New air to airs of MK959

Thanks to Mike Muraski and Ted Miller at Hooks for these shots…
They were taken from Ted’s helicopter…

That white glare from the cockpit has to be Ray’s smile!!!!!! 😀

These were taken yesterday after Ray in MK959 departed DW Hooks, Texas at 3PM local. 959 is now back home at Covey Trails in west Houston.

Awesome…

Per John Stewart (I missed Ray at the hangar by about 20 minutes) Ray may go as early as Sunday… so I will check with him tomorrow/Saturday… and buy my camera film!

MK959, Estimated Time of Departure…

Ok, sports fans and poetry lovers…. and fans of MK959…

Tuesday, March 29th…

Ray said this morning as he was fastening on some wing faring panels… looks like next Tuesday he will be ready to fly out of DW Hooks and back to Covey Field.

He has to check how well the fuel transfer from wing tanks to main tank works (capacity/time etc) before he flies long distances.

Ray said when they started the restoration… the right wing had been filled with water about half way up as it sat on the pylon… lots of work…

He got his blueprints and stencils from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
I mentioned the rudder marking of 65 verses 6S to him. That was the way he got the info passed to him, but when he has time, he will ck it out. It is a reference on each good sized component or part, to a specific page of specs.

959 looks real nice. John did some touch up on the upper right wing red roundel center… Think I got some overspray on me… won’t ever wash it off… 😀

The Bearcat has finally been primed and is in another hangar. I am sure it will be back in John Stewart’s hangar when 959 is gone. 🙁

I will keep cking with Ray and hope we synch up for the roll out and take off. I am trying to get several fans/friends at work to come out too.

Ray said he thinks the tower will let him beat up the field a few times. :diablo: :dev2: 😀

Stay tuned…

MK959 tail and tools

Ray got the stencils fm Battle of Britain. Over 100 of them, quite a stack. The squadron emblem (FF) is their own make, with (great) help of ‘MK959’, I believe, as well as the French pilot himself. Ray told me what each meant on the rudder a week ago, but I can only recall that the W/T, did not mean wireless telegraph to my layman expectation, but had to do with the type fittings/bolts, etc. ie british standard, etc. (Yes, it is 6S (ess))

Speaking of tool sizes, they had an interesting American made custom tool for British sizes on the work bench yesterday as Ray was installing a landing gear extender strut with new better seals… see pic

I figure Ray can get at least as much for a ride in his new front seat, 😎 as they get for a B17 ride… about $400 a pop… Helmet, scarf and goggles provided.

I have more stencil shots underwing, on elevator, etc. Can take some more if you want…. send me a PM / email if you like.

Hope to go out again today at lunch… I expect to find Ray still hard at work… You can tell he can see the light at the end of the tunnel/runway! He is focused and working hard.

More weekend shots of MK 959

Here are a few pics from Saturday…

It has been interesting to see so many people working so hard on 959, and other vinatage aircraft around Hooks… Quite a lot of friendships and camaraderie in the vintage aviation community. Some of them very long term friendships too!

959 list and curent status

G-GORDY, tnx for the list!

Here is 959, yesterday afternoon… stenciling goes on and on and on…
:rolleyes:

Great attention to detail. Each prop blade alone must have 4 or 5 on it, including some specially made ones due to color and complexity…

John was picking out the tiny little middles of numbers and letters on the prop blades… Very time consuming and requires much close attention.

Cowlings off for stenciling…. Plane up on center jack so gear could be raised and doors painted to match invasion striping…

Over 100 stencils, Ray said… ‘BOB’ had all of them on record.

war art

These are neat images and glimpses of fighter pilot life…

He was quite good…

And he even painted nose art for his unit… Pretty cool!

Ah yes… That is Texas Classified. I could tell you but then I’d have to….
Oh what the heck, no one will ever know… :rolleyes:

There is one for each rad. Ray had a previous experience such that he wanted to be sure he knew how they were performing … 😎