New P40 Brake drums.
One of the difficulties keeping the Warbird aircraft flying is finding components that can be overhauled. The P40 brakes are an area were the pool of restorable items has started to dry up, especially the brake drums which have a tendency to crack or go out of round.
To fix this problem we have comissioned a run of new cast steel drake drums, pictured is one of the first lot of castings which is now being machined.
If you know of anyone who may want a set or more of these please get them to contact us.
P40 Brake Drum casting.1.
Brake drum casting.2.
On it’s wheels
After picking possibly the worst day for a month and battling the elements and one stubborn bolt the T28 is on it’s wheels and starting to show its size.
Pictured in front of the aircraft is Brian Hall the proud owner.
Proud Owner
Mig 25 and SU27 tyres.
Hi if anyone is interested view the following.
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=802624776&ed=true
Go to view seller other listings for the Mig 25 one.
Aircraft progress.
We finished off October with the first engine run on the Zenair 801 taking place at 16.00 on Friday. All went well there and we now await a visit from CAA next week and then hopefully she is in the air.
Monday morning and as the heavens opened MAF arrived to inspect the new arrival which as you can see is only a quick paint job away from flight.
ZK-PIP first engine run.
Wing out.
Doors open
Unveilling.
Just arrived on the tarmac ready for the big unveil at 11.00am on Monday.
2 x 40ft containers.
Maintenance update.
The repairs to the P40 CAG fuselage are all but completed, the coolers have been removed for repairs and the 100hr annual servicing is about to comence.
Last few rivets about to go in.
Coolers out for repair.
It is all go with the Strikemaster fleet this month 72 has been having some hydraulic system components serviced and is now ready to take to the air again. 70 is in the hangar for it’s annual servicing and 62 is now awaiting certification from CAA so it can begin it’s test flight program. A 3 ship is a possibility before Christmas.
2014 Annual servicing underway.
Tempest Departs.
In June 2012 Eric Hertz bought out to Pioneer Aero two bottles of bubbly. The first one was drunk to celebrate the arrival of two container loads of parts from France that it was hoped in a year or two’s time would be a flying Hawker Tempest MkII.
The second unfortunately remains unopened, this was the bottle that was going to be drunk to celebrate the aircrafts first post restoration test flight. This morning two container loads of parts left our hangar bound for Canada and its new owner. It is our hope that sooner rather than later we can take this now precious bottle to Canada and toast both a first flight and absent friends.
Still unopened.
Closing the door.
P40 servicing.
Look at Current Maintenance under projects to keep up with the latest at Pioneer Aero. Now the Mustang TAF has been finished and is now back flying it is the turn of the P40 to have a once over.
Going up 2nd Sept 14
Current Maintenance.
Just some additions and minor change to the web site, the main one being the addition of a Current Maintenance in the projects. We thought there maybe some interest in this, we are currently working on the P51 TAF and coming up maintenance work and annuals on the P40 CAG and Strikemaster 70. Photos of this to follow.
There have also been some additional photos added to both the T51 and P40E pages.
Tempest MkII
Pioneer Aero’s rollercoaster ride with the Tempest MkII is about to come to an end. In the last 2 years this project has given us for various reasons hope, jubilation and despair.
The project has now been sold off shore and in the next month or so we should be packing it up and dispatching it. We are buoyed by the fact it is going to a new owner who has both the will and capability to get the aircraft back in the air.