  
 Anson
Restoration Project
By Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
31 December, 2005
During
the past four weeks Ernie Killen manufactured and installed the main
cabin door. The door was retro-manufactured from a door that Chuck
Calder managed to obtain from a museum in Brandon, Manitoba. We were
very fortunate to obtain this door as it was complete with all the
original metal fittings. After making a drawing Ernie cut out the outer
wooden frame and shaped it to fit inside the metal fuselage frame. After
it was installed  Mike
Dandurand then painted the complete assembly. The next task was then to
install the sliding cockpit windows; these required the manufacturing of
four metal channel sections that enable the opening and closing of the
cockpit windows. Since we do not have the resources at the museum to
manufacture these, we asked 14 AMS workshops for help. Having shown a
sample of an old and badly damaged section, we were told, "leave it
with us and we will see what we can do". True to form the following
week we went to see how they were making out, lo and behold four channel
sections were ready for pick up. The response and enthusiasm we receive
is always encouraging to us when we ask them for help.
Chuck Calder and Jerry Aucoin are
just about finished rebuilding the pilots throttle quadrant and it
should be installed in the next couple of weeks.
Peter Miller and Keith Brenson are
in the process of manufacturing the basic instrument panel. This panel
contains the six instruments that a pilot requires to fly the aircraft
and was the standard panel fitted in RAF and RCAF World War 2 aircraft.
Al Sheppard and myself spent a few days installing the electrical wiring
harnesses. Al finished rebuilding and installing the main electrical
junction box a few months ago. The bomb aimer's panel was the next on
the list to be rebuilt and, then the armament control panel. This last
panel was in very poor condition when we received it, consequently it
had to be re-wired and three new electrical switch boxes made. Each of
these boxes contains four selector and release switches these allowed
the aircrew to select different bombs and release positions during
training flights. After the panel was reconstructed, we realized that
individual instruction plates would be required for the selector boxes.
Since we do not have an engraving machine, we approached the Valley Drug
Mart Trophy and Engraving in Kingston and explained with the help of a
drawing what we required. They quickly assured us that they could do the
engraving and that it would be very interesting challenge, and we could
pick them up the next day.
The plates they made for us are
the exact reproduction of the ones that were installed in the aircraft
when it was built in Amherst, NS in 1941.
During January we hope to start
installing all the aircraft instruments and electrical switches in the
aircraft and start getting the aircraft ready to apply the fabric
covering.
This month's "Anson
Trivia" is part two of the Anson development prior to WW2
The following is from Flypast
Magazine July 1989 Page55 by Ken Wixey.
In the starboard side of
the nose was a bomb-aimer's position incorporating a sliding door in the
floor for use of a course-setting bombsight and an adjustable windscreen
to prevent entry of air through the aperture. To the bomb-aimer's right
were the bomb release controls, these being electrical while fusing was
mechanical. Bombs usually comprised two 100lb and eight 20lb carried
above spring-loaded doors in the centre section. Prototype Avro 652A
(K4771) made its first flight from Woodford on March 24 1935, powered by
two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah VI radial engines. A month later it was
at the A&AEE Martlesham for official trials, when it was suggested
alterations to the tailplane and elevators would be beneficial. This
resulted in a 20% increase in the tailplane span. On being transferred
to the Coastal Defence Development Unit at Gosport, Avro 652A competed
against de Havilland's DH.89M. Participation in Fleet Exercises of the
east coast soon demonstrated the 652A's superior range and endurance
capabilities, the Avro won the day. In July 1935 an initial contract was
signed by the Air Ministry for 174 production 652A's under Specification
G18/35. These were to be powered by 395hp Cheetah IX engines, and a
continuous transparency running full length of the cabin was to replace
the existing three oblong windows. Name chosen for the new
reconnaissance bomber was Anson - after a famous 18 century British
Admiral. Designated Anon GRMK1, the first production machine (K6512)
flew on December 31 1935 but as Cheetah IX engines were not ready, it
was powered, like some early production Ansons, with Cheetah VIs. On
March 6 1936, 48 Squadron at Manston, began receiving its new Ansons,
becoming the first operational Anson unit: it was also the last, not
changing its Ansons for Lockheed Hudsons until January 1942.
Next month we will continue with
part three on the development of the Avro Anson.
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