Thursday 27 September 2012



THE AVANA GARDENS SCRAP YARD OF THE ERSTWHILE MADRAS PRESIDENCY CONTINUES TO BE MY FAVORITE DE STRESS BUSTER ZONE.
ON 10.01.2012..I SPOTTED THIS TELEVISION TOWER LOOKING TUBULAR SCRAP.FOR SOME VAGUE REASON I THOUGHT OF THE CHETTIAR AVIATORS.INSCIDENTALLY THIS YARD WAS ONCE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE GREAT AVADIAPPAN...THE 19 YEAR OLD BOY,ONE OF THE PIONEER AVIATOR OF THE EARLY 19OOs.
MY HUNCH WAS RIGHT .I WAS RESTING ON AN HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT.




TAKE A LOOK AT HISTORY...THE CHETTIAR AVIATORS.SAA.ANNAMALAI CHETTIAR,AVADIAPAN CHETTIAR  AND SOLAYAPPAN CHETTIAR MADE THE FLYNG TRIO AND THE GOOD  DR.RANGACHARY WAS CHRISTENED THE FLYING DOCTOR.























HARD CONVINCING AND LIENIENT NEGOTIATION GAVE ME THE OWNERSHIP OF YET ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY.TODAY THE BIRD SITS IN THE COSERVATION LABOROTARY OF THE STEVE BORGIA INDIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM AT INDECO HOTEL SWAMIMALAI,THE 1896 TANJORE VILLAGE.AWAITING RESTORATION.HERE ARE SOME DETAILS ON THE AIRCRAFT.









 












HISTORIC PLANE DETAILS

Date: 06th April 2012


ENGINE FRONT:      GIPSY MAJOR          95165 A 444 687   B64256 (DHE67) 

PISTON CONNECTING ROD:        205T3 

OIL FILTER:             1406-15A/2 

PLANE REGISTRATION NUMBER:   DWG NO: – EEA 2 – 20  ISSUE – 5  SERIAL NO – TAY 12788

BONNET:       DEA 74   DEA 5 

CARBURATOR:   1405-23A-6

FUEL TANK:        CAPACITY – 9.8  DWG NO: DEC 4  ISSUE B  SERIAL – TAY/6006 

CRANKCASE:       1901 150 5         

              


INTERESTINGLY,THE VILLAGE COMMUNITY WAKES UP.AN OLD CAR MECHANIC OF YESTER YEARS,CLAIMS TO GET THE ENGINE ROARING.WORK BEGINS.THE ENGINE IS NOW OPENED.
























WE HAVE COME THIS FAR AND THIS SOON .FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER ARE EXCITED AS MUCH AS THOSE FROM THE VILLAGE.MY EXCITEMENT IS LIMITED TO GETTING IT OFF THE PITCH HERE AND LANDING IT ON THE TARMAC IN KANADUKATHAN...A TARMAC THAT WAS BUILT FOR THIS AIRCRAFT BY THE CHETTIAR AVIATORS.WELL EVEN IF IT DOES NOT FLY WE WILL CARRY IT ON ROAD AND PUT IT THERE TO COMMEMORATE THE DAY WHEN CHETTINAD WILL BE NOMINATED AS AN UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.














THE RESTORATION IS STILL IN PROCESS.  FIND PHOTOS OF THE CURRENT STATUS.  THE FRAME HAS BEEN COMPLETED.  THE STRUCTURE IS LOADED ON THE WHEELS.  THE  ENGINE IS NEARLY READY TO ROAR.





SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE PUSS MOTH...
(source : Mr. Sunil Abraham, Arnprior Aerospace, Inc., Canada)





Highlights:

·       A three-seater monoplane designed and developed in the U.K. between 1929 and 1933

·       Known for its fuel economy, which made it a popular choice for attempts to break long-distance records

·       Used by pioneering aviators Hebert John Louis "Bert" Hinkler, James Allan "Jim" Mollison, Amy Johnson and Neville Vincent to perform record-breaking flights in the 1930s

·       Designed with an inverted engine (unlike previous Moths) to increase the pilot's visibility over the nose and to reduce the amount of oil blown onto the windscreen

·       First flight was in September 1929

 

