As we unlock and return to flying spare a thought for the unsung background boys, although they haven’t been allowed back in the air yet, are toiling away in the hangar to enable those of who are now allowed to fly.
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| The scene of much work - otherwise known as the hangar |
Following a 1 hour 35 min flight on Saturday the SF-27A suffered a strange main wheel deflation when it was turned round to be taken back to the launch point. The wheel came off the rim of the hub but there was no puncture in the inner tube. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reported strange things occur on Dartmoor. Indeed, Fox Tor Mires which inspired Grimpen Mire in The Hound of the Baskervilles is just 12 miles to the south east of the airfield.
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| The SF27 hanging about waiting to be fixed |
Solving the mystery of the strange deflation was much more than just a wheel change and inevitably took much longer than anticipated. In addition, the operation of the (wheel) band brake was improved as was the associated operation of the air brake lever. As a result the SF-27A is back on line/serviceable. Thank you Colin and Alan.
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Colin using built in vice to adjust the tyre
And true to Blue Peter Standards Alan has one he prepared earlier |
Activity elsewhere in the hangar focussed on the K-13, HXP. Following the first set of flights from the back seat in a long, long time the Chief Flying Instructor and Duty Instructor reported that the electric variometer in the rear panel wasn’t working. There turned out to be little mystery to this fault, which was quickly fixed and a fresh battery fitted ready for Saturday.
As result of this non-flying day activity two single-seaters and two double-seat gliders are available for club members’ enjoyment this weekend. Glider pilots come on down!
Gavin Short
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