The Aviation Museum Society's Tuesday Club activities in 2025Keskiviikko 31.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member The year 2025 was an exceptional one for the Tuesday Club compared to previous years. In March, we moved from the Finnish Aviation Museum to continue our ongoing restoration projects in the premises rented by Aviation Museum Society Finland at Puusepäntie in Tuusula. The reason for leaving the museum was that the restoration space there was modified to prepare for the museum’s future relocation, thus our restoration activities at the museum came to an end. However, our cooperation with the museum continues, and it is fortunate that the premises at Puusepäntie are only a ten-minute drive from the museum.
After moving to Puusepäntie, the initial months were focused on equipping the premises for the society’s meetings and as an actual workshop. Fortunately it was fairly soon possible to restart the interrupted restoration projects at Puusepäntie. The first to be moved from the museum to Puusepäntie was the fuselage of the Snoopy (OH-XEA “Ressu”). After the summer break, we continued equipping the workspace and refurbishing and painting the exteriors of two dilapidated shipping containers acquired for the Puusepäntie yard. Restoration activities also gained full momentum.
At Puusepäntie, the Tuesday Club members were divided into two work groups, mainly because the size of the workshop limited the whole group from working there at the same time. One group worked on Tuesdays, and the other on Wednesdays. Alongside them, the Demo-Myrsky builders operated as their own Tuesday Club project group at Puusepäntie. During 2025, there were 27 active club members in the Tuesday Club. The Demo-Myrsky builders completed about 1,500 working hours over the year. Other restoration projects by the Tuesday Club took about 3,200 working hours. Altogether, we achieved a total of 4,700 working hours in 2025. Project activities in 2025 Equipping the Puusepäntie premises The equipping of Aviation Museum Society’s rented premises was completed during the autumn term of 2025. During the autumn, the 40-foot and 20-foot shipping containers acquired for the yard were also refurbished externally. The 20-foot container, which was insulated, was equipped as a hot work area, while the 40-foot container was set up as a storage space.
We refurbished a decommissioned aluminium neon light advertising box to promote our Puusepäntie premises. A new front panel image was made for the lightbox, featuring the Society's Stieglitz SZ-18, flying among the clouds, with the Society logo and the text "Ilmailumuseoyhdistys ry" below. The illuminated sign was installed above the entrance door to the workshop. Restoration of the Snoopy By the end of 2024, we had completed the restoration the Snoopy’s (OH-XEA, “Ressu”) wings, tail sections, and their associated equipment. We had also started work on restoring the Snoopy’s fuselage. We managed to clean and paint the previously rusty fuselage frame and installed the controls and their cables to the elevators and rudder, before the work paused for a few months due to the move to Puusepäntie. In the spring work continued at Puusepäntie. By the end of the year, the entire fuselage had been covered with cotton fabric and tightened with shrinking dope.
The cockpit received an original-style roof window made of polycarbonate plexiglass, and the undercarriage wheels were fitted with hubcaps. The engine, badly damaged in the crash, was refurbished externally to resemble a functioning engine and is waiting to be installed on the Snoopy’s nose. It will not be made into a working engine. Exhaust pipes, resembling those on the Continental engine previously used on the Snoopy, were constructed for the engine. Demo-Myrsky The Tuesday Club’s Myrsky group continued the construction of the Demo-Myrsky. The Demo-Myrsky is being built using the test wing from the Myrsky project, combined with the fuselage frame of the Myrsky MY-5. The MY-5’s fuselage frame has been restored and otherwise equipped, and welded in the Myrsky container located in the yard of the Finnish Aviation Museum. The fuselage frame was brought from the museum to Puusepäntie on 19 November. There its completion has continued by fastening the previously finished wooden vertical stabiliser and the rear upper fuselage section behind the cockpit. The fuselage formers are ready, so their installation can also begin.
At Puusepäntie, the wooden horizontal stabiliser and elevators for the Demo-Myrsky have been constructed. The original aluminium elevator we received, which was broken in two, has been repaired. Restoration of the Super Chug The restoration of the Super Chug (OH-XTM, “Super Sytky”), which suffered a landing accident in summer 2024 and was donated to Aviation Museum Society, began with the badly damaged fuselage. The aircraft is the prototype Super Sytky, designed, built, and initially owned by Kai Mellén.
The lower part of the fuselage is severely damaged between the rear cockpit and the firewall. Therefore, everything in the badly damaged area was removed from the front section of the fuselage. The broken plywood surfaces of the damaged front fuselage were removed to allow the sides to be covered with new material. The main focus of the repair work so far has been reconstructing the lower part of the double fuselage former in front of the cockpit, rebuilding the fuselage under the cockpit floor, and repairing the firewall. The surfaces of the Super Chug’s VW 1600 engine, which was removed from the fuselage, have been cleaned. The broken propeller was detached from the engine and replaced by a wooden propeller, which was built in the 1970s and donated to us, and is suitable for the Chug’s VW engine. Restoration of the Blenheim V-series bomber (BL-106) seats and rudder pedals During the spring term, we completed the restoration of the BL-106 bomber co-pilot’s seat, after which we were able to begin restoring the pilot’s seat. We removed the seat shell from the seat frame and cleaned the rusted steel surfaces as well as the oxidised aluminium surfaces. After cleaning, the parts were painted with RAL 7005 grey paint, in accordance with the wartime VL standard of the Finnish State Aircraft Factory. Once painted, the restored seat was assembled.
Alongside the restoration of the pilot’s seat, the restoration of the BL-106’s rudder pedals was also started. The steel surfaces of the pedal components were cleaned of rust. The aluminium surfaces were cleaned of grease and dirt using CRC Brakleen Pro brake cleaner and a steam cleaner. After cleaning, the rudder pedals were painted grey, as with the pilot’s seat. Floor panel repair in the Douglas DC-3 OH-VKC A new surface was made from 1 mm thick aluminium sheet, bent to match the original floor panel, to replace the worn-through surface of the DC-3 cockpit’s aluminium floor panel.
Instrument panel for Iljušin IL-2 Sturmovik In autumn 2024, we built an IL-2 Sturmovik instrument panel with authentic instruments for the Finnish movie “Sisu 2 - Road to Revenge”. The instrument panel was used in the IL-2 flying scenes. After the filming was completed, we received the instrument panel back. The panel will be put on display on the wall of the instrument department in the exhibition building of Hallinportti Aviation Museum. Wooden supports were constructed for the panel, which will be used to attach the panel to the instrument department wall next spring. A text board will be placed alongside the panel, introducing the instrument panel, its construction by the Tuesday Club, and its use in the Sisu 2 movie.
Singer Link cockpit operations simulator The Tuesday Club repaired the door of the Singer Link cockpit simulator, which was once used for pilot training at Malmi Airport. The hard plastic door of the simulator had become brittle and had partially broken into pieces. We repaired the door by filling and patching the damaged sections back into place. The repaired areas were painted with a grey primer, and they will later be painted with Singer Link’s characteristic turquoise matt paint. The dull plexiglass window in the door was polished clear using car headlight lens polish. The plexiglass is now almost fully clear, but polishing will be continued.
