A-W Meteor NF.14 WS788 Restoration Thread

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Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 1,566

Excellent stuff Blu_2 - you and Eloise are doing a fine job.

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

Cheers Malcolm; the lass isn't a bad sidekick/apprentice/pain in the backside, though she does have this tendency to try and take sneaky naps under the jet!

https://i.postimg.cc/Bb1QFWBy/75394807-2437406459864715-3724057630012866560-n.jpg

Member for

4 years 5 months

Posts: 716

Super update B2,

Blimy the food stores are growing and diminishing fast !

Christmas is coming

The crew are getting fat !

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

I think its fair to say we certainly work the biscuits etc. off. Well, those of us who don't spend our time napping under the jet do anyway!

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

14/11/2019 Update

I think it's fair to say I earned my Jaffa Cakes today, not that I actually had chance to devour any. This morning my trusty compressor and I were called upon to assist the Harrier repaint team, as the fairies had been and stolen the air out of one of their outrigger tyres. So, after sorting that (and giving all their other tyres a boost too) and admiring the new paint job nearing completion on the jet, I carted the gear back across to 788, and set out my stall for continuing the de-riveting of the port nacelle. Then just before I started, it was handily enough lunch time! So after a feed battle commenced... First though, I got the goosed rear access panel off. Here it is, handing the baton over to its replacement, still fitted to the new skin

https://i.postimg.cc/hv14tCZk/75407716-2439366113002083-6361519393477754880-n.jpg

Then it was on with the drilling.

https://i.postimg.cc/nV4h2zV3/75371672-2439366159668745-40995574509469696-n.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/B6WJcWrW/76727035-2439374136334614-7073519121685544960-o.jpg

It's a lot of rivets to remove by yourself! I am very proud to be able to say I did the lot with only one drill bit; none were sacrificed to the tool Gods! After some judicious swearing and careful levering, the lower nacelle was removed. For probably the first time since she was assembled, 788 looks like this:

https://i.postimg.cc/jjns7qkQ/74354275-2439466549658706-7160393721534480384-n.jpg

It's a big 'ole!

https://i.postimg.cc/zGczvHpG/75339437-2439466486325379-7957290470554468352-n.jpg

I then rubbed back the corrosion on the jointing flanges and the ribs, before priming them up

https://i.postimg.cc/MKzKFSvq/76697447-2439554816316546-2050914589704454144-n.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vZB8GtrK/75362533-2439554859649875-2656150841207029760-n.jpg

So next visit, the new shiny skin can begin to make itself feel at home!

https://i.postimg.cc/xTgTr4zH/75462440-2439466412992053-5748914142031380480-n.jpg

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 1,566

Thanks Blu-2 - good mini update.

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

Only a mini update maybe, but a full sized day's graft by one's self!

Member for

18 years

Posts: 2,123

I'm really pleased that the tribulations of the last few weeks haven't discouraged you from posting here. It's as good as ever. The write-ups are as neat as the drilling.

Laurence

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

16/11/2019 Update(let)

Not the most productive day, as work had to stop due to lack of bodies to lift the new panel in! Much of the work today was drilling out the remains of the rivets, preparing the new panel to go on, and getting everything ready for lifting the panel into position tomorrow really.

All the holes cleared and ready to go. She does look rather naked!

https://i.postimg.cc/qvdmSJd1/74270774-2441289359476425-4582014851043295232-n.jpg

Panel prepared, and lined up ready to simply lift into position (!) tomorrow...

https://i.postimg.cc/4NcLWKjK/75349165-2441290092809685-7388726651279900672-n.jpg

Wish us luck!

 

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 1,566

That looks like a 3 Jaffa Cake job Blu_2 - may your rivet holes align perfectly ?

Member for

14 years 1 month

Posts: 5,088

18/11/19 Update

Well it was never going to go that smoothly Malcolm; fitting new metal to a hand-built British jet never does! I borrowed Danni and Eloise to help me, as well as a couple of ratchet straps to hoist the panel into place and support it while we aligned it. Suffice to say, we were a bit busy for taking too many photos! Getting it hoisted and aligned was satisfying.

https://i.postimg.cc/6QPYfZwm/75323347-2442387359366625-3432509395919962112-n.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/k4tw15gX/75464281-2442387316033296-4505183370791092224-n.jpg

Then began the riveting. Which, once we had got enough rivets in to hold the panel, stopped.

https://i.postimg.cc/D0k6tKSQ/76648989-2442387276033300-2256492817075404800-n.jpg

Why? because a visitor went running to the office to complain we were making too much noise. An air riveter, in an aircraft hangar, making noise where an aircraft is being restored? Who would have thought it eh? Some people are only happy when they are complaining. In fairness the office were fully supportive of us, but it soured our day. So we did just what we had to do to secure the panel, then thoroughly fed up sacked it off and went to the pub instead. You wonder why we bother...

The new panel has improved the look of the engine nacelle greatly though...

https://i.postimg.cc/QdtQYM6G/74861871-2442387426033285-504118436293509120-n.jpg

Hopefully next week there'll be less snowflakes around, and more riveting done... But you'll have to trek across to UKAR to find that out, as I have made the decision to migrate the restoration thread over there. Key has royally shot itself in the foot, I really don't like the new presentation and format of the forum, I feel I have given it a fair crack and not enough has changed. As far as my time spent writing these posts vs virtual footfall here goes, I don't feel anywhere near as many people are getting to see what we are doing now, as this forum has the feel of a ghost town these days, and my efforts are better spent elsewhere. So thankyou to those who have stuck with it, and I hope you'll follow us across to the new place, it's only a few mouse clicks away after all! 

https://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=84893

So thankyou and goodbye Key, Meteor WS788 out.

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 367

Although never posting I've followed you religiously, Blu-2, and have been awed by your accomplishments.  Best wishes for your new home, I'm sure many (all) will follow you.

It is sad that Key failed to realise that the number of views a thread receives are as important, if not more so, than the number of posts since they indicate the popularity of a thread and, indirectly, the website.

Member for

18 years

Posts: 2,123

As I've hinted before, I am grateful to you for sticking out here as long as you have. So I'm following you over to happier hunting grounds. Will those responsible for dismembering this forum ever learn? And indeed where are all these new improvements we have been promised so often?

See you on the other side.

Laurence

Member for

19 years 6 months

Posts: 1,566

See you over there Blu_2