Category: Videos

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Kermit Weeks Announces Lockheed Vega Project Restart in New Video

In his latest video, Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks has announced the restart of his Lockheed Vega project.

This particular aircraft was purchased from Dave Jameson after Hurricane Andrew devastated Weeks’ Polk City, Florida collection in 1992. In arrived at Fantasy of Flight in 1995 and, having not flown in over a decade, was placed on static display. In 2012, restoration was begun by Kevin Kimball, but Weeks eventually had to postpone the project “due to various distractions.”

The new video announces the project restart and captures Kimball stopping by to take a look at the project and going over some of the work that has been done – including looking over the cartons of Vega parts, and making a plan for moving forward on the restoration. Click below to check it out.

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Kermit Weeks Releases Part 2 of Stinson L-1 Video Series

Kermit Weeks has released the second video in his two part “Kermie Cam” series dealing with his 1941 Stinson L-1.

This particular example was delivered to the Army Air Corps in December 1941 and initially served with 112th Observation Squadron at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina before moving on to different locations on the East Coast. It was later used for rescue with the 11th Air Force in Alaska. Following its military service the aircraft was acquired by Paul Mantz and used as a camera platform in a number of movie productions including The Great Waldo Pepper. Weeks acquired the machine from the Movieland Air Collection in 1981 and used it to tow banners. It was damaged during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and has since been completely restored.

While part 1 (available here) included a walk around, cockpit tour and start up, part 2 sees the machine take flight. Kermit points out some of the things he pays attention to when flying the L-1, performs a slow pass or two, and sees how she does overall. Click below to check it out.

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Stinson L-1 Takes Center Stage in Latest Kermie Cam Video

The latest installment of Kermit Weeks’ “Kermie Cam” series focuses on Fantasy of Flight’s 1941 Stinson L-1.

This particular example was delivered to the Army Air Corps in December 1941 and initially served with 112th Observation Squadron at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina before moving on to different locations on the East Coast. It was later used for rescue with the 11th Air Force in Alaska. Following its military service the aircraft was acquired by Paul Mantz and used as a camera platform in a number of movie productions including The Great Waldo Pepper. Weeks acquired the machine from the Movieland Air Collection in 1981 and used it to tow banners. It was damaged during Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and has since been completely restored.

The video will be released in two parts. This newly released first part includes an overview of a problem sorted out with the engine, a walk around, a tour of the cockpit and start up. Click below to check it out, along with a bonus video of its first post-restoration flight in 2013.

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Kermit Weeks Shares Video Update on Sikorsky S-38 Project

For his latest installment of Kermit Cam, Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks visits Langer Aviation in Minnesota to check up on his Sikorsky S-38 project.

Langer is working hard to complete the example of the machine, which was introduced in 1928 and became Sikorsky’s first widely produced amphibious flying boat. Weeks hopes that the aircraft will be ready in time for involvement in what he describes as “a really big IMAX film project about Martin and Osa Johnson, that will shoot in Africa, and feature both my Sikorsky S-39 and this S-38.”

Click below to check out the newly released video.

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Kermit Weeks Releases Part 2 of B-24 Liberator Video Tour

Kermit Weeks has released part 2 of his video tour through his B-24J Liberator based at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida.

This particular aircraft was one of four surplus Indian Air Force B-24 bombers acquired by collectors in the early 1970s before being purchased by Weeks and flown to Fantasy of Flight in the early 1990s. It will reportedly undergo a complete restoration before flying again.

The video consists of a walk-around and walk-through and includes an abundance of interesting details. Part 1 can be seen here. Click below to check out part 2.

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Cockpit Camera Captures World’s Only Flying Twin Mustang in Action [Video]

AirshowStuff has released a new video filmed from the cockpit of the world’s only flying XP-82 Twin Mustang as it performed evening flybys at the recent AirVenture fly-in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The F-82 long-range escort fighter was designed late in WW2 and became the last propeller-driven fighter produced in quantity for the U.S. Air Force. Tom Reilly of Douglas, Georgia acquired the XP-82 prototype from Walter and Margaret Soplata in 2008 and restoration to airworthy condition began that July at Douglas Municipal Airport. Additional F-82 parts were sourced from Alaska and Colorado and a rare, left-hand turning Allison V-12 was located in Mexico. Additional components, including full second cockpit controls and a second canopy (one that “is completely different from any P-51 type”) were sourced from San Francisco and Tampa, respectively. The machine performed its first post-restoration flight on January 1, 2019.

Click below to check out the new video, as well as footage of the aircraft filmed from the ground during the event.

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Kermit Weeks Films Tour of His B-24 Liberator [Video]

For his latest edition of “Kermie Cam” Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks conducted a video tour of his B-24J Liberator.

This particular aircraft was one of four surplus Indian Air Force B-24 bombers acquired by collectors in the early 1970s before being purchased by Weeks and flown to Fantasy of Flight in the early 1990s. It will reportedly undergo a complete restoration before flying again.

The video consists of a walk-around and walk-through and includes an abundance of interesting details. The tour will be covered in two parts, the first of which can be seen below.

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First Trailer Released for Top Gun: Maverick [Video]

Today, Paramount Pictures released the first official trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun. The new movie, entitled Top Gun: Maverick, is currently slated for release in 2020.

The trailer suggests that the new film will focus on the F-18, although there does appear to be a very quick shot of a P-51 Mustang as well – a development which will no doubt raise a lot of questions about how it will be included in the story line.

Click below to check out the new trailer.

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Kermit Weeks Films Tour of Blakey Engine Service Workshop [Video]

For his latest installment of “Kermie Cam,” Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks details his April 2019 visit with Jeff Blakey of Blakey Engine Service in Roanoke, Texas. Kermit states:

“Jeff and I go way way back, and through the years, he’s done a number of engines for quite a few of my vintage aircraft. He’s a great craftsman, one of the last of a dwindling breed, and he’s also one hell of a guy. Come on along with me and visit with Jeff, and check out his shop.”

The visit will be documented in two parts. Click below to check out part 1.

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Airfix “Silver Spitfire” FR Mk.XIV Assembled in Stop Motion [Video]

In his newest stop motion assembly video, modeler Tom Grigat takes on the new Airfix Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XIV kit in 1/48 scale.

Grigat notes that the cockpit painting employed a combination of humbrol and alclad II milspec colors while the pilot is painted with acrylic colors from vallejo. The entire aircraft coat is painted with alclad II chrome on a base of alclad glossy white and glossy black sealed with aqua gloss.

This time I tried the stressed skin effect in a more subtle way compared to the extreme effect I got with the B-17 G in 1/72. Hope it worked better this time…The additional rivets were made with the tool “rosie the riveter” and the gun barrels are brass tubes from albion alloys.

Click below to check it out.

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