Whaleworld Kingfisher

Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:10 am

Since we're inundated with our commonwealth and homeland brethren,
I was curious as to what happened to the Kingfisher and Vengeance
at Albany, Western Australia?

Sat Nov 27, 2004 5:38 am

Both are at Murray Griffiths workshop at Wangaratta, the Kingfisher is being worked on at present.
Major update on activities there in the next Classic Wings

Dave

Website · Sat Nov 27, 2004 6:20 am

Hi

There are now multiple Kingfishers and Vengances at Murrays facility as well as multiple Ki61s, A20s, P39s and P40s as well as a Corsair Murray has recently aquired from the states.

I am looking forward to the Kingfisher being done it will be something very special. Another one is to be completed and sent back to the states for a collector there. The Vengances are particularly interesting as they don't get much rarer than that as the only other one is at Camden with Harold Thomas.

A lot happening at Wangaratta.

I think you will find that the Ki61s being spoken of in the States are also there /Going ther

Kindest regards
John P

Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:48 am

Thanx Dave, thanx Setter...being a Navy guy, flyboats and amphibs are special to me. A Kingfisher would really be unique! I live very near the
Battleship Texas and we need a K'fish or 2...I guess we'd have to settle for "glass copies"! USS Texas BB 35...
www.usstexasbb35.com

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/battlesh/

As for the Ki 61's been watching you folks "down there" gather all the goodies for years now. It is very fortunate that we are at a time where warbird restorations have "evolved an industry", where there is room now for some of the more obscure types to assume their place in line! Luckily
some of the really rare stuff may be saved in the "nick of time". Tonys,
Vengeance, K'fisher, Oscars, a Brewster or 2.
Thanx guys....

Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:30 pm

My guess is that the other Kingfisher being restored at Murray's place is Charlie Nichols' OS2U-3. You mention there being more than one Vengeance under restoration.... is that because the former Whaleworld project was made up of components from more than one airframe, or that there is another airframe in question, or simply that they are making up more than one airframe from the components they have? Very interesting regardless! Sounds like big things are beginning to snowball downunder! Great news indeed.

Cheers,
Richard

Website · Sat Nov 27, 2004 7:54 pm

Hi Richard

All of the above I should think

There was always a fairly strong holding of parts in Western Australia for the Vengance so it is not surprising that once all the parts were assembled a couple of projects could be undertaken. Having said that most of the parts were "challenged " some with an axe!! so it will be a great undertaking to put them all together - but quite doable.

Regards
John P