Hi Wildside

Looks like you are going through all the fun that I have had trying to open up those Cheetah engines, the first one I obtained had four sezied cylinders, the only way I could get them off was by very carefully cutting just below the piston. At least that saved the conrod / piston / pin. There’s no pattern to the condition either as the forth engine turned out to be perfect and freed up instantly!

There seems to be far more spares over your way as I’m desparate for good cylinders. These engines are going to be used on my AS Oxford NZ2155 and also on Don Subritsky’s Oxford up at Dairy Flat in Auckland NZ.

Stuart Atkinson.

The biggest problem we have found so far at Glyn’s is the parts, like most aeroplanes you can build the hull given time and heaps of money but the components are hard to get especially the cast alloy parts ( the mossie has heaps of these, I think the designers were trying to prove something! ). These alloy parts don’t like 60 odd years out in the rain and thus turn into white powder. The engines are relatively easy to get but spinners for the props ( and the props ) are hard to come by. Probably the hardest items I can think of to get would be the glycol radiators for the Merlins we haven’t seen any of these for years, lucky we have four to choose from!
The wood is mega bucks, and a lot of it turns into sawdust on the floor as you work it. I estimate an airworthy mossie with a genuine identity to be worth as much as the P38 lighting Glacer Girl which sold for a cool 8.0 Million.

Hi, I am involved with the KA114 project. From the remains of the original fuselage and wing the standard of workmanship was quite high, however only some mistakes were made in the form of miss drilled holes here and there and some of the finishing work in the minor detailed areas was average to good. However it was war time and the object of the exersize was to get the finished product out fighting the war which as we all know it did well. As for the castings they were basically all sand cast which gave a rough texture and gave the appearance that they were crudely fashioned… this not the case as they were made to very exacting tollerances, the corrosion resistance is very good for their age at 60 odd years! My Airspeed Oxford did away with expensive castings and used light steel units instead but De Havilland had something to prove and used the best availible products at the time. It is as complex as any medium bomber at the time with an advanced electrical and hydraulic system, the pneumatic brakes let the aircraft down a bit but then everything has a weakness.
We are using the West system for bonding the wood, the weight difference should be about the same as for the old glue, but the advantages are a more durable bond over time and a stonger bond strength. The cables AV specs are using are modern teflon, as the originals were rubber covered and not UV resistant, they were also not fire resistant.

Well hopefully they saved some of the instruments, Can’t save the plane but can save the instruments!

Dave,
As I have been told by the previous owner the remains, and I say remains were collected from various farms in the South Island of NZ. Windwhistle had the most parts and an “identity” was able to be found on them ( being NZ2155 ). The biggest pieces were the engine firewalls main wheels and engine cowls, all of the parts were off surplus aircraft not crashed or damaged except by the farmers who cut them up for parts. Some of the parts were buried in farm dumps and as a result are only good for samples…. they would not even suit static due to corrosion. The RNZAF museum in Christchurch got all the good parts from the farms years ago so I guess I will be catching up with them in good time. I have managed to work magic on a lot of the items, as I am going airworthy as much as possible where I can but often a better item comes to light later. Instruments were not a problem for me as I already had most of them plus “Ebay” solves that problem, with the only major item being the pilots seats and the captains inst panel to get for the cockpit. All the woodwork is gone, but I do have a rudder and most of the elevators, which are in very tidy condition. Most of the Hydraulic and Pneumatic and Electrical system components are all there however I will need more to make airworthy units in the future ( these did not come with the project, I had most of them given to me by Gyln as they were not compatable with his Mosquito ). At this stage I am trying like most restorers to get all the parts so that I can set up to do the woodwork a while down the track.

Peter, I would be more than glad to help, as I am sure I will need yours too. As for the panel you have two options…
1: I measure it up and send the dimensions (cheap option).
2: Make a panel for you out of the material you specify ( 2024 Alum etc ), this makes it easy for you and I can trade for something.

With the Oxbox I have found no two were the same in the cockpit so we would have check what panel layout your aircraft had. I am after the pilots panel behind the blind flying panel so you may have something to exchange there, I do not need the bomb switch control panel. I also need heaps of drawings too, like you do. I will have to chase up your Email. Cheers Stuart.

Furthur to that Windwhistle Oxford, I am the lucky chap who bought it off Trademe. As it happened I really bought it to add to my cockpit collection as it was really cheap but found that there was more aircraft than I thought so I have decided to make a project of it ( plus finding out that only 6 exist also encouraged me, I like a challenge ). I am not new to this game however as I overhaul WW2 instruments in my spare time plus help restore Gyln Powel’s Mosquito here in Auckland. I have an original R/H panel on loan from the Subritzky’s as a sample to copy for my own aircraft.