A vintage military aircraft
The Anson first flew in March 1935 and entered service with the
RAF as a reconnaissance aircraft. In its day it represented leading
edge technology, and was the first RAF twin-engine aircraft to
boast a retractable undercarriage. To operate its landing gear,
early Ansons required a hand crank to be manually turned no less
than 140 times by the pilot prior to landing.
Above: Avro Anson undergoing
restoration in Hangar 2 at East Fortune.
Faithful Annie
Nicknamed 'Faithful Annie' by her crews, the Anson was utilised
in many roles by the armed forces, although it was originally
designed as a passenger aircraft for Imperial
Airways. Production and service began in 1936, with the last
military example retired in 1968.
The Anson served with Coastal Command with great distinction as
a capable search and rescue machine, but found a niche as a
multiple engine trainer for bombers during the Second World War.
More than 11,000 Avro Ansons were built for the British military
and other forces around the world.
Airshow Avro Anson
Above: Avro Anson flying over East Fortune
on Sat 28 July 2012 © p_rocket71.
After being used for charter and executive purposes after the
war, the last Avro Ansons were withdrawn from service in 1968.
Today only one military Anson still survives in airworthy condition
and is operated by Air Atlantique. This aircraft was part of the
air display at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight on Saturday
28 July 2012. Find out more about this aircraft in
an Airshow
blog post.
Avro Anson at National Museum of Flight
The Avro Anson currently being restored in East Fortune is a
C.19, very different in appearance from the original military Mk. I
aircraft used by the RAF during the Second Word War. Just over 250
C.19 Ansons were built. Our aircraft was given the civil aircraft
registration G-APHV, but originally had the military serial
VM360.
Tender loving care
Restoration on the Avro Anson began at the
National Museum of Flight with assistance from the Aircraft Preservation Society of
Scotland (APSS). See images of the Avro Anson being
restored below:
Above: Different
views of the restoration work of the Avro Anson in Hangar 2.
- The fuselage, with wing centre section
attached, is standing on its undercarriage. The mainframe is
exposed and has been repainted, whilst the wooden formers have been
examined and replaced where necessary.
- Wooden fittings, such as window frames
and doors, have been remade. The whole fabric outer covering
has been stripped off and is currently being replaced. All of the
aircraft will be covered apart from a small section near the tail
in order to reveal the internal structure of the aircraft for
display.
- Internally the aircraft is stripped out and
work has been started on refurbishing the cabin and the cockpit.
Both the outer wings and tailplane are completed, with the
tailplane now fitted to the airframe. The tail cone has been
completely rebuilt and covered.
- The engines are complete and attached to the centre section.
The propellers are inhibited and are in their original state. The
wheels have been fitted with new inner tubes and are complete and
fitted.