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FROM
THE TRACKER-LESS WASTES OF SCHOFIELDS
by
Cliff Robinson
Breathless
readers of these pages will be aware that on a number of
occasions, reference has been made to "The Tracker" and
its imminent (?) arrival. The aircraft was acquired by QAM
in 1988 through the generosity of the Bussey Foundation.
The Tracker had been moved from HMAS Nirimba to the adjacent
Schofields Aerodrome where it sat alongside the Bond Airship
hangar for several years where its nosewheels were liberated
by persons unknown. On several occasions it was to be moved
to Brisbane by a combination of Chinook and HMAS Tobruk,
but these arrangements fell through on a number of occasions.
Meanwhile the time limit for expenditure of our State Government
grant for removal/restoration of the Tracker was overdue,
hence we determined that we must move it ourselves. This
posed its own set of problems as the centre section width
of some 26 feet and length of 40 feet would have meant a
police escorted load at horrendous cost. It was essential
to get this on one semi-trailer without escort and this
meant removing the wing from the fuselage. A helpful manual
some 4 inches thick says: "Don't do it - except at a repair
base". Indeed to de-rivet skin and stringers to free the
wing would take 6 men at least 2 weeks without doing anything
else. Bearing in mind that it would only ever be an external
static exhibit, we decided to saw the top fuselage decking
and also rear sections of the engine nacelles to enable
dismantling and trucking. Even this required a drop deck
trailer and a wide load permit. Thus the stage is set. Enter
the players: At 0900 Friday 8 June, Ken Woodrow, Mike Adams,
Ian Collins, Matthew Baker and Cliff Robinson depart Brisbane
in three vehicles via the New England Highway for Sydney.
Clyde Ashton is to follow by bus that evening. A slow trip
ensues with some minor trouble for two vehicles resulting
in an arrival at 0100 Saturday at the caravan park in Wilberforce.
A bleary eyed quintet emerge from the van next morning eating
corn flakes outside as there really isn't room inside. One
group departs for Hornsby to collect Clyde while others
seek muffler repairs and go on to Schofields. But Clyde
does not appear. The bus was five hours late and his message
of yesterday has not reached us. Oh well, Clyde's a big
boy - he'll have to find his own way. Back to Schofields
where dismantling begins. Matthew begins removing topside
attachments. Ken, Mike and Cliff review dimensions and plans
while Ian begins construction of wing trestles. The plan
is to support the wing in its existing position, then free
the fuselage and lower it to the ground. Loading would then
be direct from those positions. The measured size proves
to be slightly larger than anticipated and so plans are
revised. We will take a little more off the rear of the
engine nacelles, leave the main undercarriage extended and
carry the wing upside down to get within height and width
limits. At 1530 Clyde comes wearily into sight having walked
from the nearest rail station. To make him feel better,
we immediately find him some work. At last light we return
to the caravan to shoehorn the sixth body inside. From now
on it is necessary to go outside to change your mind. Sunday
finds cutting accomplished on the right hand nacelle, an
easy task with the recipro saw. In the meantime, Ken and
Clyde work to remove the undercarriage doors from the left
hand nacelle (there were none on the right hand nacelle).
Several hundred rivets and six hours later the doors are
off. Preparatory cutting can now be done. Meanwhile, inside
the fuselage, Mike is spraying and belting the wing attachment
bolts, and outside Ian builds trestles. At this point we
learn why the manufacturer gained the name "Grumman Iron
Works". Under the fuselage is fitted the crash barrier hook
and this proves to be made of half inch steel plate front
and back with three sixteenths plate on the sides. It has
to be cut off with the grinder and hacksaw. How do six men
get on in a small caravan? Matthew and Clyde accuse each
other of snoring. The rest of us accuse both of them. Monday
- fog which persists until 1100. All operations around the
undercarriage legs and trestles are conducted in six inches
of water as the water table is just below the surface. We
decide to dig a cavity to drop the fibreglass radome out
of the fuselage as there is nothing to hold it in. This
results in a small swimming hole and the trapping of Ian's
arm when the dome drops, but all is well, the dome is not
damaged and only Ian's ego is bruised. Subsequently we are
able to jack up the scanner until it is within the fuselage
contours. Ian finishes the erection of the trestles and
this is a relief because he has been carrying around these
replicas of roman crosses and we feared he might nail us
to them if we rubbished him too much. Some cutting of the
fuselage top is done and we leave very satisfied as the
work is on schedule. After tea, Ian and Clyde depart by
car for home and work. Only later do we learn that they
appear to have travelled via Birdsville while one of them
slept as they drove through the night. The rest of us were
able to move to a mobile home with room to breathe. Tuesday
saw us able to confirm our progress to Brambles in Brisbane
who advise that the truck is loading to come our way. The
Land Rover is booked in for muffler surgery tomorrow and
in fog again we begin the hairiest part of the exercise.
Cutting of the fuselage is completed and after heating the
wing bolts these are driven out, the last with some unexpected
sleeves. The fuselage is supported on air bags and with
various props to prevent it rolling over, we begin to lower
it to the ground by bleeding off the air bags. This is a
long slow delicate process with some alarms as the fuselage
attempts to list and move longitudinally, but only the last
foot gives us a fright as the air bags lose control. All
is safe, and only one small tear results from movement at
the cut. As a final for the day, we discuss the loading
operation with the preferred crane hirer. Wednesday - All
work and no play etc. We have the day off while the truck
is en route from Brisbane. We visit the Camden Museum of
Aviation to collect Sea Venom parts and also Malabar to
pick up a "Betty" propellor blade. Thursday - Begins with
panic when we find the truck already on site having arrived
late Wednesday. Our preferred crane is not available so
after phoning eight others we obtain an inevitably more
expensive one and loading begins at 0930. The wing lifts
cleanly from the trestles and is placed on the ground. By
re-slinging it is inverted and then loaded on the truck.
The fuselage is simple except for arranging supports on
the truck. All is done for the crane in two hours and by
1330 the truck is on its way to Brisbane. This poses the
problem that unless we leave soon, the truck could beat
us to Caloundra, so we tidy up, return to camp and set out
to drive through the night. In fact we pass the truck at
Singleton, not as far as he had hoped (he cannot travel
at night) and with some Land Rover troubles we are back
in Brisbane at 0700 Friday. After a few hours sleep, we
learn that the truck was held up by fog so unloading is
now set for 0700 Saturday at Caloundra. Strangely, this
time the truck and crane coincide and unloading takes only
one hour. We do not have time and manpower to re-erect trestles
immediately so reassembly is now planned for 14/15 July
and we begin to seek the parts needed to complete this exhibit.
Our thanks to the team and to those who provided assistance
and support in many areas .
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