Introduction
Rebuilding
a Legend
The
Greenwood Military Aviation Museum has begun the daunting task of
rebuilding the Anson MK2. This particular aircraft 7135 was originally
built by the Canadian Car & Foundry in Amherst Nova Scotia and  completed
during December 1941. After flight testing it was allocated to number 13
Service Flying Training School and flew with them until it was put up for
disposal in August 1946.
In
1999 the Reynolds Aircraft Museum in Alberta donated the aircraft to the
Greenwood Military Aviation Museum with the understanding that the
aircraft would be restored to static condition.
Very
little has been done to the aircraft mainly due to the lack of building
space and the on going restoration of the Argus crew simulator. This
summer during a conversation between Lloyd Graham and Colin Ainsworth the
subject of the Anson restoration came up, one thing led to another and
Colin Ainsworth volunteered to oversee the project with the following
conditions, that he would carry out a feasibility study to see what would
be required to rebuild the aircraft, and that a building be made available
to reconstruct the aircraft inside. Two
engine stands would also be required to allow the engines to be cleaned
and rebuilt prior to the being reinstalled on the aircraft.
The museum curator, Bryan Nelson mentioned that he had nearly a
full set of drawings that had come with the aircraft. With these
conditions being met Colin agreed to be the Project Officer for the Anson.
Since
the project has started fourteen people have volunteered to help and they
will be contacted and a meeting on held on the 6 October to discuss what
is required and job allocations set out. It is hoped that this will be a
working museum and the public will be allowed to visit and see the
restoration in progress.
From
the outset it was apparent that most of the fuselage woodwork was missing
and the main spars had been sawn through. However there is certainly
enough structure to ascertain the dimensions and material used in the
reconstruction of the fuselage. The first job however will be to remove
all the existing fittings, having first photographed and cataloged each
item. The fuselage will then have to be bead blasted and all the insides
of the metal tubes coated with boiled linseed oil prior to painting.
Starting
in November a monthly report of the progress and what is planned for the
following month will be published in the Aurora.
Colin
B. Ainsworth
Anson Project Officer
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