  
 Museum’s
Anson Restoration Project
By
Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
31 Aug 07
This past month quite a bit of
progress has been made. Ernie Killen, Mike Dandurand and Chuck Calder
finished the construction of the rudder and part of the tail
section. With the help of Schurman's Industrial Supplies in
Berwick we were fortunate in  locating the right type of flat
head common screws used to secure the cockpit window assembly to nose
section. This major step was finally completed and the
four bolts securing the nose to the cockpit section are now permanently
installed.
Peter
Miller and Jerry Aucoin have just about finished bead blasting the
items required for the engine rebuild. After steady progress over
the past few months Phil Weedon, Dustin Colwell and Mark Lapointe are
ready to start re-assembling the two engines.
Click
here to see the
latest pictures.
Our next phase is to finish
of the cabin roof and install the cabin. The team would like
to thank 14 AMS workshop for refurbishing the Astro
Hatch.
This item required a lot effort to return it to its present
pristine condition, and it will be stored for safe keeping until it is
ready to install it on the aircraft.
On the 30 August the Restoration
Team was pleased to host a group of veterans from the Soldier's Memorial
Hospital. After a tour of the aircraft restoration
workshop, we all enjoyed a snack and a good conversation with them
about their experiences. Hopefully they can return and see the
continuing restoration progress.
This months "Anson
Trivia" is a story of "no bombs at all"
The following is from the
book "Wings For Victory" by Spencer Dunmore. Page 191
The first bomb-aiming
exercises were exciting for students, if not for the bored staff pilots.
In the spring of 1943, New Zealander Ron Mayhill climbed aboard Anson No
8620 at No 7 B&GS Pualson, Manitoba, in company with two
compatriots. All three of them were agog; it was not only their first
bombing "mission" but also their first trip in an aircraft.
Up we went to three
thousand feet, over Dauphin Lake, settling at 120 mph. On the run to the
practice bombing range, the pilot waved, and Jim McCormick, who was
nearest, crawled over to receive the height, temperature, and airspeed
corrections for us to compute on our Form T32s, as we had been trained.
Another wave, there being no intercom in the glasshouse cabin, just a
speaking tube from the tapered nose to the cockpit, and Jim slithered
head first through the narrow aperture below the pilot's feet, into the
claustrophobic nose with small downward window. A few minutes later, a
red faced McCormick squirmed back, the pilot wiping his brow and
shouting something which evidently shocked Jim.... Around went the Anson
in a vicious diving turn that threw Ian Ward and me off our seats. When
we had picked ourselves up, Jim leaned over and shouted. "There’s
no bloody bombsight on board!"
In their excitement, none
of the three students had thought to check on the presence of that
essential piece of equipment.
Next month we will continue with
more stories of "Anson Trivia"
|
