  
 Museum’s
Anson Restoration Project
By
Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
Dec 08
Over the past month, Keith Brenson, Ernie
Killen, and Mike Dandurand finished the fuselage woodwork and the
rigging of the aileron control cables. Brian Handley finished
sandblasting and painting the engine fire bottles that will be installed
on the  engine
fire walls. These will be fitted in the near future. Al Sheppard, Peter
Miller, Butch Fleury, and I spent most of time manufacturing the two
port and starboard wing navigation light assemblies. On a recent visit
to Ottawa I managed to make a drawing and photograph the landing light
assemblies on the Avro Anson at the National Aviation Museum. These
light assemblies comprise of a cylindrical tube attached to the leading
edge with the red and green navigation lights attached to the tube. Al
Shepard and I checked out the two electrical harnesses and then
connected the lights on each wing.
Click
here to see the
latest pictures.
Once the aircraft is on display, visitors will
be able to see the navigation lights, cabin lights
and instrument lights working.
Personnel from the 14 Wing ACS shop have worked
wonders on the aircraft. All the metal work required on the wing leading
edges, and wing fillets is finished. The lens over the landing lights is
completed, and they have caulked all the cabin windows. It's a great
pleasure to work with the ACS personnel and see the interest and the
excellent work they are doing on the Anson. Thanks.
This month's 'Anson Trivia' is taken from the
Spud Island Chronicle by Sydney W. Clay
"Annie" was a mixed bag of
metal trusses, fabric and wood, requiring skills and knowledge that was
fast fading from the air force; flaps were raised and lowered
hydraulically by means of a hand pump, the afore mentioned
mechanically-operated undercarriage that gave little trouble other than
its operation, and pneumatic brakes which did.
Snow clearance from tarmacs and
runways became routine but sudden thaws and freezing rains were another
kettle of fish. The Charlottetown airfield was built on land sloping
down to the hangars. A taxiing aircraft with locked wheels and spinning
propellers, sliding on a sheet of ice presented a scary sight to the
ground crew on equally unsure footing. When being tail-towed in such
conditions, care had to be taken to avoid jack-knifing, with damaged to
the elevators as a result of contact with the tractor. Salt was not an
option, so liberal use of sand and manhandling were employed when
necessary.
An experiment to fit one of our
Anson's with skis was tried. Beautifully made of highly-varnished wood,
they proved too heavy for the retraction gear. This, plus
surface-adhesion (even to taxi), extra drag, and doubts that the
Cheetahs could get her airborne, led to its abandonment - to the immense
relief of the designated crew!
Next month we will continue with more
"Anson Trivia Stories" From the Spud Island Chronicle by
Sydney W. Clay
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