Friends of The Helicopter Museum

Wessex HAS.3, XM328, Restoration - Page 2

Restoration volunteers, Ray and Chris, taking a breather as work on stripping XM328's interior re-started in August 2007. Tangled cables in XM328's cabin, in October 2007, as more of the anti-submarine sonar and radar equipment was being dismantled.
Ken cleaned the outside of the aircraft to allow close examination of the skin. Removal of access panels allowed inspection of the transmission. A view of the cockpit, looking forward and upward from the cabin, shows most of the controls and instruments to be missing.
In March 2008 work started on dealing with several panels where the light alloy skin of the semi- monocoque airframe, was showing serious corrosion. When this was minor the area was cleaned off and treatment applied before priming and re-painting. In most cases, however, the defective skin was removed and replacement panels were manufactured, drilled and riveted into place.
John removed the oil cooler assembly (above left), on 12th March 2008, before disconnecting the tail rotor drive shaft and rotor brake from the gearbox. It was decided that the transmission and rotor head should be removed from the deck to allow their refurbishment. Similarly the condition of the deck itself needed to be established. Fortunately a crane was still available and the big lift (above right) was performed on 12th April 2008.
Later in 2008 the incomplete sonar buoy (above left) was refurbished and work started on cleaning up the hole in the cabin floor (above right), below the winch, through which the buoy was lowered. Attempts to source a surplus winch mechanism are expected to bear fruit in November 2015.
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