Bristol (DAP) Beaufort A9-141 – update May 2014

Progress continues this month at Caboolture, Qld with the completion of the main spar refitting to the wing for Bristol (DAP) Beaufort A9-141. There are so many rivets to fit and so much to be done to ensure the wing is rebuilt straight and true before removing it from the jig. However, as seen on my last visit the task was proceeding at a fast pace and it will not be long now before the wing is finished and fitted to the Beaufort.

The photographs below illustrate just how much work has been done in such a short time. As is always the case however, taking the wing apart takes a lot less time than putting it back together, but the end of the spar saga is now finally coming to a close. It will be fantastic to see the finished wing back on Beaufort A9-141 where it belongs, once and for all.

Work also continues on the rebuilding of the Beaufighter tail assembles for an outside owner, it has now become apparent that one is being refurbished as a static restoration whilst the other is receiving a full restoration and rebuild for an airworthy aircraft.  On the day of my visit, Ross Ebzery was very busy refurbishing both tail assemblies and fabricating new replacement parts to be incorporated. The workmanship as always is superb. It is exciting to consider that hopefully in a few years a Bristol (DAP) Beaufighter will be gracing Australian skies again as well as a Bristol (DAP) Beaufort.  It is the Beaufighter owners wish at this stage to remain anonymous, however we wish him well in his efforts to restore a long absent Warbird to the air. Hopefully in the not too distant future we will be able to report in more detail on this fantastic project and on some of the more difficult and complex tasks involved.

As always with the Beaufort project financial assistance and any other help would be very much appreciated Australian Aviation Heritage Centre can be contacted via the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre website.

© John Parker 2014