Hi Everyone,
We’ve had a few emails & phone calls recently asking what we have been up to and / or what’s on and / or what’s going on so it is time we got off our rear ends and put together a newsletter. Pretty slack really – we’ll try and tidy our act up and once again get these out on a more regular basis.
Firstly, what have we been working on…………
A major job that has been in the shop for some months is the restoration of a set of Curtiss Hawk 75 wings, complete with gear & full systems. When completed they will be returned, via the USA where they will be mated to the fuselage, which is under restoration in California for The Fighter Collection at Duxford, in UK.
When this interesting & rare aircraft is finally finished, we shall give you a detailed report on the fascinating project.
Of course Judy Pay’s wings were completed back in September 2003. These have been shipped to Melbourne and progress is being made in getting the P-40F back on it’s wheels. Can’t wait to see and hear this one fly.
The Porter is nearing completion, having rebuilt it’s wings and serviced and assembled the fuse and empennage. New composite side doors have been produced and approved and the first of these is ready to be fitted. Andrew Wallace, the owner of the Porter, is still looking for an engine. Anyone know where he can get a PT6-27 or PT6-34 on a lease to own basis. The aircraft is under contract to a Sky Diving Organization however it needs one of those noise makers before it can fulfill this contract!
On an individual basis, this aircraft has an interesting history. It is an ex “Air America” ( the CIA’s commercial front ) aircraft that operated in Laos in the 60”s. Log book entries refer to repairs for “bullet damage” and further bullet damage that was still in the floor of the aircraft when it arrived at our shop indicates an interesting, if somewhat hazardous, past life.
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We thought this aircraft was big when it arrived. Now that it’s got it’s wings, well now that’s BIG
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Rob Mackley’s L.H Lockhead wing has progressed slowly because of other commitments, both sides have now almost finished being re-skinned. Work is scheduled to step up again next month.
Still not a lot of visual progress on our P-40N1, but systems components continue to be rebuilt and the Rudder and Fin are also now complete.
A recent visitor to the shop was Ray Hanna’s P-40E NZ3009. It arrived February 10th and was assembled and flown by Ray on February 13th.
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Also a new arrival is O.F.M.C’s Yak 3. This aircraft has been in Duxford for some years, starting life as a Yak 11 and having being reconverted, both in Russia and the UK, into an Allison V1710 powered Yak. Most of the restoration work is completed and we will be finishing off the rebuild and assembling. Not a huge amount of work and hopefully this should be airborne in the not too distant future.
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Now to that ‘only one left in the world’ aircraft that’s in the shop for restoration to flight status ( as mentioned in the last newsletter ) well here is a photo. See if you can identify what it is.
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And a couple of not totally aviation events.
The first was a visit by Sir Jack Brabham. Sir Jack is best known for winning the World Formula Championship 3 times some 40 years ago. Well he turned up at Ardmore, which was once used as a race car track, to drive one of his old F1 Coopers which is now owned by Alan Drinkrow in Auckland. While at Ardmore he called into the shop to satisfy his other mechanical love – old aeroplanes. Incidentally this Cooper, while definitely identified as Sir Jacks ( he personally hand fitted and aircraft boost pump to the car to circulate oil for the transmission thru a cooler – which was on the car when acquired by Alan ) but it was also the car that Bruce won his first Grand Prix in, that being the USGP at Sebring.
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And this is how we get the jobs done so quick.
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Ciao
Garth