waterbomber

The first time I was here looking at the Catalinas EC-FMC and EC EVK was on the 26/11-2006, I couldn´t in my wildest dreams imagine that I would still be coming back here in 2009. As it seems now The weather is deteriorating very much from what we experienced only a few months ago and since the props still are at the overhaul shop we just have to wait for them to be brought back to serviceable condition again. This means that there will be no flying this year unfortunately. The good thing is that by the time we will be ready, probably some time in february, the weather and daylight will have improved so our ferry flight will be much nicer. Me and Mike are back in Spain this time and are removing some more equipment thet will need to be looked after before we put them to use. Roffe at the Airforcemuseum made a beautiful set of covers for the cockpit and the nacelles, maybe they do not do much difference after sitting exposed to the elements for 10 years without any covers but it sure looks much nicer. The canvas comes from Pierre at Segelshoppen in Stockholm, he can help you with any thing  you need for your boat. We got the nosewheel in return from our good friends in Holland with PH-PBY and installed it as we jacked the plane for the checks on the MLG, wheels and brakes. Now to some more pics.



Mike is missing some of "his" equipment at the FE position but doesn´t seem to mind very much.


L/H MLG Servicing.


The hydraulic system is located om the R/H side in the cockpit. In this picture you can see the pressure regulator to the left in the center of the picture, via a check valve it feeds the brake accumulator. Below the checkvalve is the overpresure regulator (1200psi) the return from the filter (below left) goes back to the tank in the R/H nacelle.


Two out of three hydraulicpumps.


Gear selector valve is situated under the instrument panel.


8weeks ago we had +30C and +50C in the tanks. Yesterday I had to buy a hat and longjohns (not in the picture)
At least it is not raining..


R/H MLG Brake.


Speaking of rain.. Roffes covers are being put to the test. W/O remark. Thanks Rolf!

So we got back on a sunday afternoon.Our friends from Austalia had the good taste of spending their time , waiting for spares in our vicinity and showed up just as we arrived. (I suspect thet they had a good look at the bar and only used us as an excuse...:) Anyway we got a helping hand from Norm, Pete and Chris that were preparing EC-EVK for the ferry to Oz on the folowing thursday. FMC or 64064 finally moved from under the olive trees (or something) and positioned herself nicely on the ramp under the power from the local Landrover.


This time my father Hjalmar grabbed the tools and started to prepare the aircraft for some skin repair.



Its now considerable darker than just a few weeks before and the temperature has dropped from a good 30 degreees during the day to a rather cold 18C...


After a rather uncomfortable night in the Cat in the sleeping bag we got up with the sun and got busy.


My friend Niclkas Amren is a very talented man in any aviation trade, Sheetmetal,hydraulics,restoring basketcases that hasen´t flown for 70+years, engines, 737, He is also father to newly rstored T-6 Checkér tail together with Stefan Sandberg, I guess he is the fater too.... Anyway, Igot lots of help from this guy, Thank you N!


Dad trying the avionics trade.



Inspired by the speed we were progressing we decided to powerup the hydraulic system. Armed with 20L of fluid 41 we started to pressurise the system with the handpump. The system made a funny noice and when I opened the connection to the pump quite a few liters of water left the system.... after a few cans of water had been replaced by oil, the system was full and our first hyrdaulic surprice was at hand. The leading edge appeared to be filled with hydraulic fluid and was dripping everywhere.


The return tube in the wing had burst in two places due to water freezing inside...


Fortunately the spare parts weren´t far away and we were still curious what was to come.


Dad thinks the avionic system of my cat is a joke


After reaching about 800psi a tube in the hydraulic corner on the copilotR/H side started spewing fluid everywhere. Armed with new tubes from the parts store we quickly replaced the old-4 hoses that were the weak spot this time and now things seemed to work for us. 


The jacks that we borrowed from SAESA didn´t work so we disconnected the MLG actuators just to see them work an d exercise the system.


There is quite a lot of hydraulic fluid to move when exersising the large actuators so we cranked up the electrical system to get the electrical hydraulic pump running and to our surprise most of the electric stuff was working ok.


Well what am I doing in the R/H watertank??? After retracting the actuators we wanted to see if they worked the other way too. One did and the other not. After consulting the manuals we discovered that the MLG uplock did not behave as it should. After unlocking the gear it is supposed to pressurize the upper side of the actuator to get the gear down. There was pressure at the inlet of the acutuator but nothing coming out of it as it should.  


Consequently I and Niclas removed the faulty actuator.


And took it apart in the workshop only to find a large spring that had broken and was jamming the uplockactuator, preventing it from moving the extra 5mm necessary to open the bypass valv inside it.
This is how the tank looks inside by the way.


And this i how I look trying to get out of the tank.


Hydraulics makes the tanks work aswell.


And here is how one tank looks from underneath, the scoop thing is where the water comes in.


Well the valve that closes the R/H door didn´t work ofcourse... after trying the foot way to close it we found the manual closing handle in the cabin.


