Lindy’s LadLooks like youve all been working very hard, keep up the good work all of you.
Re: The F86, is there no way you can paint the white line carefully onto the present paint job?
Option 2 of course, is take plenty of photos, put together a story board of the aircraft history including this paint job and who when & why the work was done then repaint the nose correctly now you have the correct information.
Bex
Nah, not really an option. I really have to re-do the nose section (there’s another panel on the underside which needs to have the red and yellow section put on too, so I think it would be worthwhile to re-paint the whole nose just to make it look consistent. Its a shame, but should only add two weeks onto the scheme of work. This thread’s aim is to highlight the problems a small museum has, and how we have overcome them. This is possibly the best example on here. It is a shame that one little error has been discovered, but it is easily rectified, and I still maintain that the original researchers, painters and restorers did a fantastic job. I’ll upload a photo of it later if I find my camera lead and decribe what the non-obvious error is, and how I’ll get around it. The public don’t need to know, but I think it’s worthwhile mentioning it to restorers and enthusiasts on here.
Lindy’s LadToday’s news – yesterday’s work
Update 30 Sept. 2007
Ok, so I’m a day late…:eek:
Vulcan news – still waiting for paint, however two of the valliant team arrived to paint the port MLG and prime the stbd. Minor corrosion was treated before prime or paint….! The very top of the legs are in quite poor state, and some time is going to have to be spent on those parts alone before the leg can be considered to be complete.
At some point in the near future, we will be looking to borrow a wheel removal socket, a swan neck and a jack for a couple of weeks while we remove each mainwheel (one at a time- just incase anyone knows me…), restore the wheels, and in some cases fit new tyres, and in all cases, fill with foam. At the same time, a pair of axle stands will be manufactured to take the weight off the tyres. We would be looking to do 2 wheels per day (possibly Saturday and Sunday) , so within a couple of weeks, all wheels would be restored (the nose wheels are perfect).
We also had the RAT out of its hole (completely different to mice, of which we will encouter later…. Surprisingly, the bay is in pretty good shape as it the RAT itself. This will be regularly maintained now that we know it can be pushed back up easily…. and dropped down every Sunday…
Skin repairs for the puncture holes are being made, and will be wet fitted as soon as we are in possession of some paint.
Everything else
Lightning news – Spine panels are being re-skinned away from NEAM, and the first pair should be complete in a week or two. Sadly, the Great North Run prevented many members from getting to NEAM (the route passes about 2 miles away) and traffic was awful…
Welland News – Its painted! … and should be on display very soon. (Linda)
Gazelle news – The control cables are being fitted, and generally, the airframe is in excellent condition. The team (Dunc and Semi Hogg) inform me that they will rebuild it with the intention of being able to get the beasty live….
F86D news – The legend ‘Sabre Knights’ on the stbd side is complete, the sabre design has had the first coat, and will be completed next week, and the stbd wingtip has had a nice coat of red in the appropriate place.
We messed up….. these things happen with limited resources, and bare in mind that no one has seen a ‘Sabre Knights’ themed aircraft since 1954…. – The yellow and red nose colouring is in the wrong place by, wait for it… 2 inches at the tips. Essentially, there should be a white painted band around the radome mount which covers the screws. It should be an inch wide. With the Red/yellow markings in their current position, there is no room for this band. So now a question – that paintwork was done several years ago, and there is no way I could get an exact match for the paint. So do I ignore the problem because it doesn’t detract from the aircraft and ‘no-one will notice’, or do I strip off the existing paint and start again on the nose? I hate choices…. where’s the nitromors?….
By the way, the original painters / restorers of this aeroplane did a superb job with the information which they had at the time, and should be commended for their bravery at tackling such an ambitious project. When they started, the whole aircraft was in yellow primer, deeply etched on, and generally poor. I owe them alot for giving me a superb base from which to complete this VERY important airframe. (Thanks Misha, et al.):D
Other news – all this talk of RATs earlier leads micely… um, nicely to another little problem. When a mouse was spotted in the stores, sat on a bag, it raised a little concern for Semi-Hogg… He picked up the bag, into which the mouse had ‘legged it’, tipped it upside down, and was nearly killed by the mass stampede which ensued. We have mice. Several of them… We now have traps. Hundreds of them…. (No mice/voles/ or any other rodents were harmed in the making of this thread…. Semi-Hogg has been slightly wounded, and I have a paper-cut, but thats all….)
