THE SOUTHERN CROSS Wing Spar Structural Test

[Thruster87]

The Illawarra-based Historical Aircraft Restoration Society has made a New Year's resolution to restore one of Australia's most important pieces of aviation history and fly it around the nation for children to see and touch.

 

Work started at Illawarra Regional Airport this week on returning to the sky the only flying replica of the Southern Cross, arguably Australia's most famous aircraft.

 

The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum now owns the Southern Cross II and wants to have it flying within 12 months tocelebrate the 80th anniversary of Charles Kingsford Smith's flight from Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa, to New Plymouth in New Zealand in 1933.

 

It was the first commercial trans-Tasman flight and took 14 hours. Relatives of the co-pilot and navigator on that flight, PG Taylor, will inspect work on the Southern Cross II this week.

 

The replica was originally built to help Australia celebrate its bicentenary in 1988 but a crash in 2002 in South Australia damaged the wing, undercarriage and two of its three propellers and it has not flown since.

 

The original aircraft, which Smithy affectionately called the Old Bus, was the largest aircraft in the world with a single-piece wing.

 

HARS has trucked the fuselage and wing of the replica to Albion Park where 10 volunteers have resolved to restore it in time for the 80th anniversary celebrations planned for Seven Mile Beach at Gerroa on January 11, 2013.

 

Next weekend air cadets will help test the damaged wing.

 

Volunteer HARS members already know one section of the wing, the largest wooden wing ever built in Australia, needs to be rebuilt but also need to know what condition the rest of the structure is in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Bloody great news. Too much time and effort went into building this plane not to have resurrect her.

 

 

[Guernsey]

The main problem with the replica was the fin which was exactly the same as the original and did not give enough rudder control so was very limited in cross wind landings, this of course was never a problem in the old days as grass paddocks were used without runways so landings and take-offs could always be into wind. It was suggested in Adelaide that the fin and rudder size could be increased to help with the problem without being really noticeable by the general public but this was not done to my knowledge.

 

I will see if I can find some photos of the inside of the aircraft when it was completed and post them here.

 

Alan Marriette.

 

 

[Guernsey]

Unable to find the photos so far but will keep looking.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Thruster87]

The main problem with the replica was the fin which was exactly the same as the original and did not give enough rudder control so was very limited in cross wind landings, this of course was never a problem in the old days as grass paddocks were used without runways so landings and take-offs could always be into wind. It was suggested in Adelaide that the fin and rudder size could be increased to help with the problem without being really noticeable by the general public but this was not done to my knowledge.I will see if I can find some photos of the inside of the aircraft when it was completed and post them here.

Alan Marriette.

What we need is a Travel Rudder. There is also going to be a mod on the oleo strut [replace the circlip that stops the strut from coming apart ] with a threaded nut [new end made from 4130 ]which should fix the chance of the U/C coming adrift.The aeronautical engineering students who are doing practical training are really enjoying the whole exercise including the stress analysis. Cheers

 

 

[Guernsey]

What we need is a Travel Rudder. There is also going to be a mod on the oleo strut [replace the circlip that stops the strut from coming apart ] with a threaded nut [new end made from 4130 ]which should fix the chance of the U/C coming adrift.The aeronautical engineering students who are doing practical training are really enjoying the whole exercise including the stress analysis. Cheers

Are you saying that the rudder is being altered and if so, is it just the rudder or the fin also.

 

Alan.

 

 

[Thruster87]

Are you saying that the rudder is being altered and if so, is it just the rudder or the fin also.Alan.

No,just that someone suggested having a travel rudder [this been a bit of a joke] Cheers