Warbird Information Exchange

Hi Folks,

I am not sure if any of you have heard, but the Canadian Museum of Flight (Langley, BC) has just aquired a Grumman Tracker (Firecat) from Conair of Abbotsford, BC.

For those that don't know, the Firecat is a Grumman Tracker that has been converted for waterbombing purposes.



The specific example the CMF is acquiring, is an ex-Royal Canadian Navy version (so shorter in length than the USN version) and this one's in perfect flying condition!

It is being flown into Langley Airport tomorrow (Friday) at roughly 10:00am, but first it'll be doing a water drop at Abbotsford Airport when it departs, and another drop at Langley Airport upon its arrival, plus it'll beat up the airport with a few low passes before she comes in to her new home.

This is the most exciting acquistion by the CMF in quite a long time and it is all thanks to Bill Findley who worked for many years to make this deal happen. Thank you Bill!

The plan is to maintain the airplane in ground running condition until a time when the CMF will be able to operate it as a fully airworthy part of the collection. It will also remain in Conair colours to best tell the history of aerial fire suppression in British Columbia, which actually got its start at Langley Airport, by a company called Skyways Ltd, that eventually moved out to Abbotsford and changed it's name to Conair! Go figure!

If you're in the area, come on by to watch this magnificent plane's arrival. If you can't make it, don't worry, there will be media there, and the plane will also be rigged with a couple GoPro cameras onboard. Add a few cameras on the ground and we should have some pretty cool videos to watch in the next few days.

I'll keep you all post!

Peace,

David M

Excellent news. Always nice to keep a big old radial roaring. Best of luck and I await the photos.

Cheers,

Jeff

A pair of 1820's and short stacks on a sunny Fall morning---perfect way to kick off your weekend you lucky dawg!! i envy you:D

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

You had me at "It will also remain in Conair colors...."


SWOON!!!

That's awesome! I love firebombers. And while some might argue it would be better to have it in Canadian Navy colors...I say that this is just as much a significant part of history as anything else.

Hope that someday you guys can bring it down Washington way and do some passes!

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Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives, and I decline......

Cool!

There are plenty of warbirds in museums wearing military paint schemes, but there are few wearing airtanker livery! Glad to know this one's staying the way she is. Military pilots are heroes on the warfront, and they deserve recognition. Airtanker pilots are heroes on the homefront, and they deserve recognition, too.

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Excellent news! I'm glad to hear that she will stay in her air tanker colors. I sure did see some interesting paint jobs on the early Canadian S-2 air tankers. The only bit of sad news about this is; we are on our final days of hearing the radial roar out of our tanker base's on warm summer days coming to an end. Well for us here in the states we have another year or two, and then it will be the quite whine of the turbine engines into the distance.

Scott.....

Hey Guys,

Yeah, I'm glad to see our Tracker, or technically it's a "Firecat" now, staying in it's Conair livery. It tells a much more significant story, especially when it comes to where our museum is located. Langley Airport was the birthplace of aerial fire suppression in BC, and it's fitting that we now have a big, beautiful waterbomber to help tell that story.

I think that the Conair paint scheme is a million times better than the alternative RCN scheme. It's very eye catching and it also saves us from having to paint it. Plus, converting a Firecat back to a Tracker is a BIG job. We'll keep her the way she is, thank you very much!

Like mentioned, we'll keep her in running condition until a time that we can fly her regularly. If there is interest from the local airshow circuit, we "may" be able to operate her for some shows and do water drops. I think that could be a very exciting display. Imagine if we could use it to put out a real fire!? I know she'd also be happier the more we fly her. Heck I'd be happier too, to see her take to the air. We definintely have a pool of local pilots (who used to fly Firecats for Conair) who would LOVE to get back in the saddle of such a memorable workhorse.

The only limitation is the airport. Langley is not a big strip, and the taxiways are narrow. Also, I've been told that the standard brakes are not very good, and that there's a disc brake converstion that would make it safer to operate out of Langley's smaller runways.

There will be video and photos coming soon. We'll probably also be holding a "Tech Talk" about the Tracker in the near future, so that our membership and anyone else who's interested can learn the ins and the outs of this fine airplane.

