Anson
Restoration Project
30
September, 2004
By Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
This
past month we managed to finish installing the two strips of metal
on both sides of the cabin roof in preparation to installing the
cabin windows.
Mike
Dandurand and Chuck Calder have installed the wooden frames between the  starboard
forward and rear main spars, this is in preparation to install the
undercarriage and nacelles. Once this task is completed, the aircraft
will be hoisted up and the undercarriage and wheels fitted.
After this task is completed it will be the first time since 1945
that the aircraft as rested on its wheels.
To
complete the nose section Keith Brenson installed the nose cone. This
item arrived very badly damaged and entailed a lot of "metal
bashing". After the nose cone was straightened and shaped
to fit the nose section it was installed and smoothed over and
filled with body filler. All that is now required is for it to be
sanded and the observers forward window installed.
Jerry
Aucoin and Peter Miller managed to locate the rudder pedal stowage
brackets. The bracket needed bead blasting and all the hardware
replaced. This bracket stows the rudder pedals out of the way and
allows the Bomb Aimer to enter the nose section during flight.
The
winter’s projects include installing the crew seats, the control
columns, and the navigator and radio operator’s tables.
If
anybody is interested in viewing "the work in progress"
please drop by on a Monday or Tuesday between 8am and 4pm and we will be
glad to show you around.
This months
"Anson Trivia" is the story of how an Anson helped the
"Stork."
The
following is from the book "Wings For Victory" by Spencer
Dunmore,pages 216 and 217.
British
aviation historian Roger Freeman writes: "In general the Canadians
treated the British trainees royally and endured with understanding the
occasional incident that put them and their property at risk," He
cites one such case;
D.A.Reid
was privy to one mishap that could have had nasty consequences: "In
1944 I was sent to Canada for training, taking a course as a Bomb Aimer
at No 5 Bombing and Gunnery School, Dafoe, Saskatchewan. The usual
bombing exercise had pilot plus two u/t (under training) bomb-aimers
with a load of 12 practice bombs in an Anson. The bombs had a small
charge, sufficient to make a bang, flash and smoke that would mark the
point of impact for the aimer some 10,000 feet above. Each trainee
dropped six bombs singly, taking turns. One night, as the Anson banked
over Dafoe town to head for the target, I looked down in the nose and
saw my mate, Ginger, drop the release "tit" on the floor, The
bomb-released light went out as a practice bomb descended on to Dafoe
town. We abandoned the exercises and returned to base; Ginger was a very
worried men, Next morning a townsman arrived at the main gate and was
taken to the CO. Presently Ginger was called to report to the Office. We
all expected the worst. A little later Ginger came back grinning. The
bomb had detonated just outside the bedroom window of the Dafoe man's
wife. She had been in labour at the time with a doctor present. The
doctor said it was the quickest delivery he'd known.
Next
month we will continue with more stories of Anson Trivia. |
