Rare Reproductions

C170BDan · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:37 pm

It has been awhile since I have heard news of some of the new reproduction/restorations that are being built/rebuilt. Below is a list of a few that I have heard rumors of...

Lockheed Vega - several being built up in the Northwest
R-1/R-2 Gee Bee - also up in the Northwest
Coudron racer (spelling) - in CA
Early Staggerwing (B model?) - rebuild

There is more... but I will start with these!

Anyone have any other rumors?

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11282

C170BDan wrote:

It has been awhile since I have heard news of some of the new reproduction/restorations that are being built/rebuilt. Below is a list of a few that I have heard rumors of...

P-26?

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:39 pm

In an old Air Classics there was an article about a club in Maine that was building a Travel Air Mystery Ship replica. A few years back heard about P-26 replicas that were being built by Tim O' Connor. Always wondered what happened to them...

I'm lucky enough to live within a 20 minutes drive of Hove Air which specializes in Trimotor restorations. I haven't been there since before Herrick's latest was done but I'm planning on going back sometime soon. I know the Air Zoo's Trimotor is being rebuilt after corrosion was found in the main spar. The good news is it WILL BE FLOWN!!

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

The P-26s were moved a few years ago, across the Ohio River, from Louisville KY, to Indiana.

I found Tim's e-mail address, and I will ask what the status of the projects is now.

Saludos,

Tulio

JBoyle · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:32 pm

How about the (very brave) guy who's building a Gotha?
Any news? Any pictures?

Also, a friend is having a Boeing P-12 made (one of several) built by a gentleman in Nevada.

This may be semi-breaking news....I've heard that the Museum of Flight is having a Boeing 40B-4 reproduced...one complete (non-flying) airplane, and one fuselage to be part of a diorama in the "Red Barn" showing a 40 under construction. The work is being done in Washington state.

This is in addition to Addison Pemberton's flying 40C rebuild in Spokane, Washington. So 75 years after they were last made, Washington is again the center of Boeing biplane production.

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 6:10 am

JBoyle wrote:

I've heard that the Museum of Flight is having a Boeing 40B-4 reproduced...one complete (non-flying) airplane, and one fuselage to be part of a diorama in the "Red Barn" showing a 40 under construction. The work is being done in Washington state.

I saw part of one of the 40s at the restoration facility last winter...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/252 ... 3985WAZXLQ

There was a good article about the Boeing 40 in the last issue of Classic Wings. The specificly mentioned the MoF airframes. My memory is a little hazy here, but I think they were workings on the replica (the link above takes you to a picture of the fuselage frame of the replica), when they later aquired and original or parts of. I would need to look this up to confirm.

Mike

Wolverine · **Posted:** Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:33 pm

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is reportedly selling their Model 40 to the Museum of Flight.

Col. Rohr said something about there was a Mystery Ship (I think the one in TN) being restored in Maine, so it might not be a repro/replica...

JBoyle · **Posted:** Sat Oct 08, 2005 6:45 pm

Wolverine wrote:

The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry is reportedly selling their Model 40 to the Museum of Flight.

I hear if fell through, that's why they are having the replicas made.

TheBoy · **Posted:** Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:30 pm

I can fill in a few gaps I think. First off the only thing I know about the Gotha projects is that a year or so ago we ran a production line of 38x8 spun wheels for our Boeing 40 project and the gentleman building the Gotha purchased (at least) four wheels. About the Gee Bee located in the northwest, I might know a little. The fellow who just produced the replice Super Solution (Jim Mosse maybe?) is working on a replice of the Gee Bee QED, the two place variant of the R-1/2 series.

Now more about the status of all the Boeing 40s. There are 4 total Boeing 40s in existance. Two are currently in museums and both are Boeing 40-B2s. This means they were originaly produced in 1927 as Boeing 40-A's, with P&W Wasp engines and then later modified to run P&W Hornet engines aong with some other improvements. One of these airplanes is located in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI and the second one is in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The airplane was being sold to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, but the deal fell through. Now the two remaining airplanes are owned both by Addison Pemberton located in Spokane, Wa. One aircraft is a 1928 Boeing 40C, and the other is a Boeing 40-B4. The 40C is currently under complete restoration to flying condition and will (as far as we know) be the oldest flying Boeing aircraft in existance. For more information please visit www.pembertonandsons.com and click on "Boeing 40C and 40B" then "Construction Photos" for some relatively current project photos.

Mention was also made about replicas being produced for the Museum of Flight. After the deal with the Museum of Science and Industry fell through, the Museum of Flight decided to have two replica aircraft produced. One will be complete and the second airplane will be incomplete, basicaly a semi-complete fuse possible on landing gear. The Museum of Flight already had a replice fuse for a Boeing 40A and along with the incomplete replica they will serve to recreate a late 1920's Boeing production line in the Red Barn. Both of these airplane will be replicas and neither are being built to any form of airworth status.

C170BDan · **Posted:** Mon Oct 10, 2005 7:48 am

Ryan,

Thanks for the scoop on the 40 trade deal. So do you know will the replicas that the Museum of Flight will build... will it be built "in house" at their facility?

The Gee Bee I have heard about is the one being built to replicate Doolittle's machine. Forgot about Mosses QED. Just heard about that one a couple months ago. You know how to get in contact with Jim Moss? A friend of mine has alot of QED drawings.

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:39 am

C170BDan wrote:

Thanks for the scoop on the 40 trade deal. So do you know will the replicas that the Museum of Flight will build... will it be built "in house" at their facility?

Aaaaheemmm.. (cough)..... :roll:

mrhenniger wrote:

I saw part of one of the 40s at the restoration facility last winter...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/252 ... 3985WAZXLQ

Mike

C170BDan · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:08 am

Well, Mike... I guess I didnt look thru ALL your pictures very well!

Some of you webshot account holders post ALOT of pictures! :shock:

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:30 am

C170BDan wrote:

:oops:

Well, Mike... I guess I didnt look thru ALL your pictures very well!

Some of you webshot account holders post ALOT of pictures! :shock:

No problem. It is good to see we can have fun even though we aren't speaking face-to-face.

Mike

TheBoy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2005 12:32 am

Actually the Boeing replicas are not being built by the museum it self, they are contracting the work to a company in Wenatchee, WA called Century Aviation. The photo of the 40 fuse posted above was replicated by the Museum of Flight a number of years ago as a completely different venture.

I'm affraid I don't know how to contact Jim Moss, I would imagine Gee Bee drawings are pretty hard to come by. I'm sure somebody could get your friend some contact info though.

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Wed Oct 12, 2005 6:36 am

I guess the egg is on my face! :oops:

Mike

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