Fighter Factory

[Fearless Tower]

The WW1 aircraft are flyable. Some flew this year at Flying Proms on June 1. The others flew at Biplanes and Triplanes last fall.

The Avro 504 that is hanging up is not flyable. One of the Fokker D.VIIs that is being rebuilt in New Hampshire has not flown since the 1970s but should be flyable soon, and one of the Fokker Triplanes has not flown in a long time also. And I'm pretty sure that the Fokker D.VI has only flown twice and I think the last time was in the early '90s. Also, the Albatros has not flown since the '70s (maybe the '80s) in England.

If anybody wants a good one, the Fokker D.VIII is that, I have about 60 hours in it when with the previous owner, flies and performs well, and more comfortable than most WW1 replicas.

It'd be nice if they could all stay there and keep flying, sounds like the story is evolving...



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Any idea what he is hoping to get for the 1 and 1/2 Strutter, or the full scale rotec powered N17 he acquired last summer?

[Baldeagle]

Don't know, but the 1 1/2 Strutter is a good one too, I flew it a few times on its test flights in 2005



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[lmritger]

I was out at the museum today to bid goodbye to "Chuckie", the B-17G which departed for her new home at Tillamook, OR this morning. My friend Terry and I spent quite a bit of time prior to her departure talking with Museum folks, and this is where things appear to stand currently and for the foreseeable future:

- Effective 1 July, the museum will become a static-only facility. This will save somewhere around 250K annually on insurance.

- The B-17G will be joined in Tillamook by the Flugwerk Fw 190A-8 "White 11" soon. No other sales have been announced, although it is widely known that there is interest in several other Museum aircraft. To quote a friend who works there, "Everything is for sale, but not everything is being sold."

- The expectation is that "5 or 6" aircraft will be sold in total. The Museum has no intention of closing and in fact, was very well attended today- all lots were full, and people were parking in the fields across from the main hangars. Operating hours remain as before and there was no indication these were to be changed.

So while it is disappointing to see some of our favorite aircraft depart, I feel somewhat more comfortable with the status and direction of the Museum. Ceasing the flying portion is regrettable but understandable under the circumstances; the word "indefinitely" was used, but that does not mean "forever". Naturally, things are subject to change, but this does seem to be a pretty definitive course at the moment.

Let's continue to wish the best to Jerry and Elaine, and to the wonderful staff of the Museum as they work through this situation.

Lynn

[lmritger]

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/06/virginia-beach-museum-may-have-sell-planes

And just after I posted the above, I find this article on our local newspaper website reinforcing most of what I noted above. Glad to see they're getting the word out to calm people's fears about the museum's status.

Lynn

[Mike]

I'm always saddened when I see hangars full of formerly airworthy aircraft parked lifeless in rows. Evergreen, Tillamook, Kalamazoo, Yanks, now MAM too, it seems.

[kalamazookid]

I'm always saddened when I see hangars full of formerly airworthy aircraft parked lifeless in rows. Evergreen, Tillamook, Kalamazoo, Yanks, now MAM too, it seems.

I wouldn't throw Tillamook in with that crowd. I always had that impression that they don't fly much but if you follow them on Facebook, you'll see that's not the case. While they don't go to airshows much, a lot of the aircraft do get flown.

[bombadier29]

I wouldn't throw Tillamook in with that crowd. I always had that impression that they don't fly much but if you follow them on Facebook, you'll see that's not the case. While they don't go to airshows much, a lot of the aircraft do get flown.

They get flown now but that is a fairly recent change in practice. Most of that stuff has been sitting for years

[Dan K]

I was out at the museum today to bid goodbye to "Chuckie", the B-17G which departed for her new home at Tillamook, OR this morning. My friend Terry and I spent quite a bit of time prior to her departure talking with Museum folks, and this is where things appear to stand currently and for the foreseeable future:

- Effective 1 July, the museum will become a static-only facility. This will save somewhere around 250K annually on insurance.

- The B-17G will be joined in Tillamook by the Flugwerk Fw 190A-8 "White 11" soon. No other sales have been announced, although it is widely known that there is interest in several other Museum aircraft. To quote a friend who works there, "Everything is for sale, but not everything is being sold."

- The expectation is that "5 or 6" aircraft will be sold in total. The Museum has no intention of closing and in fact, was very well attended today- all lots were full, and people were parking in the fields across from the main hangars. Operating hours remain as before and there was no indication these were to be changed.

