VAC Panther & ME 208
Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:47 am
January 15, 2006
Good friends roll out planes
Museum boasts 3 more warbirds during ceremony
BY BRITT KENNERLY
FLORIDA TODAY
Patriotic music set a mood, and emotions soared as members of the Valiant Air Command rolled out the latest jewels in their military aircraft lineup.
During the past 11 years, volunteers at the Command's Warbird Museum donated 38,000 hours to the restoration of three planes celebrated Saturday. A Grumman F9F-5 Panther jet and a World War II era-Messerschmitt ME-208 recently were completed.
Also up for viewing was a World War II Navy F4-F Wildcat, finished between 1994 and 2001. A gunsight for the plane was found in Minnesota in October 2005.
"Once you get into restoration, tenacity had better be your strong suit," said Hal Larkin, VAC executive officer and retired Grumman and Lockheed employee.
The Panther cost $23,494.05 to restore, and the Messerschmitt about $9,000, officials said. Fixing the Wildcat, which spent 48 years on the bottom of Lake Michigan, ran about $20,000, Larkin said.
Fundraising goes year-round, he said, with events ranging from an annual air show to the sale of memorabilia cards made from the skin of a C-47. And parts are sought worldwide.
"We run strictly on donations, and everybody's a volunteer," Larkin said.
"I give these as bonuses," he added, holding up fake currency with his face plastered in the center.
Volunteering to learn restoration has been "a labor of love" resulting in friendships for Gaylord Thoman of Port Orange. He travels every Thursday to Titusville to work.
"I spent eight years in the Army National Guard, but there's no tank museum," said Thoman, whose work on the Messerschmitt included helping to install new panels.
Stories behind the planes made the day bittersweet for many in attendance, some of whom traveled from across the state to mark the restoration party.
Alice Trescott met Karl Hines Schiller when the two served as board members of the Volusia Manufacturing Association in Daytona Beach. Trescott, a VAC volunteer since the 1980s and a pilot, introduced Schiller to the command and "encouraged him to get his pilot's license," she said.
He threw himself into aviation, she said, and in 1989, the two traveled to France, where Schiller purchased two Messerschmitts. The same trip also took him back for the first time in 35 years to East Germany, where he had crossed the border illegally in the 1950s. Schiller died, Trescott said, while in the process of restoring the planes to German colors. Saturday, two of Schiller's sisters and other family members looked on as one of the planes was honored.
"The planes were donated to VAC in memory of Karl and to help preserve aviation history," said Trescott, a Daytona resident.
Schiller's niece, Liese Gravier of Cherokee, N.C., told the crowd of more than 100 people her uncle's "dream has come true."
"This is the very best Christmas gift you could have given our family," she said.
Guests also recalled a tragedy from May 2005 involving two VAC volunteers.
Michael B. McDonough was a retired Navy flight crew chief and Titusville resident. He died when the fuselage of a World War II-era plane collapsed on him and a 15-year-old boy with an interest in planes and American history. The teen still is in recovery, officials said.
McDonough "was a very nice man, just a fine man. He really helped us," said Alice Iacuzzo, VAC personnel officer.
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Will these aircraft be flown? I have never seen a Panther fly. That would be way too cool.
Robbie
Good friends roll out planes
Museum boasts 3 more warbirds during ceremony
BY BRITT KENNERLY
FLORIDA TODAY
Patriotic music set a mood, and emotions soared as members of the Valiant Air Command rolled out the latest jewels in their military aircraft lineup.
During the past 11 years, volunteers at the Command's Warbird Museum donated 38,000 hours to the restoration of three planes celebrated Saturday. A Grumman F9F-5 Panther jet and a World War II era-Messerschmitt ME-208 recently were completed.
Also up for viewing was a World War II Navy F4-F Wildcat, finished between 1994 and 2001. A gunsight for the plane was found in Minnesota in October 2005.
"Once you get into restoration, tenacity had better be your strong suit," said Hal Larkin, VAC executive officer and retired Grumman and Lockheed employee.
The Panther cost $23,494.05 to restore, and the Messerschmitt about $9,000, officials said. Fixing the Wildcat, which spent 48 years on the bottom of Lake Michigan, ran about $20,000, Larkin said.
Fundraising goes year-round, he said, with events ranging from an annual air show to the sale of memorabilia cards made from the skin of a C-47. And parts are sought worldwide.
