Category: Museums / Organizations

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Construction Begins on Westland Whirlwind Rear Fuselage

Earlier today, UK-based Westland Whirlwind Fighter Project announced that Airframe Assemblies Ltd has begun construction on the machine’s rear fuselage.

The twin-engine single seat Whirlwind fighter-bomber was developed in the 1930s and went on to serve in WW2, where it saw use in a variety of roles including bomber escort and ground attack. It was eventually withdrawn from service in 1943 and succeeded by the Hawker Typhoon.

As previously reported, The goal of the project is to build a single example of the Westland Whirlwind Mk 1 that “is indistinguishable from an aircraft in Squadron service during the Second World War.” The final product not be airworthy, but will utilize original available plans and original materials where possible.

Work is reportedly being carried out on the original press that belonged to Westland and is now in the care of Airframe Assemblies. When complete, the machine will be the only known example of the type in the world.

Click below to check out the complete announcement.

Continue reading Construction Begins on Westland Whirlwind Rear Fuselage

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B-29 “Doc” Officially Moves Into Its New Home

Yesterday, B-29 Superfortress “Doc” officially moved into its newly constructed, 32,000 sq.ft. hangar at Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita, Kansas.

Construction of the multimillion-dollar facility began in November 2017, and while the hangar and maintenance portions are complete, an additional $800,000 still needs to be raised to finish work on the education and visitors center. Doc’s Friend’s spokesman Josh Wells states:

“Over the past three years, we’ve raised about $5.7 million toward the $6.5 million project. While we have successfully raised enough money to build the structure, there’s still plenty of work to be done to finish out the interior of the facility. This will ensure generations to come will be able to learn about Greatest Generation and how the B-29 helped protect our freedom, and how it helped solidify Wichita as the Air Capital of the World.”

The aircraft returned to the air in July 2016 following 17 years and hundreds of thousands of hours of restoration. It began touring the following year, making its first airshow appearance at the Defenders of Liberty Air Show in Louisiana. This year saw the bomber begin passenger flights that include a a crew briefing, overview of the machine’s history and a 30 minute ride.

(via Doc’s Friends Photo: Erin McClellan via Wikimedia Commons)

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National Museum of WW2 Aviation Offering P-47 Artifact Lamp From Famous 348th FG

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

The National Museum of World War II Aviation is currently offering “a very historical artifact” in the form of a lamp incorporating a “a turbo charger fan from an actual P-47 Razorback.” The listing states (in part):

The base of this lamp is a turbo charger fan from an actual P-47 Razorback, from the 348th Fighter Group that flew in the WWII. Led by “Medal Of Honor” recipient Col. Neel Kearby. This Group was the most successful P-47 group in the Pacific. The group scored 396 kills; over half of all the kills credited to Fifth Air Force P-47s. The group had 20 aces, including Kearby who was credited with 22 kills. With the conclusion of the war the aircraft had little value; given that factory fresh aircraft were available stateside. These combat veteran aircraft had their engines removed and were unceremoniously bulldozed into a pit. Some 55 years later, in the year 2000, Col. Neel Kearby’s plane and two others were excavated from Papua New Guinea. This turbocharger fan was excavated with those planes.

The artifact reportedly comes with a certificate of authenticity and is currently available for bidding. Click here to check out the complete listing on eBay.

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Newly Restored Mosquito PZ474 Performs First Port Engine Test [Video]

On November 8, Avspecs, Ltd. rolled out Mosquito FB VI PZ474 for its first port engine test in Ardmore, New Zealand.

The machine was originally constructed at Hatfield in 1945 and used for RAF training before moving on to New Zealand in 1948, where it was overhauled and delivered to 75 Squadron as NZ2384. In the early 1950s, the aircraft was acquired by new owners and registered as ZK-BCV before being transferred to the United States. There, the Mosquito was given civil registration N9909F and, from around 1955-66, was owned by the Insurance Finance Corp. of Studio City, CA. During this time it was believed that the machine was used by the CIA for intelligence gathering in South America.

In 1970, PZ474 was abandoned and began a period of decline. It wouldn’t be saved until 2014, when it was acquired by Rod Lewis of Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio, Texas. Continue reading Newly Restored Mosquito PZ474 Performs First Port Engine Test [Video]

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FHCAM Unveils Ju 87 Stuka Being Restored to Airworthy Condition [Video]

On Saturday, the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) in Everett, Washington unveiled a Junkers Ju 87 R-4 Stuka that is currently under restoration to flying condition.

