Museum’s
Anson Restoration Project
By
Colin Ainsworth, Project Leader
31
May 05
Before
I start my monthly report I am pleased to report that our friend and
co-worker Jerry Aucoin is back and we are glad to see him.
This
month has been an exceptional month.
Keith Brenson refurbished the oil tanks for both engines and
painted them before they were installed in front of the firewall.
Ernie Killen, Mike  Dandurand, and Chuck Calder finished the
construction of both main tailplanes and are now concentrating on
constructing the tail box that goes below the rudder. Before the box is
installed we have to run two electrical wires to the tail light.
This will enable us to have the tail light work when the power is
finally applied. Al
Shepard completed the main electrical distribution box and has now
started work on the bomb aimers electrical control panel.
Peter
Miller and Jerry Aucoin finished sorting out all the aircraft parts we
had received over the past few weeks and were getting ready to help the
rest of us, when a phone call asked if we were interested in obtaining
another two boxes of parts. With
a cheerful if somewhat strained smile they sorted out what we could use
and placed it on the shelves in our supply section.
Last
Tuesday was a significant day in the Anson restoration we received the
first engine mount, and Peter, Jerry, Mike and myself had just finished
installing it, when the starboard engine was delivered by Phil Wheeden
and Robert Downey from the 14 AMS engine bay. We had been very fortunate
to borrow a ratchet hoist from Base Transport and with the help of a
cargo strap placed around a roof girder; the engine was hoisted into
place.
Next
month we will be concentrating on installing the engine components and
working on the tail assembly.
This
month “Anson Trivia" is the continuing story of the Avro Anson
from its conception in 1934 until the end of the war in 1945.
The
following article is taken from the Aeroplane Monthly April 1980 by Don
Middleton.
Prior
to the war, Ansons operated in Bomber Command 144 Squadron at Bicester
and 58 Squadron at Driffield receiving them in 1937.
The threat of war and the complexity of the new multi-engine
bombers ordered from Shorts, Avro and Handley-Page caused the Air
Ministry to review most seriously the aircrew training programme.
For a short time the Bomber Group Pool system was used with the
Ansons, but it was realized that the machine was far too docile for
pilot training and the Airspeed Oxford had been ordered to fulfill this
role. As the first flight
of the Oxford did not occur until June 1937, the Anson was widely used
as an interim type, and in April 1940 Operational Training Units were
formed in Bomber Command so that crews could be trained intensively on
the aircraft they would fly. As
the Oxford became available Ansons were phased out of the training role,
but remained in the Command on Station Flights for communications
purposes.
One
of the first production aircraft K6163 went to the Central Flying
Schools at Wittering, Hullavington and Netherhavon were equipped to
train pilots. As the Anson
had been designed for single pilot operation, it was necessary to build
a dual control system that was fitted retrospectively to all aircraft
transferred as obsolescent from Coastal Command.
Those aircraft built as pilot trainers did not have turrets,
although some from Coastal retained theirs for a time.
Ansons
flew with Elementary and Reserve Flying Training Schools and trained RAF
Volunteer Reserve navigators and observers.
A number of Air Observer and Air Gunnery Schools were equipped
with the type, aircraft for the Gunnery Schools being fitted with a
Bristol hydraulically-powered turret similar to that installed on the
Blenheim bomber.
The
Commonwealth Air Training Scheme was not quite as straightforward as had
been envisaged. Crews accustomed to the clear of South Africa or
Australia soon found themselves in trouble in England's cloudy skies and
casualties began to mount as encounters with stuffed clouds occurred.
Immediate action was taken and advanced Flying Units were formed
with Ansons converting the pilots and navigators to British weather.
Next
month we will continue the wartime service history of the Avro Anson.
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