Fighter Factory

[wgrosz]

Kawasaki progressing in Oz
Thursday, 20 January 2011 00:00

Kawasaki Ki-61-Ib c/n 640 in the Precision Aerospace hangar at Wangaratta. Kawasaki Ki-61-Ib c/n 640 in the Precision Aerospace hangar at Wangaratta.

Work on a limited production run of three Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien fighters is gathering pace at Murray Griffith’s Precision Aerospace Productions (PAP) workshops at Wangaratta in Victoria, Australia, reports Giuseppe Picarella.

Renowned for its Curtiss P-40 restorations, PAP is currently assembling the first of these aircraft, Ki-61-Ib c/n 640, which is destined for Jerry Yagen’s Fighter Factory in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. The fighter is now structurally complete; fabrication of the fuselage was fairly straightforward, except for the longerons, these “top-hat” section and box components being complex to produce. The main wing torsion box and leading edge are now completed and fitted to the fuselage, and the trailing-edge structure and flap system is now being fabricated. PAP plans to rework Kawasaki Ha-40 engines in-house from the various engine blocks that have been gathered, which will be a major undertaking.

In addition to the airworthy examples, one static aircraft will be supplied to the Papua New Guinea Museum in Port Moresby, and with so many original components remaining it may be possible to build a second static aircraft.

http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com/news/la ... ing-in-oz-

this article from two years ago was posted by Noha307 in the warbird registry section of the forum back in January Here

[Dave Homewood]

If not, this project would fit well in the FHC or Rod Lewis. Both have relationships with restorers in NZ and Australia and can afford the investment.

Not trying to have a personal pop at you Chris, nor saying anything about the two examples you list, but statements like this where fans make grand assumptions about warbird collectors being mega wealthy and able to afford anything that's going make me cringe, and this very thread proves why. Up till a few weeks ago people were making the same assumptions about Mr Yagen, and I just want to say people should never assume that because people have a big collection and perhaps well known business interests that it means they actually currently have pots of dough to throw around.

[Dave Homewood]

Russ Blow, many thanks for those great photos of the aerodrome. I have never been there and used to imagine in my mind that the Virginia Beach airport I'd heard so often about was probably a big city airport over the road from a bustling beach. This however is nothing like I'd imagined and it is looks like a charming rural spot, in fact I'd go as far as saying it could easily be somewhere in New Zealand looking at those shots. Is that the sea way off on the horizon? If not, where's the beach?

[1/5_UC-78]

The water in the distance is Shipps Bay. Then there is narrow strip of land, then you have the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic is just a few miles from the Airport.

[Mike]

.

[lmritger]

The Mossie is now over in the "Army" hangar as per today's MAM Facebook page update. It's a small nugget of news, but a welcome one. I haven't heard anything else over the past week.
__________________________________________________________

Wooden Wonder in the Wings:

Having turned a great many heads since its arrival at the MAM, until today de Havilland Mosquito KA114 has been under the close watch of the Fighter Factory. After a spin around the block at Warbirds Over the Beach, a cameo appearance at the 3rd-annual Flying Proms (Virginia Arts Festival, 2013), and a visit to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton, Ontario, this morning the Mosquito was wheeled into its new berth -- inside the Museum's Army Hangar -- alongside its RAF brethren: the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire.

Don't forget, we're open 7-days a week, from 0900hrs to 1700hrs, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As a teaser, check out this gallery of photographs, from the time of the airframe's re-assembly at the MAM, courtesy of Bill Tiernan, The Virginian-Pilot:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/05/photos- ... n-va-beach

[Thomas_Mac]

http://www.platinumfighters.com/#!spitf ... j730/c1kmj

[Warbirdnerd]

Several MAM aircraft are now listed at Platinum Fighter Sales including the Spitfire, Corsair, Wildcat and Skyraider...
http://www.platinumfighters.com/inventory.html#

[Thomas_Mac]

Several MAM aircraft are now listed at Platinum Fighter Sales including the Spitfire, Corsair, Wildcat and Skyraider...
http://www.platinumfighters.com/inventory.html#

Photo finish posting

[John Kerr]

add TBM-3 to list of for sale aircraft.

Last edited by John Kerr on Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Rob W]

Less than $600,000 for the Skyraider? Avenger going for $375,000? Typo perhaps?

The only thing I could see keeping the prices that low are the fact that the engines and props seem to have a lot of time on them since last "major overhaul?" Can anyone shed any light on how this might potentially affect the price of these warbirds?

SNJ-6 to list of for sale aircraft

I don't think that this aircraft is part of Yagen's collection. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

[JohnH]

Several MAM aircraft are now listed at Platinum Fighter Sales including the Spitfire, Corsair, Wildcat and Skyraider...
http://www.platinumfighters.com/inventory.html#

And just you wait and see , nothings wrong here, nothing bad is happening, the museum will turn this around and survive!

[JohnTerrell]

Just for clarification from what has been posted above, the SNJ-6 isn't related to MAM, and had been first posted for sale through Platinum several days ago. It is privately owned and based in California - definitely a restoration worth checking out (incredibly detailed and absolutely pristine)!

[flightsimer]

Less than $600,000 for the Skyraider? Avenger going for $375,000? Typo perhaps?

The only thing I could see keeping the prices that low are the fact that the engines and props seem to have a lot of time on them since last "major overhaul?" Can anyone shed any light on how this might potentially affect the price of these warbirds?

SNJ-6 to list of for sale aircraft

I don't think that this aircraft is part of Yagen's collection. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

There was at one point in time last year three different TBM's listed on controller all for 350k or less. Two of them iirc were in the 250-275k range. I know Ida Red was one of those three TBM's.

There has also been one or two skyraiders listed/sold as well also near the same price as what Yegan's is listed at. I believe one of the skyraiders was the one that is in camo and is very patriotic (cant remember the name).

[JohnH]

The Silver T-6 is/future was based at Santa Monica, CA and is not a Yagen airplane.