Canberra Restoration

A cockpit canopy weakness ?

Ah, the Canberra. I used to help build them. I still remember the part number of the item that I used to build. It was ASD110RS (Cockpit floor).

I have a tip for any restorers of the cockpit. It is a lesson learned as a result of the U.S.A.F. complaining that the cockpit canopy was faulty and kept cracking whenever they tested them. The technical wallas at Warton and Samlesbury, tested them in the approved manner by shooting dead chickens at them and did this to every canopy that they sent out to replace the originals and every canopy passed this quality control. They all failed the same tests once they got to America. The repeated delivery of replacements, cost the company a small fortune. Still the complaints kept coming and it was eventually decided to send a technician to America.

At the first test laid on by the U.S.A.F., it was obvious where the problem lay (pardon the pun).

Once the man from the factory explained that a Canberra flying at 10,00 feet was unlikely to meet a plucked and frozen chicken coming the other way, the problem resolved itself.

So all you restorers out there, remember this tip. Defrost your chickens first. I believe this story to be true.

Is the nav canopy on the sea vixen clouded over or frost covered??

Keep up the good work Chris and the rest of the team on the Canberra!

Thanks very much for the update Chris and thank you very much to you and your team for all your efforts.

Hi Chris,I don’t think everyone knows the extent that you and the team have been to trying to source the parts from around the globe,I think you have been in contact with some far flung places!So can I say thanks for all your efforts they are very much appreciated.I cant wait to see the aircraft in flight again.
Kind regards Alan L.

WK163 Progress Report

There seems to have been a bit of discussion here about the future of WK163? I thought I’d add a bit of input from the Maintenance Team.
The lack of activity has certainly not been due to lack of Manpower (as DaveJ has already pointed out). The Core team that first came to Coventry with the Aircraft is still very much in place, and we have other Volunteers who are also eager to help.
The main delay has been with meeting some new Regulations from the CAA who have imposed a Calender Life limit of 15 Years on all Avon Engines fitted to Permit Aeroplanes.
As with Delta Jets (ref their Website) and all the other Avon operators in the UK, a calander life extension program has been been agreed with ourselves (Classic Aviation Projects / Air Atlantique) and the CAA, and we are currently carrying out an in-depth corrosion and integrity survey on both of our Avons before we are able to get Airbourne again.
I believe we are the only operators now in the UK of the Avon Mk 109 (Hunter 122’s being very similar tho), and we have had an uphill struggle in obtaining necessary spares and documentation to support the program as this is the first time these engines have been dis-assembled to this level outside of the OEM’s Overhaul facility.
However, over 12 months later (and after a global response…thanx for everyones support), we are finally reaching a conclusion, and are putting every effort into getting the Avons servicable again for some flying activity this year.
It must be bourne in mind that this is not a commercial venture, it is very much a Voluntary organisation still, but with much needed and appreciated support from Air Atlantique and CFS Aeroproducts at Coventry (who are kindly hosting my work on the Avons). We have been putting in long and arduous hours outside our normal (non aviation) working days, to make Flying this wonderful and historically important Aeroplane, a reality again.

Hope this has been informative.

Regards all
Chris

Nice pictures LesB, and you finally got to meet me too! How exciting for you! I see you managed a few photo’s including the Vixen also. I particularly like the close sice by side cockpit shot of her. Very good!

Nice pics Will J and LesB.
Who recognises the item in pic 7 of Will J’s set????
clue – it’s off a “rigid” aeroplane.
Roger Smith.

I didn’t see you there taking photos, which is strange as you must be very tall

Not so strange really, Most of the time I was kneeling. 😀

. . . a portable trampoline.

Right. Now, if only I can lick the camera shake problem . . . . :rolleyes:

I didn’t see you there taking photos, which is strange as you must be very tall 🙂

As it happens I too was at MAM today. Bit windy but very sunny. Here’s a few pix from my visit.

Canberras look good from this angle . . .

Different view of Gannet . . .

Looks almost pregnant. . .

The Meteor in the sun. . .

Sidesaddle cockpit

. . . powered Canberra cockpit, notice three greens on the u/c indicator.

Some pictures from Baginton today, I was treated to the tour of the inside of the Canberra with Malcolm, very impressive and well worth a look!

PS… I have also done some serious revision on Meteor marks 😀

I’m glad to see the picture of the NF14 you used WillJ was after I painted it and not what it was like before, as it was a mess! This is actually it’s fourth repaint since we’ve had it. Unfortunatly the previous times it was done, the airframe wasn’t prepared properly and it resulted in it ending up like it got some sort of desease the way the paint was peeling off, but thankfully it has been done properly now so it should last a lot longer.

A couple of pictures of Baginton’s Meteor nightfighters 🙂

Sorry RPSmith that was me not using the quote system. WillJ managed to get his Canberra picture inbetween my post and andrewman’s. I was actually refering to the possible Delta Jets, Air Atlantique combined jet collection at Kemble. I’ve visited the MAM on a couple of occasions and I can only back up what has been said here about it being very friendly and welcoming. A great collection of aircraft has been built up there with the added bonus that it overlooks an airfield and that airfield still flies some classic’s! I believe at least some of the aircraft have been sponsored? Seem’s like a great way of raising some funds. 🙂

MAM

I’m seriously thinking about moving over that way so I could get involved with them. All those classic jets under one roof – lovely. 🙂

Most of the aircraft at MAM are, unfortunately, not under a roof hence the need for the repaints. The Meteor F.4 along with the SAAB J.29 and T-33 haven’t needed repainting since they went into the Sir Frank Whittle hangar about 15 years ago (The Vampire F.1 has had attention).
The “advantage” with repaints is that the scheme can be changed – as per the Meteor NF.14 with its latest repaint (it’s 3rd?).
Incidentally the MAM Meteor F.4 is the oldest Meteor extant, is the NF.14 the newest? WS838 is only 10 off WS848 the last built.
Roger Smith.

Superb – are MAM having a major repainting push at present cos it seems just about everything is being worked on -absolutely fantastic, whatever they put in your water – I’ll have some of it!

Not everything we have is being repainted, just a couple of projects are currently undergoing major look overs because they need them! Although it is nice to see these airframes looking new after repaints not all of them need them. There are certain subjects we have that just need cleaning. Man power is our biggest problem and there are only a few of us that are hands on regarding the airframes so only one or two jets are worked on thoroughly each year. The Vulcan, all be it looking good at the moment, still needs to be finished painting. The Sea Vixen, that I work on, is currently under going major restoration and plans are also in the pipeline to repaint the Argosy G-APRL, this will however take a couple of years. So yes, things are going on at MAM at the moment including the arrival of a new airframe in the next few weeks’ of which airframe I’m afraid I am unable to inform you about at this time, but watch this space!

Superb – are MAM having a major repainting push at present cos it seems just about everything is being worked on -absolutely fantastic, whatever they put in your water – I’ll have some of it!

I’m seriously thinking about moving over that way so I could get involved with them. All those classic jets under one roof – lovely. 🙂

Last time I checked…. (on Saturday) 🙂