The scoop that pics up 4500L water in 15sec.


Whats EVK doing in Cuatro Vientos?


When they tried to feather the props a day or two before their deoparture to OZ one didn´t come out of feater...


Water does not do good to mechanical stuff like props.


And the second one was maybe worse. I am not very religious but lets pray for cheaper avgas in the future so that we can keep thees aircraft alive, not sitting picking up water, meeting the coorosion death!.


Anyway as you can see there are no engines on 64064 still... ! How come? Well I actually ask the same but Daza was working with EVK and Tony, they said was in the hospital. Anyway No engines no props. Pete asked if they could have my props and if it was Ok if I got theirs after they had paid a visit to the prop shop and gotten a fresh OH, Next trip is in a few weeks just hop that we can get the engies and the props on this time.... Just got an SMS from Norm in Sicilly, plane is working fine! Well done!


The Airforcemuseum a bit closer completion.

...not dangerous - but skilfull! Nicke, "the plumber from Gotland". By the way, he's not armed, just Amrén...



Next step - get those engines installed...

"Shiny" rudder, newly covered...

Micke Å looks at his work. The tanks are now in place. Well done!

Keep the good work up, lads!

Stoffe, Micke, Markus and Alexander are all working hard under the burning Spanish sun. The plan is to get the tanks, fabric and most of the hoses done this time.

I have been promised that the props and engines will be installed and ready to run by the end of the month.

The engines are ready in Cuatro Vientos and will remain there until the props are ready to be installed.
The props will be overhauled soon, it is just a matter of whee to do it. I consider having the aircraft registred in either Sweden, Spain or USA. Depending on where it will be registred. The props ,aswell as the engines have to be overhauled at shop that is recognised by the authorities in the country of registration. I will need afew more days before I can make the right desicion...

The old hoses together with tools and material to manufacture new ones.



The tools are marked DC.4.


The Seabee SE-AXR was sold new in Sweden 1947 and returned in 2003 after a few years in Norway.
It has the levers in the ceiling, pretty much as the Catalina, but only burns 65Liters/h compared with
 about 350L/h to feed the Cat. Beeing a flying boat it is a good basic flyingboat skills trainer.



Hägenäs (Heronpoint)  just northeast of  Stockholm, was the site where F2 (wing 2) of the Swedeish airforce had its main base. The funny thing about this base was that they only had hard surface during the winters, the other seasons they operated seaplanes.


The entrance:


A salvaged Junkers F13


The Plywood floats on this S5 Hansa were really tough!


A visitor rom far away.


Who can this be?



A real superstar of the time. No one less than Charles Lindbergh.


As you can see, you do not need water to fly a float plane. (Plywood floats again, these are about 6 meters long)


Snow will do just fine aswell!


Mechanics heaven!


A few rare birds also visted Sweden during the war and some ended up at F2, like this Blohm&Voss BV138.


A few DO24´s also came here and even joined the force.


The first aircraft manufactured by SAAB i Linköping, the dive bomber, B17, her in the seaplane version , S17.


T2´s taking off


The Marines in the late 20`s


Is this a rare sight? A Swedish airforce Mosquito as seen from a TP47 Catalina.


Big boys playing with their boat by the beach....


A few nice pics of the Catalina in "action"



There were three Catalinas in the airforce one was shot down by the sovjets, one is preserved at the airforce museum and 47003 was scrapped at F2.....

A new carb for one of the engines.


Butyrate, silver and nitrate dope for the work on the fabric




Borensbergs mekaniska. A local, friendly and very well equipped machine shop where they can do
almost anything you can possibly need,. fast with high prescition at a very competitive price.



R/H engine after refurbishment at the shop


Working in the tanks is a very tiring, slow, and boring work but very necessary. A lot of sealant is loose.
In the ceiling of R/H tank I found this grafitti. D. Pratt, if you read this, write something please.


There are more than 60 hoses that I will have to replace. The oldest I have found so far was
manufactured in january 1962... A bird family had made a nest in the leading edge where the
 fuelhoses go to the R/H engine. Hope that they have moved by the time we come back next time.


The hatch where the hoses go to the L/H engine



29" nosewheel going to holland for loan to the Dutch NL-PBY. The original 30" tyre
is getting scarce and the ones available are only good for a few landings before
they get cracks and no new are made.


David Gustafsson, a coming guy in aviation a good mechanic that likes old planes.


Christer Gustafsson. Very handy and nice good friend that had the good taste to make his vacation
in Spain and bring his son to help me. Thanks!


Back to Barkarby where Curt and his family runs Arigo that suppies most of the stuff needed for this project.
Here Stefan and his brother i sorting the hoses that need replacement. 60 something...


As close to a glass cockpit as this aircraft will get. Any body that has a KX155 or two to spare?
Someone seems to have mistaken his radios for mine..


L/H fuel shutoff valve.

....and let there be light...