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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" propeller 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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