This Puss Moth was manufactured in England in 1931 and transferred to a U.S. naval attaché in London that same year. It served with the RAF in the Second World War, then flew with various U.K. civilian operators before RCAF Chaplain Father John MacGillivray brought it to Canada in 1969. MacGillivray arranged for this aircraft to be registered with the letters CF-PEI as a tribute to the first Puss Moth to have been stationed on Prince Edward Island, which had been bought and flown by aviation pioneer Mrs. Louise Jenkins in the 1930s. MacGillivray operated CF-PEI in Prince Edward Island until 1976, when he retired from the RCAF, and sold the aircraft to the Museum. When the Museum acquired it, this Puss Moth was one of eight known to exist worldwide and the only one licensed and flying in Canada.


This model was designed to win that meet, which it eventually did in 1956. The original model flown in 1955 was a complete flop, because it was built strictly to scale and weighed in at about 12 or 13 ounces. It was not pre-flighted until the day of the meet. However, the second model, which is the one shown in this article, proved itself with flying colors. On a 30-second engine run, the model did 1:09 sec in very windy weather, and scored 92 scale points out of a possible 100. It will ROG just like the full-sized aircraft, and turn in flights of thrilling performance, climbing in large left circles under power and descending in large right circles in the glide.

Factory drawings were supplied by the DeHavilland Aircraft Company Ltd, and the builder may rest assured our drawings are as accurate as humanly possible. The drawings also have been double-checked by the enlarging process.

Construction is strictly conventional except for several small details, and an explanation follows:

Being a shoulder-wing model, careful consideration was given to the wing mounting. The method used herein has proved very satisfactory and also makes for ease of transportation, since both wings are detachable. Follow the construction on the plans and use ample cement to glue the wing supports to the fuselage members. (Note that the wire wing mounts are bent upward and rearward to accommodate the dihedral and sweepback.)

When the stabilizer is dry and sanded to shape, pin it in place atop the fuselage, and on the underside only, cement to each side of each center rib a piece of 1/16 x 1/8 balsa flush with the top longerons. This not only acts as a placing guide for the stabilizer on the fuselage, but will form the lower stabilizer to which the tissue covering is attached.

Dress snaps, approximately 3/8 in diameter, are used to hold the wing struts in place. Bend the male section of the snap to a 'U' shape and bind it with wire to rib M. The other section of the snap is embedded in the streamlined section of the wing struts. A rubber-band pulled through the 1/4 in aluminum tube, and hooked to the wing hook, holds the lower part of the wing struts in place. The gas tank was especially designed to eliminate cowl removal for refueling, and it holds approximately 4cc. of fuel which will give about a 45 second engine run.

Since the wing spars go through the ribs, it will be necessary to 'fill in' at the root rib, and cement to the underside of the spars, the leading edge and the trailing edge a piece of 1/8 hard sheet balsa, fitted and shaped to the root rib and the fuselage side. Not only does this piece act as a root reinforcement, but it also serves as an incidence guide for the two 3/32 aluminum tubes which are bound to the spars and the leading edge to hold the wing in place.

The cabin details consist of the following: instrument panel, stick and rudder bar. On his cross-ocean trip, Captain Mollison used a three-legged stool in place of a conventional seat, the heavy seats being removed to lighten the aircraft and provide extra gas-tank space for the trip.

All other details such as flap outline, aileron outline markings, etc, are shown full size on the plans. The wings, stabilizer and rudder are covered with 00 Silkspan and the fuselage covered with gas model Silkspan. Use fuel proof dope for painting.

The only deviations from scale outline are the following: increased stabilizer area; wing section airfoil; increased dihedral.

Any .049 engine can be used. Our model had an Atwood .049 Cadet for power. Be sure to provide an outside glow-plug connection for starting in order to eliminate constant cowl removal."

RC Scale Aircraft's DeHavilland DH80-A Puss Moth

The DeHavilland DH-80A Puss Moth was a three-person civil aircraft produced in the late 1920s and was
a high performance plane for its time, capable of cruising at 124 mph, quite notable performance. The 42" span model by Peter Holland and with free plans included in the Oct 1996 issue of British magazine RC Scale Aircraft, was designed to compete in the r/c scale/duration event organized by the Society of Antique Modelers (SAM). The key design aspects for SAM flying were an unthrottled 049 engine (Cox "Texaco" reed valve shown on the plans) and only two control surface functions - rudder and elevator. Peter Holland's Puss Moth would be an excellent choice for r/c sport flying: construction is straightforward and optional ailerons are shown on the plans, and electric propulsion would be the perfect propulsion for all around fun-flying!








