Today marks 76 years since the declaration of war and the requisitioning of Gravesend airport by the RAF, the 20 ERFTS Tigers and Harts having been evacuated over the previous two days to Elmdon. Today also marks four years since N5490 was recovered from Harvey Field to start a comprehensive strip down and restoration which is still under way.
As of today, re-assembly has not yet started, but an enormous amount of work has been completed towards this historic aircraft's eventual return to the skies. Here's a very brief list of the tasks undertaken to date:
Aircraft de-rigged and relocated for restoration
Aircraft completely disassembled
N-5490's history researched in depth, along with the pilots who trained in it
Website and forum established to record and disseminate the aircraft's history and to record details of the restoration
All of the pre-war instrumentation sourced, to replace more modern instruments (round oil gauges, P8 compasses, mounts, corrector boxes, corrector cards and plates, MPH ASI's non-sensitive altimeters, two NOS tachos)
All of the Air Ministry night flying equipment sourced (instrument lamps, dimmer switches, ident. lamp, Morse key, navigation lamps and fairings, rudder wiring conduit, fuse boxes, terminal blocks, dummy terminal block for accumulator wires, etc.
First aid box, fire extinguisher and bracket assembly, rear foot step sourced
Blind flying hood and associated hardware sourced
New tail skid assembly sourced to replace tailwheel, main wheel brakes deleted
New engine bearers sourced
New fuel filter assembly sourced
Fuel tank repaired and pressure tested
Virtually every steel component and fitting in the airframe has been stripped, inspected, replaced where necessary and primed ready for final finishing and assembly
Large number of drawings and manuals sourced
Two damaged flying wires replaced, all flying wire celvis pins replaced with stainless items, all steel thin nuts replaced with correct brass items, new acorns and incidence wire separators
New pre-war straight pattern pitot head sourced
Second magneto switch sourced
Altitude control rod assembly sourced
All American AN nut/bolt stock and steel washers stripped from the airframe and replaced with British BSF/BA stock and original DH alloy washers
Missing fuselage frame square washers sourced
New tie rods, nuts and special bolts obtained to the latest spec. from DHS
Currently in work:
Front end of the control box under repair
New ply floor being made to replace the non-original one fitted by Geert Frank, complete with correct front and rear inspection hatches, etc.
Poet sideframe and rear pylon tube repairs
So, even though all I have to show for four years work is a pile of plastic tubs full of bagged up parts in the basement, a vast amount of preparatory work has been carried out - not to mention hundreds of hours of historical research, the result of which you can read at
http://www.N5490.org.
In the coming months, the fuselage re-assembly will commence and the fruits of the last four years work will become apparent as the restored fuselage takes shape. Without a doubt this will be the most accurately, authentically restored and historically researched Tiger Moth anywhere in the world.