MiG 21 BIS cockpit simulator The cockpit section of the MiG 21 (MG-111), owned by Aviation Museum Society Finland, is being converted into a simulator. The Tuesday Club has removed metal brackets from the cockpit walls to make room for the simulator equipment to be installed on the walls.
Roadside guide signs for the Caravelle III We made two guiding roadside signs for the restored Caravelle III OH-LEA “Bluebird”, located at Turku airport. The signs were made from 3 mm thick aluminium sheet. The guide signs were designed and painted to match the appearance of official attraction signs, complete with St John’s arms emblems.
Cooperation with the Finnish Aviation Museum In 2025 regular collaboration meetings were arranged with the Finnish Aviation Museum staff. Members of the Tuesday Club participated in preparatory tasks at the museum, related to the museum’s future relocation. Among other things, we have cleaned aircraft engines which are on display in the museum.
Photos: Lassi Karivalo |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club |
Repairing the Singer Link cockpit operations simulator doorMaanantai 29.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member At the Tuesday Club, our focus has been on repairing the door of the Singer Link flight simulator. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a cockpit operations simulator, since these old Link Trainers or Singer Links cannot really be compared to modern flight simulators. This Singer Link cockpit simulator is of the same lineage as the famous Link Trainers. The history of Link Trainers dates back to the late 1920s, when the Link Company began developing and manufacturing simulators. Link Trainer simulators were wooden constructions with wings made either of plywood or, like actual aircraft wings, covered with fabric. After going through various changes of ownership, the Link Company eventually became part of the Singer Company in 1968. After that, the simulators were renamed Singer Links.
The Singer Link door being repaired at the Tuesday Club comes from a cockpit simulator that was used for pilot training at Malmi Airport and has since been removed from use. The Singer Link was used at Malmi in the 1970s and 1980s. This particular Singer Link device is made of hard plastic. Over the decades, the hard plastic interior surface of the door has become brittle and has started to break into pieces. Our task was to repair the cracked interior surface of the door and to polish the cloudy plexiglass window in the door.
We unscrewed the aluminium plate covering the inside surface of the door. Underneath, we found that the hard plastic interior of the door, including the lower edge of the window, was almost completely shattered. At first, we thought about gluing together the cracked pieces in the middle area of the door’s inner surface, but they turned out to be so fragile that we abandoned the idea. Instead, we decided to remove the brittle hard plastic pieces from the middle area of the door’s inner surface, since this area is completely covered by the aluminium plate. Only the damaged areas visible outside the aluminium plate would be patched. For this, we chose to use two-component Souda Metal Plastik Standard polyester filler.
We mixed the two-component filler according to the instructions to achieve a uniform consistency. We joined and filled the broken pieces in place with the filler and used it to patch all the visible gaps. Once the polyester filler had dried, the filled areas were sanded smooth in preparation for painting. The rough sanding was done with a chisel blade, and the finish was smoothed with sandpaper.
The repaired and smoothly filled areas were primed with light grey Isotrol paint. The intention is to paint the repaired spots later with the turquoise colour of the Singer Link’s hard plastic.
There were apparently dried adhesive residues left by masking tape on the outer surface of the door frame. These glue residues were removed using xylene as a solvent. Since the plexiglass window in the door had become cloudy, it was decided—rather than replacing the plexiglass—to try and clean and polish it until clear.
For polishing, we purchased Headlight Lens Repair & Reviver polish, intended for cleaning car headlight lenses. We used the polishing pads supplied with the polish, as well as a soft fabric buffing wheel attached to a screwdriver. After the polishing, the plexiglass was reasonably transparent and shiny. Some cloudy areas still remained. Polishing will continue after the Tuesday Club’s Christmas break in January, possibly by trying a different plexiglass polish. Photos: Lassi Karivalo |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Singer Link |
Hubcaps for the Snoopy's (OH-XEA) wheelsLauantai 27.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member The original aircraft undercarriage wheels of Snoopy (OH-XEA “Ressu”) have not survived. The undercarriage was fitted with new wheels and it turned out that the wheels of a ride-on lawnmower were a perfect fit for the axle. By coincidence, their tyres were also the same size (15 x 6.00 – 6) as those commonly used on light aircraft. The undercarriage wheels originally fitted to the Snoopy had metal hubcaps that curved outwards, or bulged. We decided to make similar hubcaps for the wheels we are using. Thus, we needed hubcaps with a diameter of 15 cm to fit the rim. We considered various options for manufacturing them, even as far as spinning them on a lathe.
Sometimes luck lends a hand, and that’s exactly what happened here. The solution was found in the kitchen. It turned out that the lids of small stainless-steel saucepans are generally 15 cm in diameter – exactly the size of the wheel rim on the Snoopy’s undercarriage. Such steel saucepan lids were found at a flea market for 1,05 euros each. However, some modification was necessary: the knob in the centre of the saucepan lid had to be removed, and 10 mm had to be cut off the stepped edge so that the lid would fit neatly against the rim.
All that remained was to design a system for fastening the lid to the rim. We drew various alternative solutions on the paper covering the workbench. We ended up on choosing a fairly simple model and made a drawing of it. A bracket shaped like a capital 'A' with flat ends, made from sheet metal, would be fastened to the rim and reach over the end of the axle. The bracket would be secured to the rim at both ends of the 'A' using small bolts. An 8 mm bolt, inserted from underneath, would be fitted at the tip of the bracket. This bolt would protrude about half a centimetre through a hole drilled in the centre of the hubcap, allowing a nut to be tightened onto the end of the bolt.
To make the brackets, 20 mm wide strips of sheet metal were cut and bent into the A-shape according to the drawing. A hole for the 8 mm bolt was drilled at the tip of the bracket, and holes for 5 mm bolts were drilled in the legs.
The bracket was fitted inside the rim, and the positions for the bracket bolts were marked on the rim. The holes were drilled in the rim using a pillar drill. Now the hubcap bracket could be fastened at both legs to the rim. An 8 mm bolt was pushed through the hole at the tip of the bracket and tightened in place with a nyloc nut.
