LeTourneau Missions Week Day 2

There's so much going on with LeTourneau team in the hangar I thought I'd just feature the progress on one project in this post--the Cessna 206 restoration for ministry in Brazil. I'll try to catch up with the projects the other LeTourneau team members are involved in tomorrow.

In yesterday's blog, Matt had started to remove the topside skin from the tail cone.

Here's what it looks like with the skin removed.

While Mat was finishing the skin removal, Eli and Julia began work inside the fuselage pulling instruments from the panel in preparation for removing the windscreen.

Once the panel was opened up Eli moved outside to remove the lower windscreen retaining strip from the bottom of the windscreen.

With the strip removed, and a helping hand from Ian, the windscreen was pulled free.

Eli & Julia
Next up? I believe the "V" brace needs to comes out.

The LeTourneau University Missions Team Arrives

MMS is blessed to have an ongoing relationship with LeTourneau University's School of Aeronautical Science. For nearly every Spring Break since 2003, a missions team of aviation students and students interested in aviation has traveled from their campus in Longview, Texas to spend a week helping us maintain, modify and repair missionary aircraft. The team for 2009 arrived yesterday evening and is already hard at work in our hangar.

The Letourneau Team beside the Gospel Carrier International (GCI)
Super King Air 200 in Hangar C.

Eli and Julia work together to safety wire an
engine component on GCI's King Air 200.

Ken troubleshoots the purge valves on the King Air.

Ben fabricates a brake line for the King Air.

Scott instructs Pete in how to install a bell-crank for a Robertson STOL kit
in the wing of a missionary Cessna 206 from Honduras.

Rachel sandblasts an elevator for a Taylorcraft
in preparation for application of new fabric.

Kevin discusses reassembly of one of the King Air brake master cylinders with Paul.

Matt removes bad skin from a Cessna 206 restoration for a ministry in Brazil.

We're very pleased to have this group of young men and women serving with us this week.

Focus Aviation 206, Moody Aviation 182

Tim wrapped-up the annual inspection of the Focus Aviation Cessna 206 today. It will soon be back in service training prospective missionary pilots as well as helping keep mission pilots, back in the US on furlough, proficient in their flight skills.

Tim and Scott perform and engine run-up after completing the inspection.

The Moody 182 project continues to move ahead. Control surfaces are all hung, rigging is nearly finished, and the propeller has been mounted. The main task now is to complete the airplane's avionics upgrade and installation.

Paul safety-wires the propeller bolts on the Moody 182.

Seat Grinding, Valve Lapping, and Stone Dressing

Thankfully "stone dressing" has nothing to do with salads or food but everything to do with improving engine performance. For engines to hold compression and perform to their maximum capacity, valves must rest cleanly and firmly in their "seats." Sometimes valves leak and it becomes necessary to grind valve seats clean, lap valves smooth, and in doing so to "dress" the stone (prepare & true the stone's grinding surface angle) for use.

Under Dennis' instruction, several of our mechanics had the opportunity to dress stones, grind valve seats, and lap valves yesterday. One of the unique features of our ministry at MMS is that our mechanics gain the skills they need to serve by working on actual operational aircraft. The cylinders you'll see the guys working with in the photos below are going to go back on a live airplane. That makes the stress levels a bit higher when you put the high-power grinder on an actual valve seat and pull the trigger for the first time. It doesn't take very long to grind a valve seat. Maybe only a couple seconds depending on the specific situation but if you go too far...well, then that creates a whole other learning experience.

Experience. That's what we provide the opportunity to gain at MMS. The experience of of serving in a missionary environment, the experience of growing in Christ-likeness, and yes, even the experience of working on airplanes.

Chuck and Andy dress the stone for valve seat grinding.

Gertjan prepares to pull the trigger on the valve grinder
as Andy, Dennis, Paul & Chuck observe.

Bat-Enkh assists Paul with lapping a valve.

The Moody 182 is Swarmed

Swarming an airplane at MMS is getting everyone around it and putting everyone to work on it. Well, right now the Moody 182 is getting swarmed. (Actually, the GCI King Air was swarmed on Monday as both propellers needed to be pulled for overhaul. I'll post some photos of the propeller pull next week.)

David & Andy finalize installation of the 182's engine.

With Andy and David focused on finalizing the 182 engine, nearly all other personnel have turned-to in order continue moving the structural part of the restoration to conclusion. Control surfaces are being rigged, wing tips are being fitted and wired, ailerons are being hung, the horizontal stabilizer is being attached, final components are being painted, and it won't be long before the elevators are tightened to their control tube and the flaps will be in their tracks.

The swarm: two mechanics on the engine, four mechanics on the airframe.

Yet, four other projects are underway while the 182 swarm is on: the annual inspection of the Focus Aviation Cessna 206, two engine overhauls, and as mentioned above the King Air is in for scheduled maintenance.

Greg, a regular volunteer with MMS, works on the Focus 206 inspection.

We've had to postpone two new projects until later this year just because there's too much work for too few hands right now. We would appreciate your prayers as we work our way through these next few weeks and months on the hangar floor.

And as you pray, we could really use a couple additional field-experienced A&P's on staff with a passion to invest their knowledge, wisdom, and skills into the lives of those preparing to go.

Thanks for your gifts and prayers which make MMS' worldwide ministry possible!

The Moody 182 Comes Together

The restoration of the Cessna 182 for Moody Aviation continues to move ahead.

Monday the freshly painted fuselage was moved to Hangar B.

Tuesday, the wings were attached.

And this afternoon, Wednesday, the engine is being installed.

It's exciting for everyone when airplanes start to come back together!

Moody Aviation 182 Moves to Hangar B

The Moody Aviation 182 project reached another milestone today as the fuselage was moved from the paint booth in Hangar C back into Hangar B. If all goes well, the wings and tail surfaces will soon be mounted on the fuselage.

The fuselage is rolled out of the paint booth,

rolled along Hangar C,

stationed outside Hangar B while other aircraft are re-positioned,

and then rolled into its new spot inside Hangar B.

I know it looks nice and sunny, but don't be fooled. The air temps, with wind-chill factored in, was ten degrees when these photos were taken early this afternoon.

To see the fuselage on it's way into the paint booth, click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2.