Early winter 2021.
The de Havilland Tiger Moth restoration is progressing with the engine cowl being trial fitted to ensure it will enclose the Gipsy Major engine snugly when the time comes.
Museum projects are quietly continuing with the dedicated group of volunteers.
The engine cowl of the Tiger Moth.
On the other side of the hangar the Cub is continuing to progress closer to flight. In the spring the work on the wings was completed and they were fitted to the fuselage on a trial basis. Long ago it was found to be a good idea to trial-fit the wings to the aircraft before the fabric covering was installed!
The structurally-complete wings were fitted to the Cub.
So, how do the mechanics know that they haven’t forgotten some essential component deep inside the wings? Detailed parts manuals are still available, even for aircraft manufactured in the 1940s.
Parts manual for the wing of the Cub.
The delivery of a rare British 6-cylinder engine was accomplished in the past week. The engine, a de Havilland Gipsy Queen, is the descendant of the 4-cylinder Gipsy Major in the Museum’s Tiger Moth.
The Museum’s new aquisition – a de Havilland Gipsy Queen.
The de Havilland Gipsy Queen is a British six-cylinder aero engine of 9 litres (550 cu in) capacity that was first run in 1936 by the de Havilland Engine Company. It was developed from the de Havilland Gipsy Six for military aircraft use. Produced between 1936 and 1950, around 5000 Gipsy Queen engines were built.
The engine was used in numerous British aircraft and in an Italian Air Force trainer. This intermediate trainer, the Fiat G.46, was the first new model produced by Fiat after WW II and was test flown in 1947. Argentina received 70 aircraft of the G.46-2B model powered by the 250 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen Srs.30, the first being delivered in 1949, the last in 1951. The Museum’s example is believed to be a model built under licence by Fiat.
For technical details, see; de Havilland Gipsy Queen 30