The hubcap was now ready to be fitted. The wheel was put back onto the undercarriage axle. The hubcap was pressed against the rim so that the bracket’s tip bolt protruded about half a centimetre through the hole in the centre of the hubcap. All that remained was to screw the nut onto the end of the bolt, and the Snoopy’s undercarriage wheel hubcap was complete. The hubcap will be painted bluish grey when the fuselage covering is painted. Photos: Lassi Karivalo Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Hietanen HEA-23b, OH-XEA, Ressu |
Installing the Snoopy's (OH-XEA) roof windowMaanantai 22.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member There was a plexiglass roof window above the seat in the Snoopy’s cockpit. That window has not survived. From the existing photographs and the material list we know that the window was made from green acrylic sheet. The photos also show that the acrylic in the roof window had already cracked. Acrylic is, in fact, prone to cracking or splintering when it is sawn to shape. The cockpit roof window was attached with small bolts to the brackets welded onto the roof frame tubes. Two of these brackets are missing, having come off at some point. Differing from the Snoopy’s original roof window, we decided to make the new roof window out of polycarbonate sheet, which is easier to work with. However, thin and transparent green polycarbonate sheet was not available. Therefore our approach is to make the roof window from 2 mm thick polycarbonate sheet and add a transparent green film to its surface. We began constructing the roof window by making a cardboard template. We measured the size of the window and cut a piece of cardboard accordingly. We then fitted the cardboard into the roof window opening, trimming it to its final shape. Using this cardboard template, we purchased from Etra a piece cut from 2 mm thick polycarbonate sheet. We fitted the polycarbonate sheet into place. There is something unusual about it, as the frame has mounting brackets for the roof window sheet on only three sides. There are no brackets on the cross tube beneath the front edge of the roof window. We have no information on how the window sheet was originally fastened at its front edge to the cockpit roof cross tube. However, photographs taken of the Snoopy show that at this cross tube, the roof window and the windscreen meet. Presumably, at the cross tube, the rear edge of the windscreen rests on top of the front edge of the roof window. This way, the airflow passes over the roof window sheet and cannot enter the cockpit. What kind of joint there was between the roof window and the windscreen, is not clear from the photographs taken of the Snoopy. The photos do show, however, that this joint is covered by some sort of trim strip. How it was fastened is unclear, as there are no indications of it on the cockpit roof frame tube. However, the connection between the front edge of the roof window and the rear edge of the windscreen will need to be resolved at the latest when we bend the windscreen, made from polycarbonate sheet, into shape and fix it into place.
We continued fitting the 2 mm thick window sheet into place so that the edges of the sheet lined up with the rows of mounting brackets. Next, the holes in the brackets were marked onto the plexi sheet by shining a light underneath it. This way, the bracket and the hole for the mounting screw were clearly reflected onto the surface of the plexi sheet and could be marked with a marker pen. Once all the holes were marked, holes for the mounting screws were drilled at the marked locations. In fact, these are small mounting bolts with nuts.
We wondered how well the 2 mm thick polycarbonate sheet would bend to match the curved profile of the roof window. We first fastened the sheet to the brackets at its rear edge. Then, the sides of the plexi sheet were fastened bracket by bracket. We were pleased to discover that the 2 mm thick polycarbonate sheet bent surprisingly well to match the shape of the cockpit roof.
It was noted that the left edge of the plexi sheet protruded about half a centimetre beyond the line of the frame tube. Obviously, the sheet had been fixed slightly further to the left than intended. So a line was drawn on the plexi sheet to indicate the excess, and the extra material was removed using a fine-toothed bandsaw. After this, the sheet was put back into place.
It was still necessary to solve how to proceed with the two missing mounting brackets in the cockpit roof structure. The solution chosen was to fasten two small perforated angle brackets at the positions where the brackets were missing from the cross tube of the roof. The positions of the holes in these brackets were then marked onto the sheet. Once the holes had been drilled, the two mounting bolts could be put in place.
The front edge of the sheet has not yet been fastened to the cross-frame tube beneath it, as the method of attachment has not yet been decided. For the time being, the front edge of the roof window sheet is held in place on the frame tube with small clamps.
The roof window plexi sheet for the Snoopy is now in place. Protective film still covers both sides of the sheet. These will be removed when the roof window is eventually fastened into place after the restoration of Ressu has been completed. Before that, a thin transparent green film must be found to be glued onto the surface of the roof window sheet. Photos: Lassi Karivalo Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Hietanen HEA-23b, OH-XEA, Ressu |
Santa Claus visits CaravelleTiistai 16.12.2025 - Ismo Matinlauri On the weekend 13-14 December 2025 we had the traditional Christmas event at Turku Airport when Santa Claus visited our Caravelle. The weather was ok and the light snowfall on Sunday night made the landscape white and wintery, at least for a short while.
During the two days a good number of children came to meet Santa, along with their parents or grandparents. Everyone could attend the flight they wanted and visit the flight deck where the experienced crew gave a guided tour.
This weekend was the last visitor event for this year. Now is a good moment to summarize the events for this season. The volunteer team consisted of about 15 members in the Turku region, and the technical team of 4 members from the Helsinki metropolitan area. The volunteers gathered at the airport to do restoration work and other task 73 times during the year, usually on Mondays and Wednesdays. Only a short winter break and a summer vacation month interrupted the work. The volunteers’ working hours consisted of Other statistics from 2025 When the volunteers came together to do restoration work, we always had a coffee break where we had lively discussions about the Caravelle and about how to make the world a better place.
Thank you to all visitors and the Caravelle team. See you again next year! Photos: Jouko Tarponen Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: ilmailuhistoria, entisöinti, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu |
Situation update from TikkakoskiSunnuntai 14.12.2025 - Reino Myllymäki ja Mika Rautasaari This blog post is based on the photo delivery from Tikkakoski by Jorma Laakkonen on 22 November 2025 and the Myrsky project update provided by Mika Rautasaari / Finnish Air Force Museum on 10 December 2025.
On the fuselage work is ongoing to produce the engine cowlings. After the drawing showing the latest development version of the so-called engine shroud plate was discovered in Tikkakoski, the task of manufacturing this plate was transferred from the Aviation Museum Society’s Tuesday Club Myrsky team to the Finnish Air Force Museum’s restoration team. The lower section of the shroud plate was made in Vantaa by the Myrsky team but, joining the lower and upper sections may still result in changes to the lower part as well.
The production of the engine cowlings has begun by making different wooden moulds for the engine cowlings and the air intake duct. Manufacturing of the sheet metal and stiffener parts for the engine cowlings, as well as the air intake duct itself, has also started, along with the fabrication of the flame tubes.
When the Myrsky’s wing was transferred to Tikkakoski, the undercarriage was fitted with patterned tyres used on the Vihuri. Now Dunlop tyres resembling the originals have been found for MY-14. These have previously been used on a Smolik training aircraft and it is likely that these tyres have fewer layers of fabric than the original Myrsky tyres. One of the tyres broke at the side during inflation and will be repaired, as the tyres are intended to be used only for exhibition purposes and will not be pressurised. Vihuri tyres will be fitted on when moving the aircraft. The undercarriage struts have been painted with a mixture of Isotrol paint and aluminium powder, which is intended to imitate the original cadmium-plated surface. The undercarriage and wheel well doors have been test-fitted, but further adjustment is still required before assembly. The aileron mechanism has been repaired to ensure the ailerons can move along their correct path.