FOR MORE INFO ON THE STEVE BORGIA INDIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM www.indecohotels.com




15 comments:

  1. I AM VERY EXCITED, WHEN I SEE THIS BLOG!!!
    MY BEST WISHES TO YOU FOR YOUR DREAM COMES TRUE.....

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  2. Another feather in INDecos cap..... We are much awaits for its take off!!!

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  3. All the best for your new creation, we are looking forward to see that aircraft take off from INDeco Swamimalai to kanadukathan...

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  4. i have some more info that might help you guys build the story...AVUDIAPPAN SON IS STILL ALIVE AND HE NOW RUNS THE SCRAP YARD.AVU WAS BORN TO SHRI.RAMANATHAN AND LAKSHMI ACHI.lAKSMI ACHI DIED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO IN CHENNAI.AND IN KARAIKUDI THE LANE WHERE THEY LIVED IS CALLED AEROPLANE CHETTIAR VEEDHI.WILL KEEP FOLLOWING YOU MR.STEVE...GREAT CHALLENGE.AS ALWAYS.

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  5. MY BEST WISHES TO YOU FOR YOUR DREAM COMES TRUE.....

    ReplyDelete
  6. From Trains to Planes!!
    Steve, have yourself an amazing flying adventure!
    May all you touch SOAR HIGH INTO THE SKY!
    And may your name be added to those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines!
    Best wishes on this very challenging undertaking.
    Jansi

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  7. WOW....This is A Great Spirit of an Individual....!
    Another Feather on a Mr.Steve Borgia's Crown.....
    WISH YOU GOOD LUCK SIR..

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  8. Dear Steve

    I got your details from my very old friend, Ravi Singh, about your
    acquisition of the Puss Moth.

    A great job, wonderfully well done!!

    The 'A' Licence has been signed by the CFI at the Madras Flying Club, Capt.
    Tyndal Biscoe, a First War aviator, and an absolute legend, someone who'd
    trained many Indian legends, such as Henry Runganadhan (who still holds the
    record for a first solo at 3hrs), EA Massilamani (known as the "Eyes of the
    Air Force," when in 6Sqn, flying Hurricanes in Burma), Murkoth Ramunny and
    ACM Idris Hasan Latif. You might want to check out these people at
    www.bharat-rakshak.com, whose brain behind the website is Jagan
    Pillarisetti, my good friend, to whom I'm also copying this mail.

    Mike Edwards has just recently fully restored the IAF Vintage Flight's
    Tiger Moth in England. He's a captain in BA, an aerobatic pilot, son of a
    Sea Vixen and aerobatic pilot.

    Rasheid Taleyarkhan, another old friend, and I, are probably the only two
    pilots who can fly the Piper Super Cub in India today (Rasheid's still
    qualified - all my licences have expired).

    Anvar Alikhan is, again, a very old friend from Hyderabad, with a very deep
    interest in aviation.

    If I can help in any way at all, please do let me know, and I shall more
    than happily come across there and help you in your project.

    Aeroplanes are my soul, and, having qualified from the MFC myself, it would
    be a privilege for me to be of any help at all.

    God Bless and Happy Landings

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  9. an attempt that is another first for Indeco! Another day, another unique attempt. Good luck!

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  10. Inspiring and exciting!! Well, i see a lot of aircraft enthusiasts world wide.I am sure with the advancement of technology, you would be able to connect to them. With the right help and good will, this project is bound to go places..(literally as well)!! All the best!

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  11. More from my friend Phil Camp who was corresponding with Auster Historian
    Ian W O Neill


    ''It is as I said, a Taylorcraft Auster Mk.III, as is evidenced by Drawing
    Number EEA 2 which is the frame assembly drawing for a Model E, alias
    Auster Mk.III. 20 issue is the 20th issue of drawing No. EEA 2. The serial
    number TAY 12788 indicates a very late production Mk.III in the c/n range
    650 to 690. From my records, I suggest there are three Mk.IIIs SOC in India
    during 1946/47 in this range; NJ837 which became VT-CFZ during 9-46, NJ851
    and NJ856 both of which appear not to have been civilianised.

