors and with the bomb bay doors open the compartment tends to get too much light into it. Will try again some time before the hangar doors are opened. Here are some of the team members pontificating over the prop and why it isn't going together as easily as it should. Many hands make light work ? 150120 (2) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 150120 (3) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 150120 (4) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 150120 (5) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr 150120 Prop (2) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr
|
|