The elevators also need to be repaired, as for example one of the elevators was not straight. Furthermore, the counterweight of the other elevator was replaced with the correct type of weight.
These are the main points for now. This article is the response to many inquiries about what is happening behind the scenes in the Myrsky project. The aircraft will be completed in 2026, but the exact date is not yet known. Photos: Jorma Laakkonen Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, VL Myrsky, MY-14, AFM |
Cleaning Bristol Blenheim BL-106 rudder pedals for paintingKeskiviikko 10.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member https://www.ilmailumuseoyhdistys.fi/blogi/2025/12/10/49878Once the pilot's seat of the Bristol Blenheim BL-106 had been restored, we continued our work on the rudder pedals. The pedals themselves are not broken; but they are heavily soiled and the aluminium parts already display corrosion-induced pitting. The steel parts of the controls are covered in rust.
This time, we began the restoration by investigating how the rudder pedals had originally been surface-treated. It seemed that the aluminium parts of the pedals were simply bare aluminium. Their surface was distinctly greenish yellow. There were also traces of grey paint found on the surface of some parts.
We consulted the Finnish Air Force Museum about the colour of this aluminium. It turned out that the aluminium parts of the rudder pedals were zinc chromated. At the same time, we asked if it was possible to determine from the serial number (50966/1), stamped on the surface, whether the pedals were manufactured in England or Finland. The serial number revealed that these pedals were made by the Finnish State Aircraft Factory (Valtion lentokonetehdas). After the serial number, there was also a small VL logo.
The interior surfaces, seats, and controls of the cockpits of Blenheim bombers, manufactured or overhauled in Finland, were painted with VL’s standard grey paint in the RAL 7005 shade. Thus, the remnants of grey paint found on the rudder pedals of the BL-106 confirmed that the same practice had been applied to this particular aircraft. However, most of the original surface paint had already worn away.
We will paint the rudder pedals with Isoguard Pansar paint for metal surfaces, in the RAL 7005 grey shade. This paint is alkyd and linseed oil based. Before applying the grey topcoat, the steel parts of the rudder pedals will be treated with clear Isotrol lacquer. The aluminium parts will be painted directly with Isoguard Pansar paint. This was also the method we used when restoring the pilot’s seat. We began cleaning the rudder pedals of dirt, rust, and grease. The rusted steel components were mainly cleaned by mechanically grinding their corroded surfaces until they were clean. When cleaning the dirty surfaces of the aluminium parts, we first tried both Sinol and white spirit, but these were ineffective. We had to find a more suitable solvent.
We proceeded to use both Solmaster Painter's Solvent and CRC Brakleen Pro brake part cleaner. We applied these products to the various components, spreading the solvent onto the surface and into crevices with a brush. The solution was left to work for a while. After that, the surfaces were scrubbed using both soft brass and plastic brushes, and for tight gaps, even toothbrushes. A steel brush was not used, as it would have damaged the zinc chromated surface of the rudder pedals. After scrubbing, we wiped the surfaces with a cloth. The solvents proved effective at removing the sticky grease and dirt, although the treatment had to be repeated several times.
A small steam cleaner was also put into use. The surfaces were treated again with the solvents mentioned earlier and then "blasted" with the steam cleaner. The steam cleaner was very effective at removing grease and dirt, but it was not sufficiently effective against oxidised areas. After each steam cleaning, the part was wiped clean with a cloth. By repeating this method, the surfaces gradually became cleaner, as each time more dirt and remnants of old paint were removed. After using the solvents and the steam cleaner, patches of wear caused by corrosion remained on the surface of the rudder pedals. The corrosion had already broken through the zinc chromated surface of the aluminium components, leaving them mottled. These worn areas were rough to the touch. We considered whether to leave them as they were or to sand them smoother.
Photo: Jouni Ripatti We decided to sand them so that the corroded spots would be as inconspicuous as possible beneath the new painted surface. The corrosion patches were sanded with a scouring pad, which worked well. The more severely corroded spots had become so rough that they were carefully “carved” smooth with a thin-bladed utility knife. In this way, the corroded areas were made sufficiently smooth for painting. The rudder pedals of BL-106, mottled by corrosion, were now ready for painting. Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Bristol Blenheim |
Unfastening of the OH-XTM Super Chug propeller and fitting a new oneSunnuntai 7.12.2025 - Tuesday Club member The propeller of the OH-XTM Super Chug (in Finnish Super Sytky), which was damaged in a landing accident and donated to Aviation Museum Society Finland, broke in the crash. A replacement in good condition is required. The wooden propeller on OH-XTM was manufactured in the United States and bears a manufacturing plaque reading “MARFA HEGY TEXAS.” The propeller is stamped with the dimensions 54x44, indicating its diameter and pitch. It is also stamped with the numbers 6-81, which presumably refer to the month and year of manufacture.
Fortunately, we were donated a suitable propeller for the OH-XTM Super Chug’s VW 1600 engine. Antti Laukkanen, restoration manager at the Finnish Aviation Museum, decided to part with a propeller he had for the benefit of our Super Chug’s engine. This propeller was manufactured by E. Pankkonen in the 1970s. Pankkonen produced propellers under official permit, including those for the Fournier RF-5 “Tuulia” aircraft. These were much needed in the 1970s: according to the 1975 damage summary in the Finnish Ilmailu (= Aviation) magazine, the Tuulia in Turku was already using its eleventh propeller in its history!
We were eager to test whether the bolt holes of the donated propeller would fit the propeller hub of the OH-XTM engine. For this reason, the original but damaged propeller, which was still attached to the Super Chug’s VW 1600 engine, needed to be removed.
The disassembly began with the propeller hub cover, i.e. the spinner. Once the numerous crosshead screws at the rear edge of the spinner were removed, the spinner could be pulled off with a bit of prying.
Now the broken propeller could be detached. The propeller hub bolts came loose easily, allowing both the bolts and the propeller's mounting flange to be removed. There was some speculation as to how tightly the propeller would still be stuck to the mating parts of the mounting bolts. However, after tapping the propeller lightly with a rubber mallet, it came off easily.
With the propeller removed, the mounting ring for the spinner’s screws underneath could also be taken off, leaving only the hub with the propeller mounting bolt mating sleeves (threaded inserts) attached. During the disassembly, all screws, bolts and washers were labelled and placed in a plastic bag to await the completion of the Super Chug’s restoration and the installation of the new propeller on the VW 1600 engine.
