Barn Finds!!!

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

ODonovan said:
I couldn't swallow for a moment there, just thinking of how great it is the planes still exist, but how much better it would be if they were taken care of properly and could ALL be made flyable again.



-Irish
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, like a few other aircraft (the Maude P-40 for example), these particular examples would lose a lot of what they are in the restoration process.
These aircraft are time capsules, and in exactly the same state (albeit a bit dirty) that they were in when parked up in the 50's. To restore the Mossie, you would be replacing almost every piece of wood - it wouldn't be the same aircraft. As for the P-40, there are plenty of examples flying and awaiting restoration, so why destroy the patina and originality that this one is, just to get one more modern-build P-40?
I'm all in favour of keeping most of these aircraft flying, but I also appreciate, after seeing the Maude P-40 up close, the fact of having an untouched, extant example of these machines.

Also, I believe that the owners wish was for them to be preserved (which is why he held on to them so closely, despite being given all sorts of offers). We wouldn't have them at the museum if there was and ideas of getting them flying again.

Rest assured, they will be taken care of properly, but they will remain as time capsules, and here in New Zealand, in accordance with the late owners wishes. He was one of the very few who had the foresight to keep these pieces of history away from scrap dealers, so we owe that to him.
 
Indeed... What I was saying was that, rather than just being left to decay in the barn, if they could all have had regular maintenance and been kept in flying condition (or near to it), how great would it be to see all of them still airworthy today.



-Irish
 
ODonovan said:
Indeed... What I was saying was that, rather than just being left to decay in the barn, if they could all have had regular maintenance and been kept in flying condition (or near to it), how great would it be to see all of them still airworthy today.



-Irish
Click to expand...
In a way - yes. But My guess is that if they were all kept airworthy, they'd be in an American collection by now.
 
I'd hope there would be some wealthy folks down in that part of the world who would keep them there. Failing that, having them airworthy would sort of make up for them being taken to the US. There are good points on either side, but having them still flying would be grand.



-Irish
 
John Smith's collection is legendary in these here parts and were in my backyard at one time and I never got to go see his collection while I was in that neck of the woods for some reason, illness (his and mine), earthquakes, bushfires etc cancelling planned visits. Talking to those who had seen his stuff took on almost religious tones, "oh, you've sat in his Mossie, huh?", so its gonna be great to see the aircraft in an appropriate setting. Omaka is very fortunate to get these aircraft, and quite fitting too.
 
There wasn't only the Mozzie in John Smith's collection.

We've also got a P-40 being restored to static - "Gloria Lyons" This too has too much history and a lot of its value is in its originality.

Gloria Lyons

20200909_141257.jpg

20200909_141244.jpg
20200909_141230.jpg
20200909_141304.jpg


There's also a P-51 that's going to be restored to airworthy.
 
The Mosquito has arrived at Omaka and the news is that it will make its public debut at the Classic Fighters airshow over Easter next year. There is a give a little page to help in its restoration, too.

Omaka Warbird Rescue
 
Went out yesterday and had a look. Unfortunately, it is in a temporary hangar and there isn't a lot of room around it to get a decent shot.
20200928_170400.jpg
20200928_170450.jpg

John did an excellent job in repairing the damage that had to be done to transport it (wings cut outboard of the engines, fuselage cut aft of the rear wing spar. If you didn't have it pointed out to you you'd never see the cuts. I had to have them pointed out to me when standing inside the aircraft, and I knew approximately where they were.

Another thing I find outstanding, is that they have found NOTHING seized; the tailwheel still turns and casters, all hatches open and move freely, no bolts have needed to have any excess force to remove them.

They are planning to release a lot of detailed photos for modellers, so keep your eyes out.
 
There's a Facebook group dedicated to this project - Facebook Groups
you'll need your membership approved, but it's not that big a deal.

I'll keep posting here for anyone who doesn't have FB.
 
As I said earlier I'm watching there (and here of course)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back