Grumman TBF-1c Avenger NZ2539 Saved by Classic Flyers

[johnnyfalcon]

Nov 4, 2020 14:45:50 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

That is sensational and a HUGE effort and result for everyone involved. How about when its all done and dusted a pic from Item 1 Page 1 and her sitting out with a clear background on the grass ?

...and with the team of volunteers!?

I love that prop!!

[Mustang51]

One with the volunteers and one in the clear and running with no battery cart etc just the plain machine !

[kiwi285]

Here a photo taken last Friday, by Bent Jansen, of most of the team who worked on the restoration. It is difficult to get everyone there at the same time.
Left to right Wayne MacKenzie, Mike Nankivell, Wally Gee, Dion Guisse, Alan Perry, Kim Eastwood, Bob Torr, Norm Martin, Bruce Chapman, Ian Martin, Andrew Gormlie, Ian Swainson, Dave Swinard, Des Underwood, Geoff Tansley, John Drake, Mike Feisst, Colin Gorton, Cal Law and Dave Toms.

041120 The CF team with the Avenger by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

[planewriting]

Can anyone be certain as to the convention regarding the placement of the "last three" e.g. 539, painted white, at the 6 o'clock position on the engine cowling, immediately behind the prop? I am mindful that many variations of official liveries have occurred over the years so there may be a variety of thoughts coming. More to the point; has anyone ever seen a picture of NZ2539 painted in this style>

[Dave Homewood]

You will note that if the number is to be added there, then the blue has to be extended all the way around the cowl ring.
 

As seen on Plonky too



But it was not always the case as seen in these AFMNZ shots 
   


They all seem to be a little different and it looks like the white number may have been applied on Bougainville or at Santo?

[planecrazy]

Nov 6, 2020 6:02:34 GMT 12 kiwi285 said:

Here a photo taken last Friday, by Bent Jansen, of most of the team who worked on the restoration. It is difficult to get everyone there at the same time.
Left to right Wayne MacKenzie, Mike Nankivell, Wally Gee, Dion Guisse, Alan Perry, Kim Eastwood, Bob Torr, Norm Martin, Bruce Chapman, Ian Martin, Andrew Gormlie, Ian Swainson, Dave Swinard, Des Underwood, Geoff Tansley, John Drake, Mike Feisst, Colin Gorton, Cal Law and Dave Toms.

041120 The CF team with the Avenger by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

Well done to all those folks and a great photo as well, must go down as one of the fastest almost trash to treasure restorations ever!

A question, is the wing folding powered by hydraulics and therefore must have the engine running to fold, is there a manual crank as well?

[planewriting]

NZ2539 has an electric motor which enables the wings to swing either way and the bomb doors to open without the need to start the engine.

[tbf2504]

An interesting comment on the electric motor to drive the wings and bomb bay doors. As both systems are hydraulically operated does the electric motor provide power to the hydraulic systems to then
carry out the wing fold and door opening/closing. On NZ2504 we used the hand hydraulic pump to carry out those functions without having to run the engine

[davidd]

A magnificent achievement, congratulations to all involved. There was a mention a little earlier on this thread (poster kiwi285, on 1st November, time 0810) of the restoration of the brake system on this aircraft. I always understood that TBFs were (like many American aircraft of that time, including Corsair, Ventura) fitted with multi-plate disc brakes, so was surprised to see that this aircraft is fitted with drum brakes. So was it the case that the earlier model TBFs were factory-fitted with drum brakes? Just wondering. Also somewhere else on the previous page was mention of ABS radar (sounds more like brakes!). Should this have read ASB radar, which was widely used on US Navy aircraft from a certain point in their production, including TBF, SBD, SB2C.
David D

[kiwi285]

Hi David, Will check tomorrow but pretty certain that both of the Avengers had drum brakes fitted because the people working on them were trying to adapt truck parts.

[Mustang51]

This is just a magnificent effort in every sense of the word. My heartiest congratulations to everyone involved. This is what it is all about !!!

[kiwi285]

Once again good people a big thank you for all of the positive comments made about the restoration. I am really chuffed to have been able to work on these two Avengers and getting involved in the other restoration we have been involved with over the last 6 years. It is great to have had you all share in the progress on a weekly basis and for you to share the journey and contributed to the outcome with advice and help where possible. I have read about other restorations around the world and thought I would give my eye teeth to be involved with that project.

Last Saturday it was Ken Jacobs birthday and his family brought him down to Classic Flyers to physically see the finished aircraft and to see it run. We also put on a small party for him which I know he thoroughly enjoyed.

211120 (1) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (7) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (13) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (19) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (23) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (24) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (27) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

211120 (29) by Mike Feisst, on Flickr

[baz62]

She looks fantastic. I met Ken back in 1980 and he came out to Wigram. We towed NZ2504 out and ran her for him.

[Dave Homewood]

That is terrific Mike, wonderful to see he has gotten to see his aeroplane all restored and running again.

[shorty]

Good to see a photo of Ken, I know him from the early MOTAT days and he was instrumental in getting me on the New Guinea salvage trip.

[kiwi285]

Nov 24, 2020 13:11:00 GMT 12 kiwi285 said:

Hi David, Will check tomorrow but pretty certain that both of the Avengers had drum brakes fitted because the people working on them were trying to adapt truck parts.

Hi David, I asked the question today and it seems that that Avenger had multi plate disc brakes but we received empty wheel hubs. For us it was easier to recreate hydraulic drum brakes within the hubs than try and create multi plate discs. I overheard Ian and Richard talking about the brakes and saying that they need to do more to get them working properly.

[davidd]

kiwi 285, thanks for going to the trouble of getting to the bottom of the brake problem, so at least I am not going completely mad. Reminds me of the time at Wigram about 30 years ago when I noticed one of the older guides (fairly certain it was Davey Jones), looking thoughtfully at the Anson on display. I asked him why he was so interested in the Anson, and he told me he was CERTAIN that the ones he saw in the UK in WW2 had wooden wings, but now realized he was wrong, as the one right in front of him definitely had all metal wings. I told him that there was nothing wrong with his memory, as all the early Ansons had wooden and fabric wings. It was only much later that these were superseded by the all-metal type, and that was what was fitted to the Museum's aircraft, whose original wooden wings had long since rotted away, and it was thus completed with a set of the metal type, as building wooden ones from scratch would have been a daunting project at that time, and most people would never notice! I think it might also have the later, all-metal tailplane as well, but could be wrong on this.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Nov 1, 2020 16:37:44 GMT 12 planewriting said:

Can some-one confirm which RNZAF Avenger wore the other nose art "We never miss"?

You probably know this by now but according to the blurb on this AFMNZ photo is was NZ2520

[planewriting]

Aha - thanks Dave. The reward for asking a question!

[planecrazy]

A question, I'm sure it may be mentioned somewhere in this thread?

Is this the Avenger that was in the Havelock playground for a number
of years?

Thank you.........