  
 Anson Restoration Project
By
Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
31 July 2006
This past
month has been very quiet, due to the fact that a number of the
restoration crew have been away at various times.
However Ernie
Killen, Mike Dandurand, Peter Campagna, Chuck Calder, Jerry Aucoin, and
Keith Brenson, started covering the port wing with 1/8-inch
plywood. Peter Miller and myself were busy trying to locate
the missing instruments required to complete the pilots instrument
panel.
We were very
fortunate that while LCol Tom Sand was out west he managed to
locate about half of the missing instruments that were required, also
the fourth fuel tank, three fuel tank filler caps, a co-pilots seat, and
a set of original 1939 style of landing lights complete with light bulbs
plus numerous smaller items.
These parts
will enable us to add more of the original parts to the Anson
restoration.
During August
we hope to complete covering the port wing and start on the starboard
wing, and install more of the instruments in the pilots panel.
This
month's "Anson Trivia' is taken from an article "Aircraft of
the BCATP" by Dan Bragg in "The Aerospace Museum Of
Calgary Flypast Magazine #7
The
most serious problem was ensuring an adequate supply of aero engines. At
a meeting with US engine manufacturers it was soon made clear that the
major manufacturers would be of little help as they were already at full
production. On June 6 1940, after briefly considering other engines, the
330hp Jacobs L-6MB was chosen. Canadian Vickers was given the task of
engineering the engine installation and the preliminary studies were
presented to Federal Aircraft Ltd for completion. Canadian Vickers was
preparing to install the engines when, on November 23, 1940, the job was
transferred to de Havilland of Canada. The first Jacobs-powered Anson, a
Mark 1 (RCAF 6008/RAF N9935) took to the air at Downsview (Toronto,
Ontario) on January 9, 1941, piloted by G.R. Sparrow and W.J. McDonough.
A
major engineering change introduced was an engine-driven system that
allowed the undercarriage to be retracted hydraulically. Other changes
included elimination of the upper turret, the addition of an oil
dilution system, removal of some fuselage windows and the use of
Canadian instruments. The only real problem with the Mark11 was the
lower power of the Jacobs engine. With a medium load (3 people and gear)
the Mark11 could not maintain altitude on one engine. In an attempt to
rectify the problem, the fixed wooden prop was exchanged for a
variable-pitch prop and a slight improvement was noted.
Next month we
will continue with more stories from "Aircraft Of The BCATP"
by Dan Bragg.
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