Move Ahead Monday

Projects are moving ahead on all fronts today.

Honduran 206
The push is on to complete the project before December 24th. Mike is putting together the logbook entries to document correction of the more than 400 discrepancies encountered in the course of restoring the airplane. Andy is cutting and fitting new "floor boards" to protect the aluminum floor panels from damage in the rough and tumble world of missionary transportation. Jim will soon fit the plastic side panels to the cabin interior.

Andy cuts new floor boards.

Andy checks the new floor boards for fit.

Brazilian 206
The wings are prepped for paint and the rear window is going in the fuselage. Once the window installation is complete the fuselage will be ready for paint. After painting, new floor panels will be fabricated and work on the instrument panel will begin. In preparation for assembly, many of the other airframe components have already been painted.

Ian drives rivets to secure the 206's rear window in place. Josh is inside bucking the rivets.

Paul works with the bell cranks that guide the steel cables operating the 206's ailerons.

Canadian 337
As Chuck continues to inspect and repair the airframe, Dale and Scott are nearly prepared to assemble the first of its two overhauled engines.

Chuck installs an in-board flap on the 337.

Scott checks data and organizes engine components for assembly.

Happy Thanksgiving

"Oh give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works.
Glory in His holy Name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord.
Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore."

Psalm 105:1-4

Happy Thanksgiving from the crew at MMS Aviation.
We'll be back in the shop Monday.

Sealing and Wheeling

We had some sealing going on today. And a bit of "wheeling" if you will.

On the Canadian 337, Chuck sealed around the fasteners that secure the instrument panel access panels in place.

On the Brazilian 206, Paul was placing seal material around a newly installed fuel strainer inside the wing's fuel tank.

Paul "goops up" with sealant.

Paul applies sealant to the rear, inboard corner of the fuel tank.

The "wheeling" was going on over at the Honduran 206 where Andy & Jim aligned the main landing gear for use under fueled and loaded conditions.

Andy reviews the technical data as Jim aligns the left main gear of the Honduran 206.

A New Week Starts

Honduran 206
While we'd hoped to have the Honduran 206 completed by the end of this month, it now looks like completion will drift into December. Problems have been discovered with the radios which necessitate removal and return to the manufacturer. Lord willing they'll repair and return the radios in rapid fashion.

But even as the radios are pulled, the Honduran 206 was rolled outside to have fuel pumped into its left fuel tank to test repairs made to the tank. Andy reported that the tank passed the test.

Andy pumps aviation gasoline into the fuel tank in the left wing.

On the Brazilian 206...

Mark continues repair on the fiberglass nose bowl pieces.

Fly-in Oil Change
Christian recording artist John Pfeifer flew in this morning so we could change the oil in his airplane's engines. We've performed the maintenance on his Aztec for several years now. When John returned from lunch his airplane was ready to depart thanks to Dale and Chuck's diligent maintenance efforts.

John's Aztec in Hangar C.

Finishing Friday With A Flourish

As this week draws to a close the guys are pushing hard to make headway on our three primary projects.

Honduran 206
Work on the Honduran 206 continues as the guys fabricate and install the last few structural pieces and instrument installations before the interior (which is prepared for installation) is can be installed.

Andy fabricates a floor panel for underneath the rudder pedals on the Honduran 206.

Brazilian 206
With the remaining paint removed, the fuselage was rolled into Hangar B to allow new windows to be installed. Other structural repairs continue.

Josh (outside) drives rivets while Ian (inside) bucks rivets as they install new windows in the Brazilian 206.

Paul fabricates a new oil stick access door in the Brazilian 206 cowling. The old door location, to the right, will be patched and permanently closed.

Mark repairs the Brazilian 206's right wing.

Canadian 337
While Dale and Scott begin the engine build-up process, Chuck continues with the airframe work.

Chuck removes the propeller unfeather accumulator from the rear engine's mount.

We hope these pictures provide a greater appreciaton of how God is working to expand His Kingdom through your gifts and your prayers in support of our ministry.

Brazil, Canada, and Honduras Updates

Brazilian 206
The fuselage of the Brazilian 206 has been relocated from Hangar A to outside the paint booth inside Hangar C and is in final preparation for being painted.

Josh applies paint remover to the passenger side window recess. All rivet heads will be detailed as well.

Canadian 337
Work continues on both the airframe inspection and the engine overhauls.

Dennis and Chuck research data before making a repair on the 337.

Honduran 206
Andy and Jim made final adjustments to the radio communication equipment on the Honduran 206.

