RNZAF Corsair NZ5245 Restoration Project

[ZacYates]

Michael posted another Corsair update this morning on Facebook (link here):

Update, Pacific Aerospace has finnish lazer cutting all the triangle gusset plates for the cowlings with spares, and also for both sides of the accessories cowlings which are not in the best of shape unfortunately, some parts will get re-used and rest will get made.

Also as most are aware, its Anzac day, R.I.P for all those who made sacrifices for there countries.

20230425 NZ5245 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230425 NZ5245 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230425 NZ5245 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230425 NZ5245 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230425 NZ5245 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[tbf2504]

Good blue colours on that piece of cowl

[ZacYates]

I thought so too - very cool!

[ZacYates]

Michael has posted about some more acquisitions for the project (FB link):

Box of goodies, two flap rams and six 50cal gun mount which have F4U-1 or FG-1 engraved on the bottoms, some brackets for the canopy rail, unfortunately this rail been gas cut when getting scrapped, some hardware and rods.

Also a replacement tailplane front attachment casting arrived as one mine was unserviceable thanks to Ezell aviation. Currently making up forming blocks for the frame work on back of firewall.

Thanks to those people who let go of these parts to go towards a worthy cause, much appreciated.

20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 06 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 07 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 08 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230504 NZ5245 Michael Reed 09 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

Michael has shared some more updates on acquistions for the project on the Facebook group. 11/05/2023

A very nice surprise to coming into Avspecs for work this morning to find this left on my workbench, thank you very much Alistair for the kind gift, finding and also getting it by putting a offer on trademe.

I believe It may of been use on many other types in our fleet, but very cool with N.Z in the metering reading face. Come with some papers that are a interesting read.

20230511 NZ5245 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230511 NZ5245 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230511 NZ5245 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230511 NZ5245 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230511 NZ5245 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

13/05/2023

Saturday night sorting out brackets and parts what can be saved and clean up with new primer, what needs making to replace damage bits, just a big jigsaw puzzle.

20230513 NZ5245 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230513 NZ5245 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

18/05/2023

Thank you Ross Jowett for giving this ammo box today that you grabbed for me on your travels,

So this week couple braket parts im working on making for around the FWD canopy rails like in reference photo, and cleaning up some gun bay door striker plates for the latches.

20230518 NZ5245 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
20230518 NZ5245 via Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[Mustang51]

Have a hardness test done on all possible airworthy castings

[ZacYates]

May 24, 2023 17:59:10 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

Have a hardness test done on all possible airworthy castings

The owner works for Avspecs so I expect he's on top of such things!

[ZacYates]

Updates posted on Facebook 28/05/2023 (link):

Small update today, been making up this week the top deck cockpit hand grip cover for climbing up into the aircraft.

NZ5245 20230528 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230528 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230528 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230528 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

And another (link):

Water meth injection tanks! for water meth injection engine power💪, thank you Chris McDell and Greg McDell for one of the smaller ones I was missing to complete the set, and Colin Krippner and the kripper family for the other two that came with rest of the project stuff.

NZ5245 20230528 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230528 via Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230528 via Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

Two more updates in the last 24hr, yesterday evening (link):

Hand hold door flap Finnish.

NZ5245 20230530 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230530 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

And today (link):

Some goodies turned up, they are for the project, oil cooler door, heater unit for in the cockpit, AR5 radio stuff, bomb rack , corsair tool, and other bits.

NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 06 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230531 Michael Reed 07 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

An update from earlier today (FB link):

Thank you Andrew Brian for the kind donation, really is great info and reference in that book, great help, I wasn't expecting the bit of skin with the book, but very cool with bits of stencilling on it.

The part number on the skin is VS-10271 took me to the fuselage skin section from Staiton #186 to #288 is where it's from.

What I can make out at a guess is a 7 prehaps beside it looks to be part of the black out line around the bars that have white in the inside, as you can see the black worn away and still got some not so faded blue that has keep well when once under the black.

NZ5245 20230603 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230603 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230603 via Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

A couple of recent updates on Corsair Four Five from 05/06/2023 (first link):

Pin made, and bracket drilled off for the hand hold door flap spring. Bracket still needs trimming to finnish shape as in the drawing shared.

NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 06 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 07 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

Second link

Something cool, sub panels mocking up a little while ago, but worth sharing, these are original placards, will keep some originals that are in great condition but need to also make more for ones missing , and yes not the correct screws but I have them and will fit when on the final finnish fit as there's still be alot of in and out of switches placards till it's good.

NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 08 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 09 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 Michael Reed 10 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230605 via Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

An update from 11/06 (Facebook link here):

Today consisted of Paint stripping and wash parts, ready to be inspected , paint prep, then new fresh primer!, and in-between that was sorting out control rods and linkages.

NZ5245 20230611 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230611 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

An update from Michael was posted on Facebook today (link):

This weekend has been sorting out the LH canopy rail, RH good to go, the rail has a outside skin that is spot welded, so im milling the spot welds to straight and repair the channel section and will be lazer cutting a new skin re-spot welded back on the outside.

NZ5245 20230618 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230618 via Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230618 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230618 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

Another batch of great additions to the project were received this week (Facebook link here):

Thank you Rob for letting these parts go to the project , and also coming up and delivering them to me at work, massive help for keeping it moving forwards!, canopy, and small flap, landing gear door ram and oil-coolers.

NZ5245 20230707 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230707 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230707 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230707 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230707 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

An update from Michael (FB link):

Thanks Mike Nicholls for the lid, and Dylan Wagner for dropping off to me at work, I needed one for the electrical box on the engine frame, and yes my electrical box will needs some attention at somepoint.

NZ5245 20230728 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230728 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230728 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

While there's been a lot of excitement about another Corsair and another guy named Mike, Michael Reed's progress on NZ5245 continues! (Fb link)

Interesting thing with one of these seats it was once attached to a farm tractor, as you can see in some the photos the tractor attachments mounting brackets still on it, that seat needs bottom skin replacing as most likely water has sat in the bottom over the years and made it extra light weight.

The other had previous repairs by someone that I removed and made flush repairs awhile ago as they didn't look so tidy. Both looks to had been originally primer in that unique salmon color zinc chromate.

NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 03 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 04 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 05 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 06 by Zac Yates, on Flickr
NZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 07 by Zac Yates, on FlickrNZ5245 20230820 Michael Reed 08 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[ZacYates]

Yet more parts are coming out of the woodwork! (Facebook link)

Unexpected nice surprise at work!, thank you Dave Phillips for the kind donation and meeting you for the first time, a main gear door hydraulic cylinder for corsairs.

NZ5245 20230824 Michael Reed 01 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

To add to the post, some hardware out of corsair donated by Ross Jowett got drop off this arvo, the day gets better, Thank you Ross.

NZ5245 20230824 Michael Reed 02 by Zac Yates, on Flickr