Repairing broken rib cap strips

 Paul Dyck carefully traces a cardboard pattern of the root rib cap strip onto a 3/16 thick piece of sitka spruce donated by Larry Brown. Gil Bourrier prepares the surface for gluing on a newly fitted cap strip from Bill LeBrun's donation of sitka spruce - for the nose rib near the aileron control box.

Pilots volunteer time, advice, materials and tools

Bill Gibson, Bert Elam, and Bob Wesner (active and retired Air Canada pilots), Bryan Kirk and Bill Dawson check out the Tiger Moth restoration progress as Rick Riewe molds a steamed rib cap to match the shape of a broken nose rib being replaced.

Tom and Steve Phinney, volunteer as AMO

Tom Phinney started out in the aviation business about 50 years ago with Plummers and Ilford-Riverton; and his son, Steve, is also well established in the business. While inspecting the Tiger Moth and creating a solid work plan for the project, Tom recalled great stories of airlifting a 1930s Fairchild out of the western Arctic near Great Bear Lake! Tom and Steve were especially interested in seeing the way the drag and anti-drag wires were constructed - drop by to the Lyncrest Airport and have a look for yourself or drop in to your local aviation museum to see what project they are working on. If anyone knows what the machine looked like that made those flying wire ends, we'd love to know - email your info to jill_oakes@umanitoba.ca or send a comment to this blog.

Wentworth wrenches needed for the British built Tiger Moth

John McNarry, past President of the Brandon CATP Museum and Brandon RAA member, manufactured tools needed to dismantle the Tiger Moth.

Last chance to sit in a Tiger Moth for a few months

Harvey McKinnon, Jill Oakes and John McNarry (rht-lft) each took one last chance to sit in the Tiger Moth before dismantling the wings. The restored Tiger Moth will be returned to flying service and used to give rides to the public.

Dismantling the Tiger Moth at Brandon CATP Museum

John McNarry, Harvey McKinnon, Rick Riewe and Jill Oakes dismantled the Tiger Moth, December 2011.

A steady stream of visitors drop in

Grant Pronishen, SFC member and Director for St. Andrews Airport, is one of many who have dropped in to see what the inside of an antique wing looks like. Imagine, this Tiger Moth was built only about 20 years after the Wright brother's first flight and much of the technology remains unchanged!

Sand blasting paint off of metal parts

Harvey McKinnon with Rick Riewe (lft-rht) try using a small portable sand blaster to remove paint from metal fittings.

73 year old flying wires!

Harvey McKinnon, Captain for Calm Air, inspects the Tiger Moth's flying wires for corrosion. Nancy McKinnon volunteered to strip the layers of paint off the wires so Tom Phinney, the volunteer AMO is able to determine if they are still airworthy.

Aileron cap strip repair

Rick Riewe carefully prepares a new cap strip to be glued and tacked into position on the left aileron.

Neighbours drop by to help

Maurice April lives next to the Lyncrest Airport and loves wood working - he's been coming over regularly to help prepare the wood for fabric covering. The aileron spar is in mint shape; however the ribs' cap strips were warped and broken from the fabric shrinking over the years..

Avid builders lend tools

Ed and Scarlette Ulrich (rht-lft) are building a 701 on floats from scratch (in the back) and have generously lent us access to their tool box. Dog Render and Gil Bourrier are in the background cleaning up the root rib.

Hardware removed for cleaning

Gil Bourrier, Rick Riewe and Doug Pender (rht-lft) figuring out how to re-assemble the lower wing attachment hardware after it was cleaned.The British method of 'safteying' nuts was used - the nut was tightened and then secured by damaging the bolt threads with a hammer. To remove the nut one has to carefully clean up the threads! Steel parts are treated with zinc oxide before re-installing them on the wing.

EAA Director, Paul Dyck drops in to check out progress

The Winnipeg Area and Brandon Chapters of Recreational Aircraft Association (RAA) initiated the Tiger Moth Restoration for Brandon CATP, with members of the Springfield Flying Club (SFC). Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Regional Director, Paul Dyck (lft), dropped while Gil Bourrier and George Inman (rht-lft) work on Tiger Moth aileron.

Local MDRA Inspector provides advice

Ken Podaima, one of the local MDRA inspectors, Rick Riewe and Vic Prefontaine (rht-lft) try using a heat gun to loosen the strapping tape used the last time the wings were rebuilt.Acetone and patience were found to be the most effective techniques so far...let us know if you have a more effective way to clean off the tape.

RAA and SFC Volunteers

Mike and Bert Elam, and Bill Gibson (rht-lft) check out the infrastructure of a 73 yr old Tiger Moth wing.

Tiger Moth Pilot (1946) shares info

Bill Gibson's initial training was on a Tiger Moth at the Brandon Flying Club in 1946; Bill went on to become Captain for Air Canada. He donated a copy of his original Tiger Moth Pilot Notes, which includes an extremely hard to find rigging diagram!

Volunteers begin repairs on lower left wing

Gil Bourrier, Rick Riewe and Jill Oakes, with Adrian Meilleur in the background, begin stripping five layers of paint off the Tiger Moth's lower left wing, January 11, 2012.