Weeks P-35A makes progress!

[Nathan]

It seems Kermit Weeks is going full swing on his P-35A restoration. In the last couple months Kermit has been making regular posts on facebook on the restoration and it seems the forefront of getting finished someday soon! I hope he does a Kermit CAM with it!

What a great tribute to the guys who flew them against the Japanese in 1941!

[TAdan]

It’s so nice to see such a great looking plane finally getting some attention. His frequent Facebook updates are great. I like his approach to this restoration, restore one piece at a time as it comes off, rather than a full tear down all at once. This approach provides a little bit of instant gratification as each component is redone. It is a bit more fun and less daunting than just starting with a mountain of old parts. Lol

[Chris Brame]

Been hoping to hear this for a LONG time!
Now I wonder what's going on with the scratchbuilt one?

[VCS1]

Hello and thank you for mentioning my scratchbuilt P-35A project. It still exists, but presently on hold while I work on my SNJ project. Due to constant hacking, I shut down my www.P-35.com website and transitioned all my updates to a Facebook page under VCS Aviation.

Kermit’s effort to restore his P-35A (EP-106) is a once in a lifetime project. I too have also followed his teams progress and look forward to each update.

While the Chino, based Planes of Fame have done a fantastic job maintaining their AT-12 (two place P-35) as the only flyable Seversky Aircraft in the world, the chance to one day see Kermit’s P-35A flying is my personal Warbird wish!

[CoastieJohn]

From Wiki....

Survivors
AT-12 Guardsman at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, 2016

AT-12 (Serial No. 483-38)
One of those which didn't make it to Sweden, restored to flying condition at the Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino Airport, California (registered as NX55539).[33]
J 9/P-35A
Exhibited in the Swedish Air Force Museum[citation needed]
J 9/P-35A
Exhibited in the Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight in Florida, presently undergoing restoration to flying condition.[citation needed]
P-35 (USAAC Serial No. 36-404) displayed as P-35A "17" (4MP).
On display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.[34]

Recently plans were announced for the manufacture of a new production, full-scale replica J 9/P-35A from Vintage Component Specialties.[35]

[Chris Brame]

Thanks for that listing. Are there any records/photos of the POF AT-12's wartime service? AAIR lists it as having had an accident at Lowry Field, CO on June 4, 1941 (serial is mistakenly listed as 44-17529; s/b 41-17529):

[marine air]

There is always a Nashville connection. Nashville businessman and Air Guard pilot Brig. General John C. Tune found some P-35s in Sweden during his travels acquiring a Volvo automobile dealership. Seems like about that time Kermit Weeks had the one that had been in Trade A Plane for sale for a while. General Tune facilitated bringing a P-35 back to the states in a Tenessee Air Guard C-130A. Somewhere during that time Kermit traded to the Air Force Museum his example for one of the Swedish examples. Maybe Kermit owned both for a short time. The Air FOrce example looks really nice and was being "restored to fly." It actually didn't have any wiring and is missing other key items. Maybe Kermit will finish it's 35 year restoration.
Would love to know Kermit's "method to the madness." on what gets restored, stored, or pushed to the front burner. He's a brilliant man and maybe that's a topic for a future discussion. "If you could be Kermit and had his collection, what would you fly, store, park or fast track restore?"