Proctor Rebuilds Update.

Thanks for all your interest and to those who have visited the workshop. I have had many pm’s asking for an update on progress here it is! Its been a busy summer with highs and lows. The high points being the excellent progress on the Mk 3 fuselage which is really taking shape.Pictures show the completely stripped front fuselage (correct way up) and then inverted. All joints have been broken, wood cleaned and re glued. The darker wood is the original spruce as built in 1943 at Hills in Manchester. 85% of the original 65 year wood has been passed fit for flight. All ply facing is new (ply replaced regardless of condition) Rebuilt frames and formers hanging on the wall ready to take their place as we work from nose to tail. Fortune smiled on us when we were offered around 75% of the original Percival drawings. One drawing alone can knock a week or more off the rebuild time. One of my companies is print based meaning the required drawing can be selected from CD then printed onto pvc to say 4 ft x 2 ft or larger as needed. Areas being worked on are high lighted with red dry marker and after use wiped off and the drawing archived.
We have had our first CAA visit and inspection, this went well, the standard of work being achieved complimented upon. Tomatoes and peppers have thrived in the warm work shop with a good crop and plans for the same in 2010 along with cucumbers and melons! The lows were the loss of two good flying friends in fatal accidents. Both had been following the projects with much interest and they will and are sadly missed. It very much brings home to one that our passion has it down side. Workshop heaters will soon be fired up as the days shorten and colder weather sets in. Much is planned for the run up to Christmas when we should see an a better then new Mk 3 fuselage fully rebuilt and ready for outer ply sheeting. The Mark V is far from forgotten, lots of smaller detail work has been done to her, we are working to get the Mk 3 fuselage to the same state of rebuild as the V then running the two side by side.