As soon as I find my camera lead, I’ll upload some photos…! Thats all folks!
Lindy’s LadThe collection knew exactly what they had before they cut it – part of the sales description to me included the Shell connection with Bader. There was no chance of her going inside at Caernarfon as the hangar was full before it arrived . Top marks for Jon for pulling it from the hands of almost certain destruction. Serious questions must be asked when it gets to this stage with a museum which I believe to be a BAPC member.
Message on behalf of (and from) the BAPC secretary, Mr. B. Dixon – Caenarfon are NOT BAPC members.
From me – well done to Jon and team for saving the airframe..
Lindy’s LadYes TVOC have control of 603 now. The cockpit will move to Brunty, the rest of the usable spares which TVOC don’t need will go to other Vulcan owners. BAe have a job too for the hulk once she has been completely recovered of usable parts. Best ask TVOC for the complete story
Lindy’s LadBah! Halifaxes… 😀
Anyone got a set of HP Jetstream 200 manuals on CD rom which they would be willing to share / relocate? (Yes the usual places have been looked at…)
Lindy’s LadImagine what would have happened if the FW190 actually had been that size! Interesting comparing it to the Bearcat in that pic above…:D
I love it! Have the scale flying qualities been compared to that of the full size (Flug Werk) variant yet?
I wish I could have a museum full of aircraft that size – imagine how many ‘warbirds’ you could fit into a T2 hangar! 😀
Nice paint job.
There is only one problem – I want one……:dev2:
Lindy’s LadGreat to hear things have turned around and are all going positive now.
Thanks again for keping us all updated just one question, Any news on the repaint will it happen before the white stuff hits(not from the starlings):)
Still under negotiations with the company involved. They are a big firm, and cannot be rushed… plus, its a HUGE amount of paint!
As soon as we get it, we’ll start rubbing down the old stuff and completing the skin repairs / replacement. Because the jet is outside, I don’t want to do the skin repairs until we have the top coat to put on the new metal. If we replace panels now, there is a chance they could be left either bare or primed over the winter…. pointless. If it means painting it when its cold, then so be it. (I never snows here anyway… the rain is just colder)
Lindy’s LadIve heard about one at Scampton being granted to fly, XX885 I think.
How comme the RAFG Buccs didnt have probes? Can understand their missions would be fairly short endurance, but what if things went wrong and a refuel would of helped?
Hawker Hunter Aviation. Anyone heard any news on that aircraft’s prospects?
Back to Mk1’s, just how rare are Gyron Juniors?
Lindy’s LadWhile its there, theres always hope.;)
Lindy’s LadLindy’s LadHere’s a good one, and possibly true….
During the 1950’s at RAF Leconfield, and AOC’s parade was to take place. All of the station was lined up on the aircraft pan opposite the hangars awaiting the arrival of the AOC. This particular AOC used a Meteor to get around, and as the entire station watched, he lined up on finals.
All was going well until the Meteor spluttered and nosed in just on the airfield threshhold, killing the AOC in front of eveyone on the camp… Apparently, the inspection was cancelled….
Bummer.
(If this is the case, its most likely that the aircraft hit the ground at the Molescroft end of the airfield, although I have no documentation to back any of this up – hopefully its just an urban legend….)
Lindy’s LadOff topic, but I’m sure young Britannia won’t mind – info about the Gill hangar and the JP within:
Look long and hard at the Gill Hangar – in two weeks it won’t be there. Newcastle college are to build a new Academy (academy 2, the revenge?) in its place. That 737 may be the last active aircraft to be in that hangar….