"We run strictly on donations, and everybody's a volunteer," Larkin said.
"I give these as bonuses," he added, holding up fake currency with his face plastered in the center.
Volunteering to learn restoration has been "a labor of love" resulting in friendships for Gaylord Thoman of Port Orange. He travels every Thursday to Titusville to work.
"I spent eight years in the Army National Guard, but there's no tank museum," said Thoman, whose work on the Messerschmitt included helping to install new panels.
Stories behind the planes made the day bittersweet for many in attendance, some of whom traveled from across the state to mark the restoration party.
Alice Trescott met Karl Hines Schiller when the two served as board members of the Volusia Manufacturing Association in Daytona Beach. Trescott, a VAC volunteer since the 1980s and a pilot, introduced Schiller to the command and "encouraged him to get his pilot's license," she said.
He threw himself into aviation, she said, and in 1989, the two traveled to France, where Schiller purchased two Messerschmitts. The same trip also took him back for the first time in 35 years to East Germany, where he had crossed the border illegally in the 1950s. Schiller died, Trescott said, while in the process of restoring the planes to German colors. Saturday, two of Schiller's sisters and other family members looked on as one of the planes was honored.
"The planes were donated to VAC in memory of Karl and to help preserve aviation history," said Trescott, a Daytona resident.
Schiller's niece, Liese Gravier of Cherokee, N.C., told the crowd of more than 100 people her uncle's "dream has come true."
"This is the very best Christmas gift you could have given our family," she said.
Guests also recalled a tragedy from May 2005 involving two VAC volunteers.
Michael B. McDonough was a retired Navy flight crew chief and Titusville resident. He died when the fuselage of a World War II-era plane collapsed on him and a 15-year-old boy with an interest in planes and American history. The teen still is in recovery, officials said.
McDonough "was a very nice man, just a fine man. He really helped us," said Alice Iacuzzo, VAC personnel officer.
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Will these aircraft be flown? I have never seen a Panther fly. That would be way too cool.
Robbie
Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:14 pm
Here is a picture of the 2008 that I took back in 1998...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/123 ... 0815qfzGKQ
...but I don't have an ID for this airframe. Does anyone have a s/n or c/n?
The same goes for the F9F. Does anyone have a BuNo?
Mike
http://community.webshots.com/photo/123 ... 0815qfzGKQ
...but I don't have an ID for this airframe. Does anyone have a s/n or c/n?
The same goes for the F9F. Does anyone have a BuNo?
Mike
Mon Jan 16, 2006 1:27 pm
mrhenniger wrote:The same goes for the F9F. Does anyone have a BuNo?
Mike
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/jetregistry/f9f-125295.html
Mon Jan 16, 2006 2:31 pm
Speaking of the VAC, which Avenger do they have for restoration?
Jim
Jim
Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:42 pm
TonyA wrote:mrhenniger wrote:The same goes for the F9F. Does anyone have a BuNo?
Mike
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/jetregistry/f9f-125295.html
Well duh... Check the registry Mike! HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO TELL MYSELF THAT!
There is no Bf-108 regstry, so does anyone know the s/n of the Valiant 108. It may be a Nord built example.
Mike
Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:56 pm
That is possible. From www.preservedaxisaircraft.com...
N 1002 246 USA N108LK
F-BAUZ Privately owned, Cape Caneveral, Florida
Can anyone confirm? What are the odds there are two 108s in the area?
Mike
Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:44 pm
Nope. N108LK is a Nord 1002 (ME-108), the plane in question is a Nord 1101 (ME-208). Two different airplanes.
Jim
Jim
Mon Jan 16, 2006 4:55 pm
Jumped the gun a bit on that.
Aberdeen MD
Mon Jan 16, 2006 5:26 pm
Mr Gaylord Thoman should take a trip to Aberdeen Maryland where they have one of the most extensive collections of tanks anywhere. They have plans top put them under cover soon.
Last edited by Jiggersfromsphilly on Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mon Jan 16, 2006 6:24 pm
The TBM is marked as N108Q which would make it Bu91188AirJimL2 wrote:Speaking of the VAC, which Avenger do they have for restoration?
Jim
Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:16 pm
Attached is photo of ME-208 at VAC taken April 2004.
Hope to get there again this April.
Bill
Hope to get there again this April.
Bill