Fokker Grunau Baby IIb

Grunau Baby IIb PH-152 was built in 1946 by Fokker and delivered in 1947, it has since then been flying with several gliding clubs (Eindhoven, Gilze-Rijen, Teuge, Valkenburg, Castricum and Nistelrode) until 1983 when she was bought by Raymond van Loosbroek and put in storage.


PH-152 at Teuge in the fifties

   
A "little" damage in 1951 in Eindhoven

Repair of fuselage and left wing in the attic of Pa Smits in Eindhoven 

PH-152 in a more colorful outfit (1970's)

PH-152 got a damaged nose after hitting a fence (1970's) 

At some time PH-152's colors were changed to all blue, which earned her the nickname 'Bluebird'.

Three pictures taken at Terlet gliding center in 1977

Two photos from PH-152's Nistelrode period (1973-1983)

 
PH-152 put together for static show at Axel glider field in 1989

The restoration
In 2009 Baby PH-152 came out of storage and was transported to the workshop of airbase De Peel where serious work was started on the fuselage by Frans Otten.
In 2015 Baby PH-152 the restoration project was taken over by Hans Regeer and in his workshop in Oss Hans Regeer, Raymond van Loosbroek and me, with lots of help from others, continued restoration work on the fuselage. 

PH-152 in a rather 'naked' view of the cockpit bottom 

First all metal parts were removed and reconditioned. 

 
Wing attachment before and after reconditioning

 
Fokker winch hook painted in primer, test fitted in the fuselage

Where necessary old cables were replaced by new cables. 
The inside got his final paint and then the fuselage was reskinned.

 
Cockpit area  after repainting

 
New plywood on fuselage bottom

In 2020 Hans Regeer and Raymond van Loosbroek sadly passed away and I took over the project.

 
Hans and Raymond

I continued the project in the workshop of Aeroclub Nistelrode and started work on the left wing.

 
Wings in the workshop

Smaller parts (which means parts that fit into my car) were taken home where I work on them there.
First the canopy was reconstructed and completed and after that the left wings airbrakes, wing cover and landingskid were next.

 
Rebuild canopy

 
And it even fits!

 
Left wing airbrakes 
 
 
Cleaned up landingskid


Painted fuselage bottom almost ready to receive main skid and tail skid




Main skid with new rubber blocks and tail skid in place




After finishing painting the fuselage finishing the rudder is next


With the rudder trial fitted the fuselage really starts to look like the beauty she should be

As the original instruments and panel were lost after the death of Raymond van Loosbroek, new instruments were bought and a new wooden panel was made.

PH-152 with a trial fit of the new panel and instruments

Next job is the stabilizer.

A nice historic detail: a handwritten date "13/8-'46" found inside 

First some wood repairs to be done

 
Then dress up the stabilizer with SuperFlite material

   
And give it a good "oldtimer-look" paint job 


After the stabilizer the elevators are next

 
The elevators getting a new coat

 
The elevators too had a nice historical signature in it 

   
The finished stabilizer and elevators reunited  

Next job is the right wing which still has the blue painted original linnen.

 
The right wing, removing the old linnen

First inspection showed most wood on the right wing to be okay except for a small piece of plywood at the bottom of the wing near the root.
Also a lot of metal parts showed some rust, so all metal will be removed, stripped of all paint and after inspection given a new paint coat.
But first the wings interior must be cleaned as there seem to be some waste from previous residents (rodents) in it.


Food waste from rodents in the interior

 
Water damaged plywood and rusty metal parts

 
New plywood and metal parts in primer

 
Removing all blue paint from the wing  


Rib 1 without paint and all metal parts repainted


A freshly painted rib 1

   
Repainted brake metal and after that continue with more wood repairs