Jim secures the access plate after completing installation of the High-Frequency radio antennae on the Honduran 206.

Forging Ahead on the 206's

Josh installs the overhead speaker in the Brazilian 206 fuselage.

Mark repairs the latch assembly in the left cargo door of the Honduran 206.

Jim repairs an interior panel for the Honduran 206.

The Best Aviation Maintenance Value Possible

Part of our ministry to those organizations sending us their airplanes is to make sure they receive the best maintenance value possible. If we can make it, we won't buy it; if we can repair it, we won't replace it; and if we have to buy it, we'll shop for the best deal.

The first two photos represent the second condition--that of making a repair so the entire component won't need to be replaced. Instead of replacing one of the Canadian 337's air selector assemblies for $200, Dale fabricated and then installed a bushing for $2.00 worth of stock material.

Dale fabricates a bushing from steel rod.

Scott and Dale install the bushing.

In our previous post, Paul was pictured inspecting one of the Brazilian 206's wings for fuel tank leaks. That process continued to the point of repair.

Paul inspects the fuel tank (inside the wing) for leaks.

Paul repairs the leaks found in the fuel tank.

The Brazilian 206, Honduran 206, and Calendar Mailing

While the Canadian 337 project is gaining momentum (the front engine is nearing build-up), the Brazilian 206 is going to dominate the blog for a bit, but that's okay. It's where the majority of our manpower is going once the Honduran 206 is completed later this month.

Logan drives rivets into a new belly skin on the Brazilian 206 as Josh bucks from inside the fuselage.

In Hangar B, Paul J. troubleshoots a leak in the right wing fuel tank of the Brazilian 206, Ian (on the ladder) fits the rudder tip fairing on its vertical stabilizer and, if you look into Hangar A you'll see the 206's fuselage where Logan and Josh are working.

Andy seals the magnetos on the Honduran 206's engine.

But not everything is airplanes at MMS. While Rena was in working on receipting donations received over the past four days, Karen, Dana, and Sherry came in to organize the annual mailing of pocket calendars to MMS supporters.

Karen, Dana, and Sherry organize the annual pocket calendar mailing.

New Skin On The Brazilian 206

Josh finished last week getting new skin prepared for installation on the fuselage of the Brazilian 206. He and Paul J. started this week working together to install the skin on the tail cone. Josh worked outside the tail cone driving the rivets while Paul worked inside bucking the rivets. It takes all kinds of rivets of different shapes, sizes, material, and varied hardness to hold an airplane together.

Josh temporarily fastens the new skin in place with "cleco" fasteners used to secure sheet metal in place for drilling or riveting. Clecos come in all shapes and sizes as required by the job.

Lots of clecos are needed to hold the skin in place.

Josh (outside) drives rivets while Paul J. (inside) bucks the rivets.

A collection of assorted rivets being used on the Brazilian 206.

Walking Through The Shop

Walking through our shop is always interesting. Right now things are literally "coming together" on several fronts.

Paul Gettle has completed his pre-service orientation and will start Basic Training on Monday morning. This afternoon, Bob provided Paul with his study material and instructed him in how to fill out his maintenance log book.

Chuck's inside the Canadian 337 installing the floor panels he just repaired.

Andy touches up some paint on the Honduran 206's fuselage.

Dwight instructs Mark on practical welding techniques as part of Mark's Basic Training process.

Josh prepares to install a new skin on the Honduran 206.

If you're ever east central Ohio, please make a point to stop by our hangar facility in Coshocton and take a walk through the shop. I guarantee you'll find it worth your time.

Five Different Directions

At MMS you can be sure that we're always working in several directions at the same time.

Andy learns by observation as Jim makes alterations to the Honduran 206's instrument panel.

Paul cuts metal to fabricate a repair on the Bakeng Deuce.

Ian hangs control surfaces and airframe components from the Brazilian 206 in the paint booth.

Bob instructs Mark in basic electrical theory.

Chuck fabricates a floor panel repair for the Canadian 337.

Three Airplanes, Four Snapshots

The focus of our manpower is currently split between three projects: The Brazilian 206, the Honduran 206, and the Canadian 337.

Josh finishes assembly of the repaired gear box for the main landing gear of the Brazilian 206.

Josh installs the gear box in the belly of the 206.

Paul cleans airframe components from the Brazilian 206 in preparation for painting. The Honduran 206 is in the background.

Chuck measures the maximum deflection angles of the Canadian 337's left aileron.