Once the broken propeller had been removed and the hub was free, the donated propeller was test-fitted to the Super Chug’s engine. The propeller bolt holes in the donated propeller matched perfectly with the threaded inserts in the hub. The new propeller’s holes were, however, slightly smaller in diameter than the mounting bolts. This means that when the propeller is eventually installed on the OH-XTM Super Chug’s engine, its bolt holes will need to be slightly enlarged. Photos: Lassi Karivalo Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Hietanen HEA-23b, OH-XEA, Ressu |
Cleaning and painting the Snoopy?s Continental A 65 engineTiistai 2.12.2025 Ressu, i.e. Snoopy (OH-XEA) was originally equipped with a Continental A 65 engine. However, the original engine has not survived. Nevertheless, we managed to obtain a similar type of engine, from a crashed aircraft, to install in the Snoopy. Although this engine is damaged and unfit for use, it suits our purposes. We are restoring the engine to look like an operational one and supplementing it with missing parts so that it can be mounted on Snoopy’s nose.
All parts still attached to the engine, except for the cylinders, were disassembled. We were unable to detach the cylinders as the pistons were completely seized inside them. The detached parts were cleaned using various methods, including the engine block and its cylinders. For the cylinders, we decided that to paint them properly, including the cooling fins, they would have to be thoroughly cleaned before painting. Therefore, we opted to take the Continental engine block, with the cylinders still attached, for glass bead blasting at Taximo Oy in Tattarisuo, Helsinki.
Photo: Juha Veijalainen
Before sending the engine to be glass bead blasted, it was plugged up to prevent the blasting media from getting inside the engine, even though this engine will never run again. The open intake and exhaust ports were covered with thin aluminium plates. A similar protective cover was made from thin aluminium for the opening left by the removed timing gear cover, to stop blasting material from entering. This was done by placing the removed timing cover on a sheet of aluminium, tracing its shape, and cutting out a piece to match, with holes drilled in the edges for fixing pins.
We mounted the Continental engine onto an engine stand so that it could be rotated easily, much like a spit roast. To install the timing gear cover, the engine had to be removed from the stand. This was done with an engine hoist. Once the protective cover was attached, the engine was returned to its stand. It was deliberately taken for blasting while still mounted, as this made it much easier to rotate during the cleaning process. Our Continental A 65 engine was now ready for glass bead blasting.
Photo: Reijo Siirtola The engine was transported from Puusepäntie to Tattarisuo in a passenger car, where the engine and its stand could be loaded, pulling it in with a cargo strap. A week later, the engine was collected from blasting and, still on the stand, was taken to the Finnish Aviation Museum for painting the cylinders. This was because the museum has a spray-painting tent, which we don’t have at the Puusepäntie workshop. Black and white photographs of the Snoopy show that the engine’s cylinders and valve covers were painted black, while the block was left in aluminium. We followed this original approach as well.
Photo: Juha Veijalainen
Photo: Reijo Siirtola Before painting the cylinders, the block was protected with plastic. The cylinders to be painted were brushed and washed with Sinol to remove any dust left from the blasting. The spark plugs were then removed, and the edges of the plug holes were greased with Vaseline, as they were to be left unpainted. The engine was then taken to the painting tent in the museum’s yard. The cylinders were spray-painted with semi-gloss black Isoguard Pansar paint. Surprisingly, a large amount of paint was required, as the cylinders and their cooling fins had a lot of surface area to cover. The cylinders and cooling fins were painted twice to ensure the spaces between the fins were thoroughly coated.
Photos: Reijo Siirtola
After painting, the Continental engine was transported by car back to the workshop in Puusepäntie. There, the engine block was wiped down with Sinol, after which a clear Isotrol varnish was brushed onto the block’s surface to protect the aluminium from oxidation. Now the Snoopy’s Continental A 65 engine block and cylinders were cleaned and painted. The transformation from the engine’s original condition was remarkable. Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Hietanen HEA-23b, OH-XEA, Ressu |
Indoor air humidity control in the CaravelleMaanantai 1.12.2025 - Ismo Matinlauri & Erja Reinikainen The winter season is severe for the Caravelle’s interior. Especially the high humidity increases the risks of mould and damages the surfaces. Temperature changes cause the indoor air humidity to condense on surfaces which are not insulated.
That winter we reduced the indoor air humidity by placing 5-6 bags of salt evenly around the cabin. The salt bags remove water from the humid indoor air by absorbing it into the salt, which melts and drips into a bucket below. The method is cheap and easy to assemble, but to ensure optimal results it needs regular monitoring, emptying the drip containers, and maintenance of the salt bags. We had to replace the salt bags once during the winter. We also had borrowed a small condensing air dryer which operated only in temperatures above zero.
Questions
Disadvantages
2. Desiccant dehumidifier Advantages
Questions
Disadvantages
3. Humidity controlled ventilation Advantages
Questions
Disadvantages
Selection of dehumidification system
The installation can be seen in the picture. The dehumidifier had to be placed on a bench which is on a table, because the exhaust air hose for the warm and humid air has to slope downwards so that there won’t be water pockets in it. Through these it might be possible to have the water leak back into the dehumidified space.
We asked comments from Sweden how they control the humidity in their museum aircraft which are stored outside. Flygvapenmuseum from Linköping replied that in their Caravelle they use Munters desiccant dehumidifier, i.e. similar to ours. They were pleased with it and said it works very well also in winter conditions. Photos: Jouko Tarponen Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu, Bluebird |
Painting of the Bristol Blenheim bomber pilot's seatKeskiviikko 26.11.2025 - Tuesday Club member The pilot’s seat of the Bristol Blenheim bomber, which was assembled for the Finnish Air Force after the war and designated BL-106, has been under restoration at the Tuesday Club. This aircraft, which received the BL-106 designation, was assembled in the early 1950s from stored parts of various Blenheim individuals as a V-series aircraft. There is scarcely a single part in this aircraft from the original British-manufactured BL-106, which was flown to Finland in December 1937. The original BL-106 overturned in a forced landing on 8 June 1944 and was damaged beyond repair.
Photo: SA-kuva The restoration of the seat from BL-106, which was assembled after the war, reached the painting phase in early autumn. In preparation for painting, we examined what kind of paint residues could be found on the seat as we cleaned the rusted or otherwise oxidised surfaces of both the seat pan and the seat frame.
After examining the surfaces, we concluded at first that the seat frame’s steel parts had been painted black. However, upon closer inspection, it became apparent that on top of the black paint there had been a layer of grey paint. This was confirmed when brackets, or clamps, were removed from the steel tubes of the seat frame, revealing grey paint underneath. Scraping the grey paint with a fingernail exposed black paint beneath the grey layer. Based on these findings, the decision was made to paint the seat grey.
The same paint was more clearly visible on the surface of the aluminium seat pan, although several different shades of grey and greenish-grey paint could be seen there. It was established that the topmost layer had been grey paint. In addition, a speck of red paint was found at the end of the handle that adjusts the tilt angle of the seat pan.
