Anybody restoring a TBM?

[Jim MacDonald]

Anybody out there restoring a TBM or has restored one? I'm in desperate need of pictures of the outer wing panel main beam. Any pictures of the beam, upper cap strip, lower cap strip or rib station stiffeners would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mac

[John Lane]

Jim, What do you need to know about the TBM, is this a plastic model your wanting details for? I'll try to help if I can! Regards,

[setter]

Hi Jim

JDK and I are going down to the Gold Coast soon to have a look at some TBM restoration work- Let me know exactly what you would like and i will take pics for you

Regards
John P

[Jim MacDonald]

Hi John & John,

I'm trying to scratch build an aluminum TBM. I have the blueprints on microfilm, but the film for the outer wing panel main beam is giving me fits. I could really use any shots of the main beam. Since I've never seen one, my main problem is trying to figure out what the cap strips look like. I have a picture out of the structural repair manual that looks like the front cap strip is an "L" beam riveted to the front of the main beam, with a reinforcing plate riveted to the back. But then I can't figure out what the "Top Cap Angle" is.

I think that I've got the rib nose down pretty good, not exactly sure how it connects to the main beam or how the stringer is riveted to the rib nose. It looks from the prints that the piece of the rib that the stringer goes through is bent back & the stringer is riveted to that.

I could also use a shot of the back portion of the rib. I believe it's called a web type rib. From the prints it looks like it's "U" shaped channel, but I'm not completly sure.

Anything will help. There seems to be a lot of restoration photos of F4Us & P-51s on the web, but not much of anything on the TBM. So I'd appreciate any help that you guys can give me.

Thanks,

Mac

[wendovertom]

A flyable TBM?? from scratch? - please keep us all up on the project. It sounds like an awesome deal.

Tom P.

[Aircraft Mech Paul]

Jim,

Ummmm...please forgive me for asking this, but you ARE talking about a Grumman TBM Avenger right ? The real deal ? That is QUITE an undertaking you are doing. If I may...wouldn't it be a tad easier on you and the budget from a time perspective if you would consider one of the TBM/TBF's that I believe are being retired from the Canadian Forest Service ? If memory serves me they are retiring their fleet of those.

If I've been silly about this I apologize....but WHEW !!! Thats a BIG project to do from scratch.

Paul

[Chad Veich]

I rather think it will be a scale model gents, and not a full size replica.

[Chad Veich]

By the way, and I know it's a long shot, but this would not happen to be the same Jim MacDonald that competed at Top Gun back in about 1990 with a phenomenal model of the Grumman Hellcat would it?

[Jim MacDonald]

Tom & Paul,

Chad's right it is just a model. I wish I could afford to buy one of the Canadian TBMs, not much chance of that on an AF enlisted man's pay.

Chad,

Sorry not that Jim MacDonald. Must have been quite the model the other one made though.

Thanks guys,

Mac

[oscardeuce]

I think I can help. I'll try to get with one of the locals doing one next week. I think he has the right wing off still.

[Aircraft Mech Paul]

Yep,

Okay...now I feel real dumb. But when I was reading about, what sounded like "riveting" on spar caps...I got a tad concerned that if the case was being made to scratch build one of these things it would have been a MASSIVE undertaking. Glad that got straightened out...at least with me

Paul

[Kzee]

You might want to have a look at the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum's website: http://acam.ednet.ns.ca.

ACAM had just completed a restoration of a TBM. The members who restored the aircraft spent approx. 900 hrs. rebuilding the right wing, using parts from four different airframes.

Once you are on the web site and go to the Newsletter archives. It has restoration updates and photos. Issues that contain pictures of the wings include September 2001, September 2002 and November 2002.

If you contact the Webmaster (he is also the newsletter editor) he may be able send you jpegs of these pictures.

Cheers,

Ken

[Jim MacDonald]

Oscardeuce,

Thanks for looking into it for me, I appreciate the help.

Kzee,

I'd been at the website before, but never thought to contact the webmaster. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

Thanks again, guys.

Mac