Anson Restoration Project
June, 2004
by Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
During
the past two months great strides have been made in the Anson
restoration. Ernie Killen and Mike
Dandurand completed the two main spars out to station 6.
Manufacturing the fifty-six foot main spar in three sections will enable
the museum personnel to move the aircraft quite easily once the
restoration is completed. The cabin floors have been installed, and the
front curved frames have been fitted to the main spar. Last Monday the
cockpit window frame-assembly was  returned
from 14 AMS workshop. This major component has been completely rebuilt
by Cpl Scott Marshall and Pte Wayne Fowler under the guidance of Sgt
John Daley. The workmanship is really outstanding, since no drawings
were available, each piece of the metal framing had to be hand
built. The Plexiglas, the hinges and fasteners, which enable the
windows to be opened, were all replaced as well. Another
bonus, Wayne and Scott also refurbished the instrument panel and had it
painted.
On
the engine side, both engines have now been stripped down to their
components and are being cleaned. The first engine caused Phil and
Dustin a few problems due to a seized piston, this required the use
of the hydraulic press to free it. Since Dustin and Phil have
started refurbishing the two engines we have been lucky to have Marc
Lapointe join the team.
Apparently
the first engine was in excellent condition considering it was stored
outside in the elements for a number of years. The second engine which
Phil and Dustin thought would be in better shape was the most damaged of
the two.
The
nacelles and the undercarriage components were removed and returned to
the museum for cleaning. Over the past few weeks Jerry Aucoin
and Peter Miller have done a fantastic job in cleaning and bead blasting
these components and they now are ready to be painted.
On
a sad note for the past two months we have been with out the help of
Keith Brenson who has been ill. We all miss Keith and his amusing
stories about Newfoundland and hope he is back with us soon.
This
month's "Anson Trivia" is a story of a mid air collision.
The
following is from the book Wings For Victory by Spencer Dunmore page 146
as told by Max Ward.
I
had arranged for two other aircraft to formate... with our own Anson.
Each aircraft had two students, and their instructions were to formate
on our right-and -left-hand side and to hold their positions in that
formation.
While
we were getting into position, a sudden movement to our right and behind
us caught my eye, I looked again and saw an Anson coming up on us,
moving far to quickly. I told the trainee who was flying, as calmly and
quietly as I could, "Okay, I'll take her," and grabbed the
controls to hold the machine straight and level, just seconds before
there was a tremendous crash and the Anson rocked and staggered in the
air. The other aircraft had smashed into us, just behind the main cabin;
its wing struck our fuselage and as I glanced quickly out the window, I
saw the stricken aircraft with one wing torn away, flip over and plunge
towards the earth. I was horrified, but there was nothing I could do
except try to get the aircraft back under control. The cabin was full of
dust and debris from the crash and the aircraft was lunging all over the
sky, but it resisted the temptation to go into a spin. The controls were
sloppy under my hands-it was a bit like trying to fly through mud-but
they did respond, and I was able to get the aircraft turned around and
slowed down, and we limped back to Hagersville airport. Although it was
not more than a score of miles away, it felt as if we had been flying
forever; and when we finally got back to earth I discovered that the
crash had torn the fabric of the side of my plane, and it had wrapped
around the elevators on the tail assembly, which explained why I found
the aircraft so sluggish. The two students in the other aircraft were
killed and the rest of us survived mainly by a fluke. The Anson was
built of metal tubes, wood, and fabric, not a very sturdy craft by
today's standards, but the original design had a gun turret just behind
the cabin. In the training craft. the weight represented by this gun
turret was replaced by a large block of concrete, and it was into this
concrete that the out-of-control aircraft had crashed. A few feet
forward and none of us would have survived.
This is another
story that clearly illustrates the ruggedness of the Avro Anson.
Next month we will continue with more tales from "Wings For Victory."
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