Bright green paint was also found on the aluminium parts of the control column which is attached to the seat frame. This green paint is a primer, which was used by the State Aircraft Factory. During overhauls at the State Aircraft Factory also the cockpits of Blenheims built in Britain were painted with grey paint in accordance with the VL’s standard, using shade RAL 7005. In the same way, we will paint the pilot’s seat of BL-106. It should be noted that the cockpits of the British-manufactured Blenheim aircraft purchased by Finland were painted with the aircraft grey green shade used by the Royal Air Force (RAF Aircraft Grey Green BS381c-283). Before painting the seat with grey paint, the steel tube frame, which had been cleaned of rust, as well as the steel parts of the aluminium seat pan, were treated with Isotrol lacquer, which is a primer that offers excellent protection against rust. In contrast, the aluminium parts do not require protective lacquer but are painted directly with Isoguard Pansar topcoat paint, which is specifically designed for metal surfaces, using shade grey (RAL 7005).
The seat frame was first treated with Isotrol lacquer. After that, the topcoat painting with Isoguard Pansar paint began with the seat pan. The inside surface of the seat pan was painted first, using brushes. Isoguard Pansar paint has the advantageous property of levelling out very well even when applied with a brush. Once the inside surface of the seat pan had dried, the outer surface was painted. After this, the seat frame was painted.
Once both the seat frame and the seat pan had been painted, the seat frame and the pan were joined together. The pan and the frame are connected to each other by a horizontal connecting tube, resembling a large cotter pin. It consists of two tubes that are pushed against each other and a locking bushing which is slid over their butt joint. On both sides of the seat frame and of the the seat pan, there is an opening aligned for this steel tube. The ends of the connecting tube are pushed through these openings from both sides of the seat, towards each other. Once the ends of the tubes meet, the locking bushing, which is fitted onto one of the tubes, is slid over the butt joint to secure the connection and make it rigid. In this way, the seat frame and the seat pan were joined together. The connecting tube also serves as the axis that enables the adjustment of the seat pan’s tilt angle. The seat itself has its own separate mechanism for adjusting the angle.
Getting the connecting tube with its three parts into place proved to be a challenge. It took some time before the locking bushing, which secures the ends of the tubes, could be locked in place with the bolts running through the connecting tube. We had to enlarge the holes for the connecting bolts using a thin round file before we could push the bolts through the connecting tube. It was also tricky to get the bolts that prevent the connecting tube from moving sideways into place and to tighten the nuts onto their ends.
The restoration of the pilot’s seat for the Blenheim BL-106 has now been completed. Or, in fact, there is still one more task to be done. The leather surface of the grip padding on the right side of the seat is badly worn and partially torn. We are considering whether to restore or conserve this worn seat padding. We are leaning towards conservation, and for this we need an expert, since there is not enough expertise for this in the Tuesday Club. Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Bristol Blenheim |
MY-5 fuselage frame brought from Finnish Aviation Museum to the Puusepäntie workshopPerjantai 21.11.2025 - Tuesday Club member The Tuesday Club has been working all autumn at the Finnish Aviation Museum and also at the Aviation Museum Society’s workshop in Puusepäntie to build the Demo-Myrsky. The Demo-Myrsky is built to display the inner structures of the Myrsky II fighter, designed and built by the Finnish State Aircraft Factory. Myrsky had a mixed structure, its fuselage was made of welded steel tube and the front fuselage had aluminium plate covering and the rear part was covered with fabric. The wing, the vertical and horizontal stabilizers and the rudder were made of wood and covered with plywood.
Photo: Jaakko Rantasalo
Before the Myrsky fuselage was brought in, some rearranging was needed in the Puusepäntie workshop so that the MY-5 fuselage would fit in with the Super Chug OH-XTM and the Snoopy OH-XEA fuselages, which are already there. When the preparations had been made, the MY-5 fuselage frame was loaded on a trailer, waiting outside the museum, on 17 November. On the following day the trailer was fastened on the towing hook of the Octavia and the journey to Puusepäntie began.
We can soon call the workshop the Aircraft Factory of the Aviation Museum Society! Photos: Lassi karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, VL Myrsky, MY-14, AFM |
The repairs on the Super Chug fuselage under wayKeskiviikko 19.11.2025 - Tuesday Club member The repairs on the Super Chug OH-XTM, which was involved in a serious landing accident, have started. The first target will be the damaged fuselage of the aircraft. The lower part has been damaged between the rear section of the cockpit area and the firewall. The firewall is the rear section of the nose part, covered with a metal plate on the outer surface for fire protection. The lower part of the fuselage has been completely destroyed to the floor level, and the covering plywood on both sides is partly tattered halfway up the fuselage. The rear fuselage remained intact in the crash.
The fuselage between the cockpit and the firewall of the OH-XTM was laid ”inverted” to facilitate repairs. To start the repairs on the wooden fuselage, which had been stripped of the engine, the front section of the fuselage was emptied of all the wires and gadgets. First the fuel tank, which filled the front section of the fuselage, had to be removed to gain access to the wires and tubes leading from the cockpit to the engine bay. The fuel tank fastening straps were opened, after which the tank was lifted out of the front section of the fuselage. The tank straps were left in place for the time being.
After the fuel tank had been removed, the wires and cables going through the firewall from the cockpit to the engine bay were detached from their holders and the wires were pulled through the firewall. To completely empty the front section of the fuselage, we had to detach the rudder pedals, which were attached to the broken front fuselage former, and the wires leading from the pedals to the rudder.
Photo: Jouni Ripatti
When the aircraft hit the ground, the firewall was mostly torn loose from its fuselage joint and simultaneously it was damaged at the edges. It had to be taken out for repairs. The firewall and fuselage joint seam was sawn open, using a multi-tool saw blade, to cut loose the part that was still hanging to the fuselage. Thus the firewall could be detached from the fuselage for repairs and the space between the cockpit and firewall opened, apart from the fuel tank straps.
Photoa: Ari Aho
As to the fuselage side damaged covering plywood sheets, it was established that the repairing would be better done by covering anew the side areas with plywood. Thus the damaged areas of plywood were sawn off with the saw blade of the multi-tool. The plywood was sawn along the fuselage stringers so that about 10 mm of plywood was left outside the edge as a rabbet for the future butt joint. A 20 mm high wooden batten will be glued on the fuselage stringer as a support for the butt joint where the edges of the old and new plywood join. Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned ranslation to English: Matti Liuskallio |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, PIK-21, Super-Sytky, OH-XTM |
The service door stair restoredSunnuntai 16.11.2025 - Ismo Matinlauri The Caravelle restoration team usually uses the right-hand side service door, located opposite to the passenger door. It is smaller than the passenger door, but more convenient to use in the daily activities as it is located on the side of the office container. The problem has been that we haven’t had a suitable stair for the door.
In summer Inter Handling Finland Oy donated us a used airport stair, which had a perfect height to fit our service door. The stair looked rather worn but was sturdy and safe to use. The picture below was taken on 9 September 2024.
Several alternatives for repainting the stair were investigated. The main idea was to have it sandblasted and painted twice. We had paint left over from painting the aircraft so there would have been enough of grey primer and white top-coat paint.
