  
 Anson
Restoration Project
By Colin
Ainsworth, Project Leader
30 April 2006
During the past
month Ernie Killen, Mike Dandurand, Keith Brenson and Peter Campagna
have completed about 80% of the starboard wing.
 All
the cross ribs are installed and both bays are ready for the two fuel
tanks. Each of the cross ribs were recessed to allow the stringers that
run the length of the wing to be installed. This procedure was very time
consuming; each rib has at least five stringers across the top of the
wing, five around the leading edge and then further five across the
bottom of the wing, plus the ones at the trailing edge of the wing. Each
of the stringers taper from the wing root to the wing tip and have to be
at the correct angle at the tip.
All that is now
required to complete the starboard wing is to install the metal leading
edge and then cover the wing with plywood and the ceconite material.
Since we have
very little space in the building we have had to store the
starboard wing between two of the roof support beams. When the port wing
is ready for covering, we will be able to finish both of them at the
same time.
Jerry Aucoin,
Chuck Calder, and Butch Fluery painted the cockpit floors prior to
installing the hydraulic hand pump, the manual undercarriage crank
system, and drilled the mounting holes for each of the four seats.
Al Sheppard,
Peter Miller and myself installed the wiring for the six cockpit lights
and installed the wiring bundle behind the instrument panel. This past
month we have been fortunate in finding quite a few of the missing
instruments for the Anson. Some
of the ones we still require are one Outside Air Temp, two
Boost Gauges, two Manifold Gauges, and two Flap Indicators.
If anybody can help us find these items it would be greatly appreciated.
In the last
article I mentioned we required one Grimes cockpit light to
complete the six that are installed at the various crew positions in the
aircraft. Within two days one was donated to the museum and is now
installed in the bomb aimers compartment. Who ever donated it I would
like to thank you. Our aim is to restore the aircraft as close to
its original configuration as possible.
This next month
we will be manufacturing the port wing, installing more items in
the cabin area, hopefully start manufacturing the rack
that the radios are installed in.
This month's "Anson
Trivia" is part six of the Anson development prior to WW2. The
following is from Flypast Magazine July 1989 Page 56 by Ken Wixey.
One
rather bizarre episode befell one Anson crew who had been forced to
"ditch" near a British destroyer through lack of fuel. As they
waited patiently to be rescued, the Anson's crew were astounded to see a
large number of navel personnel jumping from the destroyer into the sea.
"We are sinking shouted the aircraft's pilot. "So are we"
came the reply! Both the destroyer and Anson's crew were picked up by
another destroyer led to the scene by an Anson.
Originally,
Anson Mk1s starting with K6152 were in overall silver finish and, in
addition to the usual serial number positions, these were repeated in 40
inch high figures on the upper wing surfaces being exhibited in opposite
directions i.e. K6152 upper port, upside down starboard wing.
This
scheme applied to all early delivery Ansons of which K6152 went to the
A&AEE Martlesham, K6153 - K6162 to 48 Squadron and K6163 to the CFS.
Later deliveries were in camouflage finish of dark earth, dark green
upper surfaces and light grey under surfaces known as template land
scheme.
Most
Ansons were gradually replaced by later types like the Lockheed
Hudson and Whitley Vs and GR Viis, but some continued serving with
Coastal Command until 1942.
This concludes
the six articles; next month we will start a new series, "Memories
of The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan".
|
