In June
this year, it was decided to replace the radome fitted to the aircraft,
with a spare we had that was in better condition. This was due to the fact
the original only had 1 working fastener to secure it in place whereas
in the case of the spare, all 4 fasteners were functional.
In order
to remove the radome, it was necessary to soak the aforementioned fastener
in WD 40, then unlock it with a screwdriver. This revealed that the radar/scanner
was indeed still fitted in its original position
(see photos below). Surprisingly, it was in good condition, and could even
be moved around by hand.
It just
so happened that the spare radome was fitted with a metal hinge, which
the original hadn't. We deduced that this was to allow it to hinge
upwards, rather than have the radome come off completely like the original. The
nuts and bolts necessary to connect the hinge to the corresponding
bulkhead fitting were actually still in place. After tightening these
with some spanners, we were able to open the radome as had been designed to. As
the seal around the bulkhead had dried out over time, grease was
applied to it to try and provide a better seal. At the end of the day the new
radome was refitted, and secured in place by locking the fasteners, as seen
below.
All in
all, a very good day’s work!!
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