MY-14's tail repairs, part three

Even after MY-9 empennage was attached into MY-14 fuselage frame, there remained things to fix at Tikkakoski.

Tail wheel assembly was missing support tubes and some existing ones were eaten by rust. They had to be renewed. Tubes coming in from fuselage corners were good up to the original joint but even they had to be straightened.

Replacement tubes were taken from MY-9 as possible but also new tubing was used. Original tubes included wall thicknesses down to as thin as 0.5 mm, but all new ones were of 1 mm wall thickness. Axle bushings were made of new commercial quality tube.

Further there were things to fix at tail wheel assembly’s upper supports and attachments. All six pipes leading there were either missing, broken or twisted. Replacements were again found from MY-9, but bushings and supporting lugs for retracting mechanism had to be made from new material according to drawings.

Again all needed welding was done with TIG welding, partly by Rauno Pylväläinen from Patria and partly by Antti Lappalainen from Finnish Air Force Museum.