Aircraft Restoration

[Grob Driver]

Hi,

This might be a bit of an open-ended question, but what is involved in bringing a museum piece back to life.

For example, lets take something like a De Havilland Beaver. There aren’t many of those flying around the skies of England. If you could find one in a museum, what would be required to bring it back to life? For the sake of arguments, lets assume that it flew into the museum and is still intact. I assume it would be ‘out of hours’, and in need of a C of A!!!! What sort of things would be required though? Do certain items have a fatigue life that mean they must be replaced, or do you just need a good (thorough) inspection?

Next question… does anyone know where there are any ‘dead’ beavers laying around?!!!

Any thoughts or comments would be gratefully received!

Cheers

Grob Driver

[Nopax,thanx]

Don't know if the Beaver has a fatigue limit on any airframe parts - the Twin Otter certainly has a life limit on the wing, which can be replaced (and has been in the past) to give the aircraft a new lease of life.

Assuming that one has the aircraft log book and therefore knows the total time, you can then make a start. Certainly a thorough inspection, plus replacement of seals in the fuel system, would be a bare minimum, plus engine work, dependent on how long it had been out of service. There aren't a huge number of electrical components, and I would guess they are mostly 'on condition' anyway.

Having said all of this, the market for DHC2's was such that anything remotely resembling a flyer has already been hoovered up, because a good 'un was worth $250,000 not so long back. A lot of old ships were able to head airborne again, simply because of the economics. What's left inactive now is mostly in the hands of museums who would not let them go.

Makes one wonder where all of those ones the US Army retired ended up - there were rows of them at Davis Monthan once....!

[Grob Driver]

Nopax,

Your certainly right about the price the now demand! It looks like something in the region £200,000 wouldn’t be too ridiculous!

I’ve searched the internet and the inventory for AMARC at Davis Monthan, but I cant see any sign of one. I’m heading over to the ‘bone yard’ next month so I’ll be keeping my eyes open, but I’m doubtful that I’ll find anything!

Most of the ones available on the open market today seem to be fitted with floats. I’d like your bog standard, run of the mill, army one! Why did they ever stop manufacturing them?

From what I can see, the US Army had approx. 900 Beavers. Of those, one 19 are registered as airworthy…. So, where are they all?

Anyone know what the score is with the one sat at Duxford? From what I remember, it’s had the wings removed? Are there any plans to restore it!

Nopax, I assume that when the life limit is up on the Otter’s wing, that’s it… It has to have a new wing manufactured?

Thanks once again

Grob Driver

[ColeFace]

Regarding the Beaver, here in Canada especially on the West Coast (Vancouver Island-Vancouver area and Seattle U.S.A.) there is a thriving business of rebuilding the Beaver and doing mods etc.

The Canadian aviation magazines always have stories of people rebuilding them and recently one had an extensive article of a couple in Ontario re furbing 2 on seperate occasions. the article goes into detail of how he aquired them from S.America etc and I believe in the second batch he turned one down as the price was too high as he could get another from the supply of ex U.S. Military machines.

I believe one magazine had a dedicated Beaver/Otter section but not sure it is still active.

Growing up on the West Coast flying in a Beaver was part of daily life as you had to fly on one to get to civilizaton and access to a road.

After 30 yrs in aviation the Turbo Beaver is still my all time favorite machine.

[India Four Two]

Nothing to do with re-building Beavers, but since we're talking about my favourite aeroplane (well, next to the Chipmunk), I thought I'll pass on this anecdote.

As Coleface says, Beavers are a way of life on the West Coast. A couple of weeks ago, I was in Montague Harbour on Galiano Island (about half way between Victoria and Vancouver) when I saw a Beaver taxying in.

I waited to watch the departure, since I had often wondered about how float planes operate into and out of the harbour - there are high-voltage transmission lines, strung from adjacent hills, across both of the channels leading into the harbour.

The Beaver taxied out, made a north-bound takeoff run, stayed low and flew under the wires. Probably not many commercial operations have that as an SOP!

[Torres]

There are a number of DHC-2 Beavers (and the odd Turbo Beaver) in Australia. Most it seems, are used as crop dusters.

Here's an interesting site. (http://www.dhc-2.com/)

[Nopax,thanx]

Yep, a new wing is the option for the DHC-6. Dunno about the Beaver, could well be that the wing is unlimited life - it is a different beast after all.

AFAIK, all of the US Army U-6's went to pastures new many yaers ago.

But, if you are really hooked on the idea of an ex-mil utility aircraft, wot about a Broussard? Very Beaver-like, even has a P & W engine - and much cheaper to buy; I have seen fully airworthy examples advertised for about £60k, so a tired one would be substantially less. There's several in the UK already - and of course an active operator base in France.

[ozplane]

There's a dismantled ex Army Air Corps Beaver at Duxford. I don't know which group owns it or whether it's part of the IWM Collection. From the look of it you would need to get the cheque-book ready.