The machine was built in 1941 and served with Lehrgeschwader 1 and Sturzkampfgeschwader 5 in northwest Russia. In April 1942 it crashed after being shot down by Soviet fighters during a mission to bomb Murmansk. Its remains were finally recovered in the 1990s and were displayed at the Deutsches Technikmuseum before being acquired by FHCAM.

Restoration began in 2013 and, when complete, it will be one of only three surviving Stukas left anywhere in the world and the only one in flying condition. The process is reportedly expected to last another 1.5 years.

Click below to check out a videos of the newly unveiled airframe.

Continue reading FHCAM Unveils Ju 87 Stuka Being Restored to Airworthy Condition [Video]

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USAF Museum Curtiss Jenny On The Move [Video]

On Wednesday, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio lowered their Curtiss Jenny from its suspended position and relocated it to floor display in an area previously occupied by their Avro 504K.

The museum’s Avro is currently undergoing restoration and will reportedly hang above the Jenny in the museum’s Early Years Gallery upon its return to display. To learn more about the Avro restoration, check out the new Fall 2018 edition of The Flying Machine journal.

Click below to check out photos and video of the Jenny’s recent move.

Continue reading USAF Museum Curtiss Jenny On The Move [Video]

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Last F-14 to Land on Aircraft Carrier Arrives at its New Home

A historically significant example of the F-14 Tomcat has arrived at its new home at the Museum of Flight in Rome, Georgia.

The aircraft (B/N 164346) “Sweet Little Miss” was delivered to the US Navy in February 1992 and went on to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom serving aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Theodore Roosevelt. On June 28, 2006 it became the last Tomcat to operationally land aboard an aircraft carrier with pilot Lt. Chris Rattigan and RIO Lt. Paul Dort at the controls. In September of that year it performed its final flight during delivery to the Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond.

Following the museum’s closure in 2016, the aircraft, which was on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation, was acquired by The Museum of Flight. It was cleared for disassembly for movement in November 2017 and reportedly arrived at its new home earlier this month.

Click below to check out photos of the Tomcat on the move.

Continue reading Last F-14 to Land on Aircraft Carrier Arrives at its New Home

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B-24 “Diamond Lil” Returns to the Air Following Restoration

The Commemorative Air Force has reported that their B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil” returned to the air for the first time in over two years on October 22.

As previously reported, the aircraft (AM927) was delivered to the British in May 1941 and transferred to Trans World Airlines (TWA) to conduct training of RAF pilots out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A landing accident shortly thereafter resulted in the bomber being returned to Consolidated in San Diego. In July 1942, it returned to service as the C-87 Liberator Express prototype, acting as a personnel and equipment transport and test platform. Following the war it was modified with long RY-3 nose and PBY nacelles and saw further use as an executive and personnel transport. It was acquired by the CAF in 1968.

The machine was grounded in 2016 for work that included an interior restoration and the overhaul of three engines. It will reportedly make its first post-restoration appearance at the Wings Over Dallas WW2 airshow this weekend.

Continue reading B-24 “Diamond Lil” Returns to the Air Following Restoration

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Thomas-Morse Scout’s First Post-Restoration Flight Captured in New Video

The first post-restoration flight of Ithaca Aviation Heritage Foundation’s newly restored, Le Rhone-powered Thomas-Morse S-4B has been captured in a newly released video.

As previously reported, The Ithaca, NY-based organization was established in order to return an example of the WW1 advanced trainer to the city where it was originally manufactured as “a symbol of Ithaca’s aviation heritage.” Their machine was generously donated by Dr. William N. Thibault of San Diego, CA in 2010 and received a meticulous restoration prior to the September 29th flight.

Click below to check out the video.

Continue reading Thomas-Morse Scout’s First Post-Restoration Flight Captured in New Video

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Support Sought to Refurbish Lytham St Annes Spitfire W3644

The Lytham St Annes Spitfire Centre in Lancashire, England has launched a fundraising campaign to refurbish and repaint the full-scale Spitfire Mk Vb reproduction (W3644) adorning the Lytham St Annes Fighter, Bomber & Coastal Command Memorial at Fairhaven Lake on the Fylde Coast.

The reproduction was acquired the volunteers of the Lytham St Annes Spitfire Display Team following three years of fundraising and was placed on display in 2013. However, it was recently removed from its plinth for much needed repairs, improvements and repainting.

Funds raised during the campaign will reportedly help return the Spitfire to public display and will also be used to carry out work on the associated RAF memorial plaques, which are said to be “in dire need of repolishing and colour infills.”

Click below to learn more.

Continue reading Support Sought to Refurbish Lytham St Annes Spitfire W3644