Thanks to all those who have sent PM’s since the last progress report. Work has continued apace with the Mk 3 fuselage completed late last year. In addition to this, lots of other work has been going on mainly stripping and cleaning various metal brackets.
We bought an as new shot blasting cabinet last year, this allows all the steel brackets to be stripped of all paint and any surface corrosion. These are then carefully examined for cracks, accident and wear. Once happy each has been zinc chromate
painted, fitted with new bearings, labelled and stored ready for their turn to be used. With the fuselage complete and heeding advice from others who have been there first, we have and are completing the control cable runs to the tail assembly. With these are in place
the fuselage will receive its outer ply covering which like a monocoque construction provides the real strength and rigidity. With the fuselage covered the top cabin section can be positioned along with the rear cabin roof formers. Then visitors will recognise the shape
of a Proctor.
The big project that kicked off in early January was to tackle the complex centre section. Within a week it had been reduced to component form and the spar ply faces broken away. Good to look inside these closed box sections and the first time that they
have seen the light of day in 67 years. Like many other parts stripped,various dates were revealed written in pencil and initials no doubt by a then Mancunian resident employed by F Hills & Sons who constructed her in 1943.
Progress has been to say the least rapid with the centre section rebuild. Like the fuselage over 90% of the original spruce has been deemed fit for purpose and re glued, but all the ply gussets have been renewed with best quality Finland ply. This material is of a far
higher grade then available during the war and is superb to machine. All centre section forward to trailing edge frames have been glued in place, together with compression struts and the flap torque tubes installed. Alignment and accuracy of the internal centre section parts
was absolutely critical with the one inch diameter torque tube passing through holes cut in the internal frames with less then 2 mm tolerance all round. Glad to report that these have been machined, positioned and glued perfectly with no fouling.
The control yoke connecting brackets are fitted along with the flap lever, all finished as for the brackets described above, with new bushes and bearings throughout. Another ten days will complete the centre section, then onto the inboard wing and split flaps which are
re built separately before being glued and screwed to the centre section.
By the end of March we aim to have the completed fuselage trial fitted to the centre section. This is an important mile stone, all the original holes and bracket positions need to align near as perfect, though there will be an element of fettling i am sure to ensure exact alignment.
Under carriage oleos will be sent away for overhaul, brand new tyres and hubs await their return.
We have identified a local company capable of blowing new clear perspex windscreen and door panels. They are a plastic forming operation in Colchester who are up to the task and taking this on. The rear hinged cabin windows have been stripped
frames are solid brass, cleaned and etch primed ready to receive top coat. New clear perspex panels are cut and ready to fit. The cockpit window frame is rebuilt along with the cabin structure and the doors are being stripped.
The summer project is to complete both outer wings. Luckily the port wing is complete, still fabric covered and with the inboard folding section in place. Both wings will be either rebuilt bit by bit around the spar unless we find on stripping down that there is
to much damage. If that’s the case we will have to break both down into component form then rebuild from scratch having first built a wing jig. The Queen engine awaits its turn and later this year we will be selecting a specialist company to undertake the rebuilding
to zero time condition. This is one bill that the group is not looking forward to receiving and really the only major part along with propeller that we are out sourcing, all other aspects being done in house.
The workshop will be open for t a tour and inspection at the three following events at Great Oakley later this year. April 17th & 18th Royal Aero Club Air Race, May 29th Open Fly in (if it flies bring it), August 28th Vintage and classic Fly in.
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By: RPSmith - 31st March 2025 at 11:36
Thanks for the comprehensive report – great work going on.
Roger Smith.
By: WJ244 - 31st March 2025 at 11:34
Mike
That is terrific progress. Hope to get up for a visit when the weather gets better.
By: RMAllnutt - 31st March 2025 at 11:24
Wonderful stuff!!!
I find it even more interesting in that my grandfather apprenticed at F Hills & Son during the early part of the war. He had probably moved on to Metro Vickers, by the time your aircraft was made, but it’s exciting to me to see something from a factory where he worked. I’d been looking for references to Hills for some time, but not having the proper name for the company probably complicated things, as he referred to it as Hills Aircraft. He said they were making furniture in the same factory. He also mentioned that Fairey Aviation took over the airfield as well, but I’m uncertain of all the details.
Does anyone have any further info. on Hills, or where they were located?
Thanks again for the lovely details on your projects, and the report. Your restoration work is impressive indeed!
