phantom2430uk
15th Jul 2004, 22:14
Some may have seen that this aircraft WT680 was for sale in Wales. Well good news is that it has been bought and is intended for display. It will be on display in the car park of a busy main road motel and looked after and maintained by the local ATC squadron, whose OC's idea in conjunction with the motel's owner this project is being undertaken.
Just a couple of things i need help on now.
Firstly any info on how it is best to remove the wings and load the airframe onto a low loader for transport and also reassembly at its new home? We have to have it moved by 29th July.
Secondly, any info on the airframes history as it is in need of a respray and it would be good to kep it in the colours of one of its past users, plus also then an info board can be made to let people know of what the aircraft has done in its life.
Any help will be gratefully recieved.http://cgi.uksurplus.com/auction/view?id=411132 (Hunter is here)
Wunper
16th Jul 2004, 07:12
These guys have been moving aircraft and large bits thereof for years they might be able to help you
http://www.convoi.co.uk/
Cheers
W
Jed A1
19th Jul 2004, 20:36
Good news and bad news.
Good news first.
The Hunter is a very transport friendly aircaft. It can be broken down easily into four fuselage sections (cockpit, centre / engine, tailboom, rudder / elevator section) and the two wings. The sections are held together by a few large bolts and pins. A couple of big spanners a large hammer and some trestles should do the job! All the wiring and hydraulics have connections which can be undone at these transport joints.
The bad news.
Having sat outside for a number of years, these transport joints will undoutedly have seized / rusted up, they are made of steel. Gallons of WD40 or similar and lots of elbpow grease will be needed.
You will need to get hold of or make trestles able to support the the four fuselage sections. i.e. eight trestles. Place these under the fuselage. Your will also need at least two trestles for each wing. Support the wings from the leading edge to trailing edge at the outboard end and inboard end. Brace the two wing trestles together so that the wing will not move / fall outboard. Ensure that the whole aircraft is very securley supported and not able to move in any direction. Use more trestles if neccesary.
The wings are held on by four pins. Two large ones, one top and one bottom near the front of the wing - above and below the intake, two small ones, top and bottom near the trailing edge. Above and below these pins are corresponding access panels. Unscrew the access panels and you should see the pins. Inside the wheel well IIRC are all the hydraulic and electrical lines that need to be undone. Check any other acces panels around the wing fuselage join to see if anything else inside needs disconnecting. I do not recall the correct order for removing the wing pins but I would suggest. removing the upper rear first, then the upper front, lower rear and finaly lower front. (However this may be the most dangerous way, as you will be working under an unsecured wing whilst undoing the last pin!) Each pin is held in by a screw reatiner, unscrew the retainers and hammer the pins out. Again lots of WD40 will be needed to free these, as they were not designed to come out too easily in the first place.
The undercarriage legs will have to be retracted, so the hydraulic lines may have to be undone to relief any pressure inside. Then the wheel can easily be pushed into the wheel wells, where they will have to be secured. Good strong webbing straps could do this.
Once the wings are pulled away, the fuselage could be broken into the four sections or possibly easier is just to pull off the rear rudder and tailplane section. Leaving the other three sections(about 35ft) easliy able to fit on a wagon trailer as one.