Next spring when the weather gets warmer, the painting will be finalized when the logo of Aviation Museum Society Finland is painted above the words Turku Airport. Photos: Jouko Tarponen Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu, Bluebird |
Fashion photogarphs from the shoot at our Caravelle in julyLauantai 8.11.2025 - Erja Reinikainen A Caravelle blog published in the summer talked about a photo shoot on the Caravelle site at Turku airport when the fashion collection of Konsta Eskola, an Aalto University fashion design student, was being photographed. The collection is a part of Konsta’s final project in his bachelor’s studies, where he has evaluated airline uniforms and the possibilities for their reuse. All materials of Konsta’s collection – except aluminium and recycled leather – are from parts of Finnair’s and Norra’s used uniforms. He has taken apart the uniform parts he received from the airlines, and from this material he created new outfits. Konsta’s final project collection includes six looks. We got pictures which were taken on that day by photographer Simran Kaur and with Konsta’s permission we publish some of them on this website. Photos: Simran Kaur
Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu, Bluebird |
The OH-XEA Snoopy fuselage coveringLauantai 8.11.2025 - Tuesday Club member Before the Tuesday Club’s summer break, we had attached the covering fabrics on the Snoopy’s fuselage upper and lower surfaces and on both sides of the cockpit. We couldn’t have covered more at the time because we had run out of the covering fabric we used. However, we had time to start the tightening lacquering on the fuselage upper and lower covering.
The covering of the Snoopy’s sides was started by making a cardboard template of the sides. According to them, pieces of fabric were cut off for the covering of the sides. The pieces of fabric, cut to form, were attached to the frame of the fuselage with contact glue. The fabric was first glued from its upper edge to the frame tube of the fuselage. After this the fabric was glued from its lower edge to the frame tube, stretching it from the hem at the same time. This way the fabric was made tentatively tight to wait for the water tightening and the subsequent tightening with nitrocellulose lacquer.
Photos: Lassi Karivalo Translation to English: Matti Liuskallio |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Hietanen HEA-23b, OH-XEA, "Ressu" |
Restoring the instrument panel in the cockpitMaanantai 27.10.2025 - Ismo Matinlauri and Martti Saarinen When the former SAS Caravelle SE-DAF arrived in Finland in August 2022, its fuselage was tilted 45 degrees due to the limited height in the ferry’s vehicle deck. In the former Pansio shipyard hall, where the aircraft was brought for restoration, the fuselage remained in this position for the first five months. This allowed easier access to the upper section of the fuselage where the cleaning and grinding work started. In the beginning of 2023 the fuselage was turned into an upright position, and we could enter the cabin and the cockpit for the first time. We were shocked – a mild expression for what we felt – to see saw how drastically the interior had been disassembled. The cabin seats, overhead shelves and surface materials had been removed, and there was not much left of the cockpit equipment either.
Cockpit interior on 27 March 2023 when the Turku team saw it for the first time In the cockpit, about 30-35 instruments or display panels were missing from the instrument panel. The paint was peeling and the surfaces looked rundown after decades of neglect on the edge of Arlanda airport. Martti Saarinen, a member of the Caravelle technical team, set to looking for the missing instruments and radio operating panels in co-operation with Antti Hyvärinen. Janne Salonen, for his part, contacted the aviation museums in Sweden to find missing instruments.
The cockpit on 25 October 2023, about seven months after the previous picture was taken. Several of the missing instruments have been found, many have been donated by various organisations and private persons. Some instruments have not been available, so Martti Saarinen built copies (non-operational replicas) to replace them. Painting work progressed in the cockpit, and the glare shield was unfastened to be restored. The hunt for the missing instruments was still on and one by one items were found online. In autumn 2025 the instrument panel was quite complete. Other equipment in the cockpit was also restored, e.g. the throttle levers. In 2025 also the textiles of the pilots’ seats were cleaned, repaired and partly replaced.
The cockpit on 24 September.2025 when lighting had been installed When the electrical work progressed, lighting was installed in the cockpit. The new led strip under the glare shield lights up the instrument panel quite nicely. There is still some painting work remaining and we are looking for the last missing parts and radio panels.
The autopilot control panel in September 2025 One of the latest additions on the instrument panel is the autopilot panel. Martti Saarinen had to build it because a real one couldn’t be found.
The radio panels in the pilots’ ceiling panel on 13 October 2025 The latest addition is the control panel of the ADF radio, which we were donated in early October 2025. It can be seen in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture. We are still looking for some items and maybe one day we will find real instruments to replace the replicas we have now in the cockpit. The control panel of the HF-radio and the fault indication panels for the navigation systems are missing. Although the HF-installation varied on the SAS aircraft. Initially, black cover plates were used on the aircraft when some equipment had not been installed. Photos: Jouko Tarponen Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu, Bluebird |
OH-XTM Super Chug fuselage ready for repairsLauantai 18.10.2025 - Tuesday Club member After the Super Chug fuselage had been moved to the Puusepäntie workhop, the preparations to restore the damaged fuselage began. The first task was to detach the engine from the fuselage, because handling the damaged fuselage with the heavy engine in place would be nearly impossible.
Photo: Matti Kainulainen So we started to detach the Super Chug’s VW 1600 engine from the fuselage together with the engine mounting. In doing so we’ll avoid detaching the wires, tubes and engine equipment within the engine mounting frame.
Photo: Jouni Ripatti The engine mounting was attached to the fuselage with five bolts. We tried to open the nuts of the bolts that penetrated the firewall. The bolts, however, turned simultaneously when the nuts were turned. Somehow, we had to gain access to the bolt heads behind the firewall. If the nose of the aircraft were intact, gaining access to the bolts would be almost impossible, because the bolts were situated behind the fuel tank between the cockpit and the firewall. Now, however, the nose of the aircraft was torn because of the crash, so we could reach the bolts and unscrew the nuts.
Photo: Ari Aho
Photo: Antti Hietala At the same time all the wires and cables, connecting the engine through the firewall, were detached. Part of them could be easily detached, but others fought us all the way. When the engine oil had been drained, we were ready to detach the engine.
Photos: Antti Hietala
Photo: Ari Aho The engine was tied with cargo straps to an engine hoist, and the engine was pulled gingerly out of the nose of the Super Chug, hanging from the straps with the engine mounting. The detached engine was lowered on straps to a solid worktop to wait for further action.
The fuselage without the engine was still resting attached to a support frame made of pieces of four by two. Now the fuselage could be detached from the frame. The straps and other devices were opened, and the fuselage was carefully lifted from the supporting frame on to the table. We were a little apprehensive to lift the fuselage, nearly broken in half, but it held on well.
Because the fuselage of the OH-XTM has been damaged in the lower part between the cockpit and the firewall, it would be the most convenient, if the fuselage were to be on its back. So it was decided to place the fuselage on its back on two trestles, to facilitate the restoration work. One trestle would be by the cockpit opening and the other would support the rear fuselage at the stem of the vertical stabilizer.