    VT-CFZ was canx from the Indian Register on 27-2-52 but I have no reason
    for the cancellation. A caveat here.....fuselages were not assembled in
    frame assembly number order and they were swopped about during Cat B/Cat 4
    repairs so it might or might not be the original frame in a particular
    Auster?

    'Some, but by no means all, of the Auster Mk.III Gipsy Major engine serial
    numbers are given on the RAF Form 78s as six-digit numbers and 444 687
    quoted by you is the correct type of presentation as per the Form 78.
    Engine number 444 686 is the closest I can get and this was originally
    installed in Mk.III NK120 which was lost at Anzio, Italy when being used by
    655 Squadron. The three Mk.IIIs I quoted earlier, NJ837, NJ851 and NJ856,
    are given as having engine Nos. 493372, 493375 and 493392 respectively
    installed in the Austers as new aircraft.

    The Air Ministry serial number of the engine, A444687, makes it one of a
    batch of 450 Gipsy Majors ordered for Tiger Moths on contract C/Eng/1091.
    Obviously, it found a new home in later years.

    Ian W.O'Neill (3413)''
    ''

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  12. Dear Steve and Mukund,

    We recently discussed STeve's aircraft in our facebook group when my friend
    Phil Camp posted the following:

    I posted the link on Air Britain Historians information exchange and here
    is a reply. ''By virtue of the top longerons and straight firewall, I
    suggest this is a Taylorcraft Auster Mk.III (or if civilianised it is an
    Auster 3). Ten Mk.IIIs were SOC in India and four of these were
    civilianised.''


    Sure enough , I note that details posted in the page:
    PLANE REGISTRATION NUMBER: DWG NO: – EEA 2 – 20 ISSUE – 5 SERIAL NO – *TAY
    12788*

    The TAY number certainly points to a Taylorcraft Auster!. Ofcourse we need
    more confirmation etc. I note the fuel tank number is also prefixed with
    TAY.

    Looks like we have a mystery Auster in our hands.

    regards

    Jagan

    PS: In case you are interested in our facebook group, please check out
    http://www.facebook.com/groups/indianaviationhistory/

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  13. friends and enthusiasts...am happy to receive your feedback and guidance/inputs etc...pls post them on this blog and also mail me a copy.this way its gonna be useful to all of us who are trying to move this bird to the sky...steve Borgia.

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  14. Hi Steve,

    Congrats From Muthu! I am glad to see your your passion of finding the roots of our heritage has now landed on these metal birds and the men who flew on them. When you land, I know things take off. I will try to pass it around Canadian Skies. Will be in touch.

    Muthu

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  15. I am extremely excited to tell about what we have seen here.

    Its an Taylorcraft auster III, it runs on an de havilland gypsy major engine, which is a 4 cylinder air cooled inline engine which gives about 130 hp (97 kw). The specs of the engine is as follows:

    Type: 4-cylinder air-cooled inverted inline piston aircraft engine
    Bore: 4.646 in (118 mm)
    Stroke: 5.512 in (140 mm)
    Displacement: 373.7 cu.in (6.124 L)
    Length: 48.3 in (1227 mm)
    Width: 20.0 in (508 mm)
    Height: 29.6 in (752 mm)
    Dry weight: 300 lb (136 kg) Mk 1F to 322 lb (146 kg) Mk 1D

    Apart from the specs specified, the present condition of this particular engine is incomplete. The cooling fins are rusted and needs reconstruction. While the crankshaft and the cam shaft are in good condition , the valves and rocker arms are damaged and are being repaired. The crankhead is being replaced and the crankcase needs to be refurnished.

    Most of the fuel supply system is either missing or rusted beyond repair and hence has to be replaced. The hydraulics and avionics systems have to be redesigned from scratch. The frame is a lot rusted but can be fixed. Its most probably a metallic wing with fabric coated fuselage and tail.

    This is what we have noticed so far. To work on this Eagle is more than we could dream of. We will do everything in our power to make this Angel reach its pinnacle zenith.

    As Wright brothers would say “We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate what ever aroused curiosity.”

    We would like to thank Mr. Steve Borgia for giving us this oppurtunity.


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