Canadian Firefly gets an engine

[Michel Lemieux]

Canadian Firefly gets an engine

News from the Shearwater aviation museum:

December 14th, 2006: FIREFLY UPDATE - Our firefly's engine has now been mounted! Merry Christmas and a big "THANK YOU" for everyone's help and support!

This bird will most probably end up like their Swordfish. They will fly it for a few phot op's and then ground it for display.

Anyone here has news or comments to add

http://www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns.ca/general-info/news.htm

[RMAllnutt]

Thanks for posting... that's really cool! Is this one of the former Etheopian examples brought back to Canada about ten years ago? Also, I hadn't realized that Shearwater's swordfish actually flew. Does anyone have any photographs?

Cheers,
Richard

[Steve T]

Richard/Michel--

Yes, this is PP462, one of the RCN's FR.1s that went to Ethiopia in 1954 and was recovered to Canada in the mid-90s (along with DK545 now in storage at CAvM).

And you're correct about the plans for her flying career; the intention is to fly her once or twice then ground her in the Shearwater museum. BTW, SAM is very decidedly worth a visit if you're in the Halifax/Dartmouth area.

Would post an old B&W I have on CD of an EAF Firefly for comparison, but the file's too big...

Thanx for the post, wonderful news about the Griffon arriving!

S.

[mrp]

The Firefly is moving ahead well, after a few years of slow progress. The aircraft was being restored in another part of the base, where access was an issue.It was moved to the museum about 18 months ago. The aircraft has shown more progress since moving to the museum proper. Some of the original team that started it have also rejoined the project. The engine was restored in house and a number of issues had to be overcome, including a cracked head.Aso when the aircraft was taken apart in Africa, the fuselage was twisted when the center section was taken out. Transport Canada required an external re-enforcing plate on the right side
The propeller that was restored in Germany , sits waiting to be re-installed.
The museum has decided to paint the aircraft in the late career colour scheme of Dark Grey /Medium sea grey. I personally lobbied for the early scheme.
The Swordfish only flew twice and not many people saw it fly. The classic story concerning the flight, is that the pilot for these flights, John Beattie of the Fleet Air Arm Flight in the Uk brought over a carburetor in his hand luggage. This was wired up and flown with it. After the flight, it was taken back to the UK. To my knowledge the engine has not been run since then.
There is(was) a good article in Warbirds Worldwide,( I think no 18,P38 on the cover.)

MRP

[JDK]

The Swordfish only flew twice and not many people saw it fly. The classic story concerning the flight, is that the pilot for these flights, John Beattie of the Fleet Air Arm Flight in the Uk brought over a carburetor in his hand luggage. This was wired up and flown with it. After the flight, it was taken back to the UK. To my knowledge the engine has not been run since then.

There is(was) a good article in Warbirds Worldwide,( I think no 18,P38 on the cover.)

Thanks for the details, MRP. I can confirm that Shearwater's policy has been to restore to airworthy, fly to 'prove it,' then to ground the aircraft. Reasons being that of risk and much more critically, cost. They're museum restorations plus, rather than airworthy aircraft sold short!

The article you refer to was in Warbirds Worldwide 29, 'The Stringbaggers' by me, although the bit on flying the Shearwater Stringbag was John Beattie's work. There were a couple of colour shots of the aircraft running, plus a B&W in the piece (John was too busy to take pics!) You are right that it had P-38 'Happy Jack's Go Buggy' on the cover.

MRP's point about the carburettor is correct, and leads to what is an airworthy aircraft - as LS326 at Yeovilton was 'airworthy' but had it's carburettor 'borrowed' thus becoming unable to fly so HS469 could fly. So - two airworthy or one?

[Michel Lemieux]

Tks for all the info guys......

From mrp

the fuselage was twisted when the center section was taken out

You are right there....

There where in such a hurry to get the birds out of there ( with good reasons, they only had a few days to do it ) that they lifted the fuselage out of the center section.......without removing the engine. Hence the damage to the firewall & the front of the bird due to the weight of the Griffon. She litteraly bent in 2

I got to see the damage first hand and was lucky to get a tour many, many years ago when they just got her and where starting the work.

It was for everyone an increadible time capsule as the AC has been left to herself for all those years.

For the Shordfish....man that must have been an epic flight from Toronto to the Maritimes.

Tks for all the info again.

[mrp]

"For the Shordfish....man that must have been an epic flight from Toronto to the Maritimes. "
I think in the back of a Herk !!! The Swordfish was restored at Downsview in Toronto, but was assembled and completed at Shearwater. If I remember correctly it was flown down in a Hercules .
The biggest hold up on the Swordfish restoration once it was at Shearwater, was having the exhaust collector ring built. This was done by IMP Aerospace in Halifax NS. This proved to be a long procces as they were doing it for very little and they did a superb job.

mrp

[Michel Lemieux]

Tks for the info mrp