Friday, June 27, 2014

Aeroplane 08/2014

During mid-May volunteers at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at Salisbury Hall completed painting the wings of de Havilland Mosquito FB. VI TA122, enabling removal of the tail trestle. A couple of weeks earlier, the team assembled and fitted the two paddle-bladed propellers, and fitted the spinners. In late June the newly restored tailplane was due be fitted, completing the aircraft's fixed structure, after which all that that remains to complete the airframe will be the restoration and fitting of the flaps, ailerons, elevators and rudder. However, work on the FB. VI will soon be put on hold to allow the entire Mosquito team to concentrate on the restoration of the Mosquito prototype W4050, with the intention of having this truly historic machine back together in time for the 75th anniversary of its maiden flight on November 25, 2015. The propellers and the hydromatic variable pitch mechanisms for TA122 had been restored to operating condition by Roy Thomas and Tony Markham over the past few months. Project leader, Bob Glasby, says "The first propeller took around 45 minutes to fit as some issues were experienced in aligning the splines. However, having practiced on that one, the second propeller slipped on in just fifteen minutes!

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