So while it is disappointing to see some of our favorite aircraft depart, I feel somewhat more comfortable with the status and direction of the Museum. Ceasing the flying portion is regrettable but understandable under the circumstances; the word "indefinitely" was used, but that does not mean "forever". Naturally, things are subject to change, but this does seem to be a pretty definitive course at the moment.

Let's continue to wish the best to Jerry and Elaine, and to the wonderful staff of the Museum as they work through this situation.

Lynn

Thanks for this, Lynn.

In your conversation(s) with museum staff, did you happen to broach the topic of aircraft presently in restoration overseas (specifically the Ki-61)?

[Mike]

I wouldn't throw Tillamook in with that crowd. I always had that impression that they don't fly much but if you follow them on Facebook, you'll see that's not the case. While they don't go to airshows much, a lot of the aircraft do get flown.

I get the impression that this is a recent thing, driven by the necessity to move the entire collection soon.

[CraigQ]

The more I read on this thread the more my post from last Saturday (on page 2) is almost 100% correct. Just saying.

Really?

[lmritger]

I wouldn't throw Tillamook in with that crowd. I always had that impression that they don't fly much but if you follow them on Facebook, you'll see that's not the case. While they don't go to airshows much, a lot of the aircraft do get flown.

I get the impression that this is a recent thing, driven by the necessity to move the entire collection soon.

Well, it's a marked improvement over what I saw when I was there in 2007. Whatever the reason, it's good to see them getting back in the air, and Chuckie will certainly be in good company with Butch Schroeder's old P-47. The question is, will the trend continue once they're out in Madras?

Cheers,

Lynn

[JohnTerrell]

With regards to Tillamook, I also hope the trend continues - its been nice to see them flying their P-38, Japanese Oscar (repro), J2F Duck, SBD Dauntless (A-24), Corsair, P-51, P-47, FM-2 Wildcat, and a couple others, over the last few years (sometimes a few of them in one day).

[51fixer]

- Effective 1 July, the museum will become a static-only facility. This will save somewhere around 250K annually on insurance.

Lynn

It is interesting that other organizations offer ride programs that generate significant revenue. Keeping a small group insured for flying with a ride program would probably generate funds to keep many in the air. Even if you alternated year by year PBY this year, B-25 next year, same with P-40 and P-51, attend some local shows to sell rides. And this way you can have flying days like POF and others do. The ability to have an annual airshow also brings in a big gate to fund things.
I think there is more to this story than has played out.

[CH2Tdriver]

- Effective 1 July, the museum will become a static-only facility. This will save somewhere around 250K annually on insurance.

Lynn

It is interesting that other organizations offer ride programs that generate significant revenue. Keeping a small group insured for flying with a ride program would probably generate funds to keep many in the air. Even if you alternated year by year PBY this year, B-25 next year, same with P-40 and P-51, attend some local shows to sell rides. And this way you can have flying days like POF and others do. The ability to have an annual airshow also brings in a big gate to fund things.
I think there is more to this story than has played out.

Precisely Rich, this is exactly what I was thinking. Don't travel to shows, pickle some of the fleet for a time while the others are flown for museum visitors on the weekends ala FOF! Then rotate the pickling and bring some out of hibernation. But with this news....WoooHooooo more grounded warbirds.

BTW Rich, do you know if Jim or Andrew have any plans to bring anything to Geneseo this year? I know Andrew was there with the Wounded Warrior flight team and the T-6 last year, and WW are listed again for 2013 with the L-39.

Peter

[51fixer]

- Effective 1 July, the museum will become a static-only facility. This will save somewhere around 250K annually on insurance.

Lynn

It is interesting that other organizations offer ride programs that generate significant revenue. Keeping a small group insured for flying with a ride program would probably generate funds to keep many in the air. Even if you alternated year by year PBY this year, B-25 next year, same with P-40 and P-51, attend some local shows to sell rides. And this way you can have flying days like POF and others do. The ability to have an annual airshow also brings in a big gate to fund things.
I think there is more to this story than has played out.

Precisely Rich, this is exactly what I was thinking. Don't travel to shows, pickle some of the fleet for a time while the others are flown for museum visitors on the weekends ala FOF! Then rotate the pickling and bring some out of hibernation. But with this news....WoooHooooo more grounded warbirds.

BTW Rich, do you know if Jim or Andrew have any plans to bring anything to Geneseo this year? I know Andrew was there with the Wounded Warrior flight team and the T-6 last year, and WW are listed again for 2013 with the L-39.

Peter

I don't know if we are going at this,point.
Last year was Andrew's 1st ever public show and he was worked in as he was cheap!