Labour of love to restore Dornier Bomber to former glory
It was hauled from the English Channel after being shot down more than 70 years ago during the Battle of Britain.
And now the last surviving Dornier Bomber – known as the Flying Pencil – is undergoing the painstaking process of being restored to its former glory.
Staff at RAF Cosford are spending hours meticulously cleaning the small components of the plane – and several of them are already on display at the site's museum.
The fuselage and wings will remain in purpose-built hydration tunnels for the foreseeable future and continue to be sprayed with citric acid in water in a bid to prevent any further corrosion.
Experts say that early indications show that the process is working as the solution is helping to remove layers of debris that have built up over the decades, allowing direct access to the airframe structure.
A number of smaller components have already been painstakingly worked on by apprentices and volunteers, including an engine valve, empty bullet cases plus a tube from the flying controls.
Staff say they have 'proved to be in remarkable condition'. A sprocket and roller chain have also been conserved and are working freely once again.
As part of the final stage of treatment the parts will be coated in a layer of wax or a clear paint to protect them. Staff are trying to find out which methods work best for conserving artefacts that have been under water for a long time.
The museum has also been given several thousand original Dornier 17 production drawings by the European Aeronautical Defence and Space company, to help identify parts that can be utilised as part of the reconstruction process.
Darren Priday, deputy conservation centre manager at Cosford, said: "Any metal removed from a salt water environment is subjected to an accelerated corrosion process if it's not treated quickly.
"As the Dornier lay at the bottom of the sea, the currents and tides have effectively been like rubbing sand paper over the aircraft for 73 years but she's survived remarkably well. This is a truly unique project with lots of unknowns and we are still learning day by day. All the signs from the work we have carried out so far are very positive, but there is still a long way to go."
The project has sparked interest from across the globe, and since its arrival on June 15 thousands of visitors have viewed the Dornier – and extra viewing panels have been installed to allow visitors to see more of the aircraft. For visitors who want to get even closer access to the aircraft, volunteers from the Aerospace Museum Society will be working on Dornier components every Tuesday and Thursday between 10.30am and 3pm in the museum's test flight hangar.
It had been lying 50ft under water off the Kent coast since it was shot down by the RAF in 1940. Several rescue attempts had been launched to recover the plane from its watery grave before it was finally raised in June. It was transported to the museum on two low-loader lorries.
The plane will eventually be transferred to the RAF Museum at Hendon in London.
