In the hanger Saturday: Work continued on installing the accessories on the engines (Hugh, Dave A, John P, Loren H, and Jon C.). We approved the work on the first batch of engine accessories which are out for rebuild at Aero Accessories in San Antonio Texas. The donated paint for the ailerons arrived this week from Polyfiber so that work will start next week. -- Sincerely, The Return to Normandy Team

W7 Mainenance News

Scott Yoak reports that he will have the pan seat mounting structure to us by the end of March.  Once in hand they will become a high priority install as it will make the events planned for Normandy much easier to complete.

#1 Engine Sump Installed 
#2 Engine Generator Installed

Tentative Flight Dates - W7 plans to arrive in Prestick, Scotland on May 21st; Visit Ramstein AFB in Germany on May 26 with the final destination of Cherbourg, France by June 3.  Aerial activities are being finalized.

Duxford - Official Stop on the way to Normandy!

Whiskey 7 will be appearing at The D-Day Anniversary Air Show Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May 2014 in Cambridgeshire, England.  For more information on the air show please visit IWM Duxford Website

Winter Maintenance Continues

Despite the winter cold, the volunteers at the NWM have been making great progress getting Whiskey 7 ready for Normandy. The annual inspection program is in progress with many items have been completed and only minor items having been discovered which are being captured and corrected.

The main wheels and tires were removed from the aircraft and inspected, including cleaning/repacking of the main bearings and replacement of shims to improve brake performance. The gear has now been reinstalled and W7 is back standing on her own feet.

Scott Yoak, a great friend of the museum and pilot of the P-51 Quicksilver, was kind enough to visit in January to lend us a hand in testing the hydraulic system.  With his help we found a worn check valve near the regulator which will be replaced. (We now have the new parts from the supplier and hope to install soon). Scott will also be helping us with the manufacture of hardware for the paratrooper seats from the original Douglas Aircraft engineering drawings.

All of the engine accessories that we had scheduled for rebuild this year have been sent out to Aero Accessories in Texas and it is hoped that these will be back soon.

The team set the goal of doing a complete valve timing and clearances check on the engines and plan in starting that job this weekend.  We are also continuing the replacement of worn hardware on inspection plates and cowling to make maintenance easier as we go forward.

Starting the Journey: Winter Maintenance Gets Underway

As soon as Whiskey 7 touched down in Geneseo the mechanics got started getting the airplane ready for her trip next year. The first order of business was to do a compression check on all 28 cylinders while the engines were still warm. A compression check tests the seal of the valves and piston rings and gives a general indication of the health and wear of each cylinder. Checking all 28 took up a full afternoon. All of the inspection covers were removed so that the aircraft structure, cables, and wiring can be checked.

The next weekend (November 22nd) the airplane was put onto jacks to allow for the removal and inspection of the wheels and brakes. The mechanics removed the center floor section and the ailerons, both will be refurbished and repainted over the winter and started removal of the engine accessories from the left engine. Additionally, the voltage regulators and Emergency Locator Transmitter were pulled for replacement.

On December 9 the hydraulic regulator and accumulator assembly was removed from the airplane and mechanics also started removing two cylinders from our spare engine to be overhauled in case they are needed during the trip.

Check out the slideshow above for pictures and stay tuned for more updates!

Bringing Whiskey 7 into the 21st century

When the NWM first started exploring the possibility of taking Whiskey 7 back to Europe, one of the first issues that needed to be tackled was her aging radio and navigation equipment ("avionics"). While the equipment had been upgraded in the 1990s and worked well for our operations in the US, advances in technology meant that W7 was well behind the times. More critically for our Return to Normandy, European airspace requires a newer kind of transponder, a device that identifies an aircraft to air traffic control radar, as well as communications radios that can tune more frequencies.

W7's cockpit in 2012

The new Garmin equipment ready to be installed

We approached Garmin at EAA Airventure Oshkosh in July and they generously helped us to acquire new GTN650 navigators, a GTX-33ES transponder, and GMA-340 audio panel. The GTN's combine GPS, radio navigation, and communication in a single box, controlled through a touch-screen interface. The new transponder will keep W7 in compliance with current European regulations as well as new FAA requirements scheduled to go into effect in 2020. The new equipment will also allow W7 to take advantage of GPS-based instrument approaches, allowing the flight crew more flexibility when landing at smaller airports in poor visibility. Having two independent GPS systems installed in the aircraft as well as a mobile Garmin Aera 796 will provide redundancy in case of a problem during the trip.

W7 with her new Garmin avionics

We were also introduced to Fred Katterman, owner of Islip Avionics, at Oshkosh. Fred generously agreed to donate his services to install the new equipment. Installing new electronics in a 70-year old aircraft is no small feat, but Fred and his team were able to get the job done in less than a month and a half. In addition to installing the new avionics, Islip installed a power jack, external GPS antenna, and an external communications antenna for handheld units and put in a new door curtain (made by Global Aircraft Interiors) to help keep the cockpit warm during the cold trip across the North Atlantic. Fred's son Rick was kind enough to fly back to Geneseo with the aircraft to flight check the new equipment and train pilots Chris Polhemus and Naomi Wadsworth on their use. Both pilots were amazed at the capabilities and features of the GTN650's. We truly cannot say enough nice things or thank Fred and his team enough for the work they did on W7.

Rick Katterman of Islip Avionics showing pilots Naomi Wadsworth and Chris
Polhemus the ins and outs of the GTN650s

 We would also like to thank Sandia Aerospace for their donation of our new altitude encoder and Jeppesen for providing database updates and aeronautical charts for the trip.

Fred Katterman and his amazing team from Islip Avionics

Whiskey 7 coverage from News 12 Long Island

Christina Regnault from News 12 did a great piece on Whiskey 7 and Return to Normandy while the plane was on Long Island for its avionics upgrade. Check it out here:
WWII plane The Whiskey 7 overhauled on LI ahead of Atlantic flight

Starting the Journey: Getting Whiskey 7 ready for Normandy

John Wadsworth, Loren Hoskyns, and Taro Pritchard working on W7's rudder

As venerable and durable as the Douglas C-47 design is, keeping a 70 year old war veteran flying takes a lot of work. Every winter, the dedicated volunteer mechanics at the NWM take on the the major task of annual maintenance on our flagship, Whiskey 7. This year they will have the added challenge of getting her ready for her trip across the North Atlantic. Work planned for this year includes:

• A thorough inspection of every major part, assembly, and component of the aircraft
• Oil changes for both engines and servicing of the hydraulic system
• Replacement of all engine accessories with new or factory overhauled components
• Repair and restoration of the main cabin cargo floor
• Fabrication and installation of pan-style "paratrooper" seats which were standard equipment for C-47's during the war

Charlie Preston and Dave Andruczyk working on the landing gear last winter

Work will begin as soon as Whiskey 7 gets back from having new Garmin avionics installed at Islip Avionics. The aircraft will be moved into the hangar and placed on jacks. This allows the mechanics to inspect and test the function of her landing gear. Every door, hatch, and cover on the airplane will be removed to allow inspection. Over the course of the next few months, the airplane will be methodically inspected to make sure she's ready for the trip to Europe. At the same time, another team will be fabricating and installing the hardware for the new seats, restoring the cabin to its wartime configuration.

If you're in the Geneseo area, stop down on a Saturday morning and give the guys a hand, help is always welcome, no experience required. Stay tuned for more updates on our progress.