Simviation Forum - Saturday stroll....

Apr 4^th, 2009 at 3:49pm

Felix/FFDS Offline
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So it isn't Old Warden, etc... but I drove down to Fantasy of Flight (just west/south of ORlando. I hadn't been there in about a year....

Highlight was seeing their Fiesler Storch put on a "flying" display (Flying is arbitrary, I classify it with helicopters - so ugly the Earth repulses them) I don't think it's really landed per se ... the pilot just approaches the ground, gets out and pulls it down.

Tidbits were that apparently they have all the bits and pieces for a real live Lancaster .... Now the big question - when will it be flown .... (at least 5+ years for a restoration IFF they were to start "soon")

Felix/FFDS

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Reply #1 - Apr 4^th, 2009 at 4:34pm

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

So it isn't Old Warden, etc

Still a very interesting place.

Quote:

Tidbits were that apparently they have all the bits and pieces for a real live Lancaster .... Now the big question - when will it be flown

You might be waiting a while. Kermit Weeks has had most of those parts since 1992. I believe the Lanc includes the remains of KB976 which has a chequered history. http://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_surv_kb976.htm

Warbird restorer Charles Church (owner of Popham airfield) acquired KB976 in 1987 & sent it to BAe Woodford for restoration to airworthy condition. Unfortunately the rear fuselage was badly damaged when the hangar roof collapsed. Sadly, in 1989 Mr Church was killed in a Spitfire accident. Dick Richardson (now the airfield manager at Popham) who was in charge of the restoration project once told me that if Mr Church had still been alive an airworthy Lancaster would now be based at Popham.

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Reply #2 - Apr 5^th, 2009 at 5:35am

beaky Offline
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An excellent museum... really different.

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Reply #3 - Apr 6^th, 2009 at 3:10pm

C Offline
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Felix/FFDS wrote on Apr 4^th, 2009 at 3:49pm:

Tidbits were that apparently they have all the bits and pieces for a real live Lancaster .... Now the big question - when will it be flown .... (at least 5+ years for a restoration IFF they were to start "soon")

Not sure they have the nose either - ~~I'm fairly sure at some stage it was connected to the Lincoln which was last in one piece at Southend, and recently sold to Oz~~ - no it wasn't - my mistake. Maybe this was the nose they have got after the damage to the one at Manchester.

As for restoration I find it doubtful. As with several British types, airworthy or otherwise FoF have imported from the UK, they seem low on the priority list, be it due to either demand (Lysander, Mosquito - both bought airworthy, never flown since), or practicality (Sunderland - bought airworthy, but understandably ground bound without a practical use; Tempest II (Bristol Centaurus powered, like the Sea Fury*)). Really the only British type in his collection that has had an airworthy use are the Spitfires, although there's been a long restoration of a Tempest V at PPS in th UK. If he really wanted a Lanc I suspect we would have seen a deal for one of the former pole mounted examples in Canada.

Fascinating collection though. Would love to see it.

*the high rate of Sea Fury airworthiness in the US is largely due to the number re-engined with the more reliable US radials.

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Reply #4 - Apr 6^th, 2009 at 3:14pm

scalper_old Offline
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C wrote on Apr 6^th, 2009 at 3:10pm:

Felix/FFDS wrote on Apr 4^th, 2009 at 3:49pm:

Tidbits were that apparently they have all the bits and pieces for a real live Lancaster .... Now the big question - when will it be flown .... (at least 5+ years for a restoration IFF they were to start "soon")

Not sure they have the nose either - I'm fairly sure at some stage it was connected to the Lincoln which was last in one piece at Southend, and recently sold to Oz.

As for restoration I find it doubtful. As with several British types, airworthy or otherwise FoF have imported from the UK, they seem low on the priority list, be it due to either demand (Lysander, Mosquito - both bought airworthy, never flown since), or practicality (Sunderland - bought airworthy, but understandably ground bound without a practical use; Tempest II (Bristol Centaurus powered, like the Sea Fury*)). Really the only British type in his collection that has had an airworthy use are the Spitfires, although there's been a long restoration of a Tempest V at PPS in th UK. If he really wanted a Lanc I suspect we would have seen a deal for one of the former pole mounted examples in Canada.

Fascinating collection though. Would love to see it.

*the high rate of Sea Fury airworthiness in the US is largely due to the number re-engined with the more reliable US radials.

Yes I used to drink under the pole mounted lancaster. I miss it since they moved it to hamilton.

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Reply #5 - Apr 6^th, 2009 at 9:21pm

specter177 Offline
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I LOVE the Fantasy of Flight! Used to go there all the time when I was younger. Was probably the first museum I ever went to. You know, the Sun 'n Fun seaplane base is going to be there this year.

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