All the best,
Richard
By: eye4wings - 31st March 2025 at 11:24
I too really MUST get over and see your handiwork this year (having totally failed last year).
I was interested to see the 1:2 scale Proctor 5 hanging above the work and from which your forum name doubtless comes. Is it a flyer? Radio Control or single seat? Or static only?
What’s the story?
By: Arabella-Cox - 31st March 2025 at 11:23
Weren ‘t Hills and Sons based at Barton airfield Manchester?
By: Arabella-Cox - 31st March 2025 at 11:22
Yes, you are correct Hills were based on Trafford Park, address was Trafford Park Road (must go down and see if there is any evidence left of the factory). It is less than four miles from Trafford Park Road to Barton by road over the Barton swing bridge. Hills produced the Praga before the war and these aircraft took the same route as the Proctors.
Work looks to be progressing really well. When complete you will have to fly up to Barton for a “homecoming”………!!!
Planemike
By: Tango Charlie - 31st March 2025 at 11:22
F. Hills & Son
So far as i can determine the company were based at Trafford Park Manchester. 812 Percival Proctors of various marks were built by them between 1941 to 45. Completed airframes were sent by road to Barton for final assembly, rigging and test flying.
By: Tango Charlie - 31st March 2025 at 11:21
Test Flying
The thought has occurred to us that G-AKEX (LZ791) could be sent by road to Barton for final assembly and test flying when the time arrives. It would be a nice start to her second flying career as well as an historical link between airframe and manufacturer. Even better if we can locate former F Hills employees to be in attendance. Duxford remains first choice at the moment due to its relative proximity to the restoration workshop, large grass runway not to mention the wealth of expertise available there. That said once she has flown again Barton is high on our list of airfields to visit, along with Thame where she was based with the ATA from 1943 to wars end.
By: Goldilocks - 31st March 2025 at 11:21
Great pictures – I can almost smell the timber. Hoping to visit for the air races.
Goldilocks
By: Proctor VH-AHY - 31st March 2025 at 11:16
Gooday All
OK I’m impressed – really impressed. Photos make me want to get stuck into my project.
Thought I would put up this image of the re-inforcing under the rear cabin floor, I think its interesting how it was done.
cheers
By: Tango Charlie - 31st March 2025 at 11:11
ATA Help Needed
it occurred to me that amongst the forum members there may be someone who can point us in the right direction. We know that LZ791 was an ATA machine from 1943 to 1945 and based at Thame in Oxfordshire. We have now made contact with two former pilots from Thame all who flew Proctors amongst other more exotic aircraft. Both have advised that the Pool Proctors of which there were around 15 at any one time had a number painted onto the
engine cowl, from 1 to 15 not surprisingly! The pilots we have spoken to advise that it was common practice to simply complete their log books with the pool number and not the actual military serial number. One pilot has checked her logs and has written the serial number alongside the pool number for five flights
so we know which Proctors she flew. Tantalizingly there are around another 50 log entries for Proctor flights with just the pool number, nothing more. The odds of her flying our Proctor are therefore extremely high we have to find the pool numbers for Thame based Proctors at the time. Can anyone help us here please or point us in the right direction. It would be great to know and hopefully reunite the pilot with her Proctor from nearly 70 years ago.
By: Dev One - 31st March 2025 at 10:28
ATA – I cannot be much help except to confirm that my fathers logbook for Thame in 1944 showed that he flew Proctors, but just recorded the Pool number.
I wish you all sucess in your rebuild – it is looking very good.
He bought a Mk I Proctor G-AHNA in 1949 from Brooklands Aviation in Sywell.
This aircraft was Hills No 2 built in Manchester 1940 & carried serial R7486.
Originally a 3 seater he modified her to have the bench seat in the rear.
He flew her in many UK air races in the 50’s & 60’s & sold her in July 67. Unfortunately she was written off in 69 following a precautionary landing due to oil pressure fluctuations.
I am in the process of doing a major rework of my first Flight Sim model (currently available at www.classicbritishfiles.com & Avsim). This rework is necessary because I have learnt a lot in the last couple of years, & I would like to know if you can supply me with information on the cockpit limitation placards – Vne/flaps, engine etc, as I wish to incorporate them into the virtual cockpit. I do have a copy of the civil repair manual & the pilots notes (RAF & civil typewritten ones).
I hope to release this update in 4 to 6 weeks time – it takes longer to rebuild/repair than create from scratch it would seem.
I hope you can help.
Keith
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February 12, 2010 at 10:24 pm
