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!