We pondered what the suitable working height would be to restore the fuselage. It was decided to be 120 cm from the floor level. We adjusted the legs of the trestle by the cockpit so that the Super Chug’s fuselage top line, or in this case the damaged bottom line, would be at the height of 120 cm. The rear fuselage trestle had to be built.
It was built from the dismantled four by two pieces of wood of the Super Chug’s supporting frame. It resembled a normal wing trestle, only it was narrower. The level of the trestle was adjusted with a piece of fire hose used as strap, so that the whole of the fuselage was level and 120 cm from the floor.
After finishing the rear fuselage support trestle, the fuselage of the Super Chug was lifted upside down on the trestles. Thus the fuselage of the OH-XTM is ready for the restoration work. Photos: Lassi Karivalo, unless otherwise mentioned Translation to English: Matti Liuskallio |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, PIK-21, Super-Sytky, OH-XTM |
Inventory and other work on an autumn friday, 19 september 2025Perjantai 19.9.2025 - Erja Reinikainen The Caravelle volunteers in Turku have been busy all autumn with the interior work in the rear cabin, electrical installation and other finishing work as well as improving the outdoor area. This blog, however, concentrates on the activities of a day when the three Team Helsinki/Vantaa/Vihti members were on site. Another blog will be written later about the interior work. Instruments have been installed into the instrument panel in the cockpit and finally the last item could be added. We don’t have an original autopilot operating panel, but a skilfully made copy was assembled – and it looks great.
Photo: Martti Saarinen In the cabin new stoppers were tested on the curtain track. They prevent the curtain roller slides from slipping from their track if the curtains are moved. We have some original stoppers, but new ones are needed too. The prototypes of the new stoppers proved to work well, so some additional copies will be made. We were donated an original Caravelle first class double seat and its refurbishment will be done next spring, before bringing it into the cabin. We have already started with some preparations and planning for the refurbishment. The seat will need mechanical repairs, and new padding and covers need to be made. Now we did some measurements and padding tests for drawing the patterns for new covers.
Photo: Erja Reinikainen You may remember that a container full of material came from Arlanda along with the aircraft. It has been parked in our storage area at Turku airport since early summer 2023. Another container, located beside the aircraft, has worked as a shed for tools and material needed in the restoration work. Quite a job was done as the contents of the two sea containers were now inventoried and organized. In the organizing work the visiting volunteers were accompanied with two Turku team members.
Photo: Jouni Halme The container in the storage area still contains some items which were dismantled from the SE-DAF in the summer in 2022, but there is a lot of other material we got from Arlanda, packed in wooden boxes and some loose in the container. At Arlanda the material was inventoried, and the boxes were labelled with texts describing the contents. During the years parts and some cabin textiles have been collected from the boxes and installed in the aircraft. The boxes have also been rummaged through for other purposes. Now all loose items in the container were checked, the boxes were opened, and an inventory was made of the material we have. The material was sorted into two categories: a) Caravelle parts which may be used in the aircraft or in the exhibition and b) material from other aircraft types which may be sold or placed on display. A real treasure were the six original and well-preserved unused windowpanes (plexiglass) which can be installed in the cabin. Cockpit items were found too, pilot headset and microphones, among others. There is plenty of interesting material for the exhibition, such as the “black box”, refuelling panel, radio equipment and different kinds of tools and small parts.
Photo: Jouni Halme We also collected all kinds of waste and disposable material from the storage container. This included cargo pallets, timber used in the transportation of the aircraft parts, etc. and material which had corroded or crackled or become brittle during the decades. There were also some textile items which had been dirty, torn or damaged already when they had been packed. There is plenty of material in the wooden boxes, waiting to be used in the future: e.g. seat covers, seat belts and tray tables which are not from a Caravelle. The boxes were re-labelled and packed into the container so that they are easily accessible. It is easy to continue from here in the spring. Translation to English: Erja Reinikainen |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Caravelle, OH-LEA, Sinilintu, Bluebird |
Restoration of the Bristol Blenheim pilot's seat under wayMaanantai 8.9.2025 - Tuesday Club member Last year we finished the restoration of the co-pilot’s stool from a V-series (BL-106) Bristol Blenheim bomber. Our object was a short-nosed Blenheim, assembled after the war from surplus parts in the 1950’s, having dual controls for training purposes. Beside the pilot’s seat there was a stool-like seat for the copilot. The controls in front of the seat were connected with rods to the captain’s controls. Mind you, that this series V-Blenheim aircraft (BL-106), assembled after the war, has in fact nothing in common with the UK-built war horse (BL-106), which was destroyed in a crash landing on 8.6.1944.
After restoring the copilot’s stool we moved our sights on the pilot’s seat. Restoring is all about cleaning the seat frame, basically a steel tube construction, from dirt, grease and rust. For the part of the seat pan, it meant cleaning the surfaces and sanding before painting. Note that the seat had no back armour. As the first task we detached the leather-covered padding of the seat armrest to be conserved. After that we started the cleaning of the pilot’s seat. Soon we realized that cleaning would be more efficient and easier, if we could separate the aluminium seat pan and the seat frame.
Separating the seat pan and the seat frame necessitated the removing of the steel cross tube, rather like a big split pin, joining them. The cross tube consists of two tubes, joined by a butt joint, and a sleeve around the seam. We finally managed to slide the rusted sleeve from the seam and thus separate the tubes. We stripped the seat frame of all the parts that we could and detached the numerous rusty clips and other fasteners from the frame to be cleaned.
Some of the parts of the pilot’s seat were merely dirty and grimy, so to clean them for instance Fairy Power Spray was used. It removed the grease and dirt reasonably well from the surface of the parts.
The badly rusted tubes of the seat frame were cleaned by using abrasive pads, sanding papers and a steel wire brush attached to a cordless drill. For small parts, like nuts, a steel wire brush attached to a Dremel was used. The small items we detached from the frame were cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner, which we had obtained.
When rust from the surface of the rusty tubes was removed, in places black paint was revealed. Based on that we concluded that the seat frame of steel tube structure had last been painted black. The cleaning of the tub-like aluminium part of the seat pan, made it apparent that the aluminium surface had been primed with grey primer and finished with greyish green surface coat of paint. The surface paint responds in shade to the greyish green Temalac ML 90 BS 283-shade we had already used in restoring the co-pilot’s seat. As primer we’re going to use Isotrol-lacquer and as surface paint Isoquard Panzer paint. The black paint will be the semigloss Isoquard Panzer paint.
We’ve more or less completed the cleaning the pilot’s seat from rust and grime, so the next phase will be the painting of the seat. Photos: Lassi Karivalo Translation to English: Matti Liuskallio |
|
Avainsanat: aviation history, restoration, Tuesday Club, Bristol Blenheim |
Ilmailumuseot.fi - Aviationmuseums.fi
