The Final Post for 2009

This is the final post for 2009. If the Lord doesn't call us all home in the mean time, we'll resume the blog the first week of January 2010. It's been fun writing about and posting photos of our ministry over the past year.

Over the next few weeks, please feel free to cruise and peruse the archives to review the many different ministries we served, the aircraft we've repaired, and the families we've sent out and the families we've welcomed in to ministry over the past year.

May we give God the glory as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Here are a few last snapshots for 2009:

Josh fabricates a floor panel for the Brazilian 206.

Paul makes repairs to the Brazilian 206's left inboard fuel tank.

Inside the Brazilian 206, Jim uses a set of locking pliers to situate a tiny nut beneath a hole in a floor panel in order to drive the screw in place.

Chuck and Dennis inspect the right boom structure of the Canadian 337.

Insulation, Glare Shields, and Starter Adapters, Oh My!

Honduran 206
After working through a vendor-related miscommunication, the insulation is now being cut, fit, and secured inside the cabin area of the Honduran 206. Once all the new insulation is in place, the plastic interior panels will be installed over it, the seats will go in and, after some weighing, balancing, and ground runs, the airplane will be ready for test flights early next year.

Andy measures insulation before cutting and fitting it inside the Honduran 206.

Brazilian 206
Due to some maintenance complications, painting of the wings has moved into next week. Repairs to the wings and fuselage continue in the meantime. Josh is working to install the control cables in the belly of the aircraft so the floor panels can be riveted in place. Mark is tasked with making repairs to the airplane's glare shield.

Mark makes repairs to the Brazilian 206's glare shield.

Canadian 337
Chuck continues to work through a long list of small discrepancies on the 337's airframe. Scott and Dale continue to prepare the accessories for assembly of the front engine.

Scott assembles the starter adapter for the front engine on the 337.

Chuck makes another structural repair to the 337's airframe.

Quick Snapshots from the Hangar

Here are a couple quick snapshots from the hangar:

Scott fabricates tooling to assist with the Canadian 337's engine assembly.

Chuck makes repairs to the 337's left outboard flap.

Paul makes repairs inside the Brazilian 206.

Mike organizes components prior to installing the interior panels inside the Honduran 206.

Driving, Closing, and Joining

Brazilian 206
Rivets of all shapes and sizes continue to be driven in the Brazilian 206 in preparation for painting the fuselage.

Paul drives rivets to secure the rain gutter he'd just fabricated. Josh bucks from inside.

Honduran 206
The Honduran 206 continues to creep toward completion. Final steps are being taken to clean and "close-up" various aspects of the project!

Andy vacuums beneath the floor panels of the 206 before securing the access plates in place and "closing-up" the floor.

Canadian 337
The airframe repairs and engine overhauls continue simultaneously on the Canadian 337.

Scott and Dale double-check critical data prior to joining the engine case halves for the front engine of the 337.

206 Tuesday

The progress on the Brazilian 206 continues.

Josh fabricates a radio mount.

Paul measures aluminum to fabricate a rain gutter for over the 206's cargo door.

Mark and Ian discuss repairs to the rudder pedal assemblies.

It won't be long now before the Brazilian 206's wings and fuselage will head back to Hangar C for paint.

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.