I may be wrong (I only work for the college aeronatical department!) but the JP is also NCL colleges. We have a silver T3 which will be used for a/c jacking, systems training, etc. It may be that one, or the OTHER JP. We were alledgedly looking at getting 4 of them…!
There is another T3 which is a flier, privately owned and usually based in the GA / helecopter hangar next to the Academy’s 737-200, C-GWJO. (Sorry Brittania, back to topic now! – NEAM update over on historic mate!)
From an engineers POV, that 737 will not and cannot fly with that kind of damage. No one would sign a CRS even if the pilot would take it. As has been said, a competent sheety would be able to do a simple patch repair, jointing the stringers behind. Hopefully not much damage has been done to the frames within, but even so, a repair will be a reletively simple matter.
All the best, LL
Lindy’s LadUpdate 23 Set 07
Not much to report this week!
Vulcan news is very thin on the ground – the port MLG has been primed ready for painting next week. umm… thats it!
The Whirlwind has had all of the old dayglow orange stripped off the nose. The metal is surprisingly good underneath, and following etching and priming will be re-painted in the same scheme it wears now.
Work has re-started on the Gazelle, and it has been discovered that the aircraft was used by the Army Air Corps as one of the trials aircraft pre-service (it was believed to be civillian all its life). The plan is to move it into No.1 hangar (the one with the lightning in) before painting and create a spray booth around it. As it stands at the minute, she will be painted in the AAC green/grey scheme and will be used as a travelling exhibit. Work has continued on the Rotor head and gearbox, re-connecting pipes, etc. A new set of engine cols will have to be sourced since we have ones from a different engine mod. Damn! An inspection of the airframe has revealed immaculate metal, and in theory it should be possible to get the aircraft to a state where power can be applied (batteries at least). We are still trying to source the following items:
Engine cowls with the bulges! (ours are the shorter smooth ones)
Central instrument pedestal
Skid leg spats – In service, these were removed due to re-occuring damage, but since this is a trials aircraft, the would have been fited. We have parts, but not a complete set.
The ‘Sabre Knights’ lettering has been completed on the port side of the F86D. Next week will see the ‘Sabre’ graphic being applied. (This is my current project).
The plan is: Work on the stbd side! It is the first thing a visitor sees as they enter the hangar. Once the nose is complete, move to the ‘raging bull’ graphic on the central fuselage. The next job will then be painting the central upper surface of the wing in a light grey colour – it appears to be anodised, but has corroded over time and is patchy. ‘USAF’ can then be applied. Following this painting work, the rest of the port side needs to be sanded down, removing all of the deep scratches, then polished. A mammoth task. (Any volunteers). Warning markings will then be applied, and the airframe given a final light polish to remove finger prints etc.:cool:
Then simply repeat for the port side……..:eek:
The Lightning is progressing well. It currently has the old stub of the fin attached and is in the process of being removed! All of the rear mounts are un done, but access to the forward mount is ‘difficult’ (impossible) due to the first jet pipe section still being attached to the upper engine. Problems are occuring almost everywhere, but with Dave and Roy heading the team, things are being moved along rapidly. One spine panel is with Newcastle Aviation Academy being re-skinned, and another is at Newcastle College. The race is on to see who can complete theirs first…..:D Only kidding – the panels will be completed as time permits. Etching of the airframe in preparation for primer and paint has begun.
Paint for the Canberra is being aquired this week….
We still need more info regarding the Harley (?) light fitting for the drogue units. How many TT18’s were fitted with this system? Are there any decent photos of the installation? :confused:
There’s lots going on now, and it is good to see the museum coming to life again. 😀
Lindy’s LadLets see it! That bust of Angelina Jolie is unbelievable…. 😎 😎
Lindy’s LadCan someone tell me what this thread has got to do with historic aviation?
The A310 flew past (nearly into) an old Yak….. (aeroplane, not hairy cow)
A310 design is 30 years old……
The pilot was ALMOST history…..
hmm…..;)
I know – coat, coathooks, door etc.:D
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