Btw, Speedy, where would you want us to come do passes? Bellingham and Seattle probably wouldn't be too far to go, but money talks... and so does insurance. lol

Peace,

David M
Vancouver, BC

The brakes issue makes me chuckle a bit, the wheels and brakes on the Me-262 replicas are S-2 and they weigh about 13K lbs. empty.
HHF's F7F 'bad kitty' (not aware of what other F7F's flying are using) is equipped with S-2 brakes/wheels which were replacements back in the 60's by SIS-Q in tanker configuration for the weenie, carrier deck only bladder type stock brakes which burned out under taxiing on longer runways hauling slurry.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

that's amazing these are one of my favorites we have one here in Trenton at the rcaf museum.there is one at the Hamilton war-bird heritage that is slated to be restored to flying as well!Trenton also just acquired a Boeing 720 that was owned by Pratt&Whitney Canada and used for research and development of turbo prop engines!

That 720 s/n 18021,was deivered to AMERICAN AIRLINES on 12/3/1960 as an -023B fan engined JT-3D's. Then became OD-AGB with MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES, to P&W Canada as C-FWXI and then N 720PW, a long and interesting life! And probably has more holes in her from engine mods than a 15 year olds excuses for being out until 2 A.M. on a school night!

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Hey gang,

it's been a while since the CMF acquired the Firecat, but after a long but worthwhile wait, the video of its arrival to Langley Airport has been posted online.

Here's the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... _e9iNiohE#!

Here is an engine run we did to keep her happy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXe7nwae ... ure=relmfu
Here is a tutorial on the tank door system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg4fuJLj ... ure=relmfu

Here is info about the Firecat on the CMF website: http://www.canadianflight.org/content/conair-firecat

I hope you all enjoy the video, and write up on the CMF website.

Like mentioned before, the Firecat will be maintained in operational condition until a time when it can be flown as part of the CMF fleet. You may see this airplane displaying its waterbombing capabilities at an airshow near you in the near future! Maybe!

Peace,

David

David,

Don't want to answer for Speedy, but may I put in a plug for one (or more) of Everett, WA's Paine Field (KPAE) airshows? Everett is between Bellingham and Seattle, and with all the warbird activity on the field, there are numerous opportunities to fly your beautiful Firecat and demo a water dump...and pass the hat for donations, etc. while you're here.

The best venue--in my opinion--would be the Vintage Aircraft Weekend hosted by John Sessions' Historic Flight Foundation, usually in the first or second weekend in September. You could join the Arlington-based PBY that does water drops...what a sight the PBY and Firecat would make dropping together! The HFF website and contact numbers are at: http://historicflight.org/hf/
And seeing how this event draws some really interesting aircraft and people each year, you might even be able to talk Mr. Sessions' into filling the gas tank while you're here.

Another yearly event is Paine Field's General Aviation Day, which usually occur about mid-May each year. I believe this is sponsored by the airport authority, and is supported by both the HFF, and Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection, both located on Paine Field. This is probably the most heavily-attended yearly event at Paine Field, so again, the chances for help with insurance and gas are probably pretty good. Contacts are at: http://www.painefield.com/

Also, Mr. Allen's FHC puts on bi-weekly Warbird Fly-Days all summer, any one of which draws a small crowd on a Saturday morning to watch featured warbirds fly. Oftentimes other interesting airplanes make appearances at the same time. If that interests you, contacts with the musuem that sponsor the fly-days are at: http://www.flyingheritage.com/TemplateE ... ntentId=40

I might also mention that the Arlington Airport (KAWO) hosts a huge Pacific Northwest Fly-in on the second weekend of each July where the Firecat and your museum would get some great exposure, and more fly-past opportunities, in front of a very appreciative crowd. Contacts at: http://www.arlingtonwa.gov/index.aspx?page=68

Finally, let me put in a word for the fantastic annual Olympic Flight Museum Warbird Airshow at Olympia, WA (KOLM) airport that happens next year on the same weekend as the Arlington show (July 13-14, 2013)...you guys could make it a "two-fer", visiting and showing off your Firecat at both airport airshows on the same weekend--now what could be finer?! Contacts are at: http://www.olympicflightmuseum.com/airshow.php

So please give those shows a thought, and c'mon down for some yankee hospitality and great flying airshows...we'd LOVE to see your Firecat down here!

--Tom

Thanks for all the great suggestions Sasquatch!

Our museum has started to make some excellent contacts in Washington State and we've been able to participate in a few airshows down there. We`d be happy to participate in as many events as possible. As long as operational costs of the Firecat can be covered by event sponsors, I don't think anyone at our museum would be oppose to flying the stink out of her, as long as all the bills can be paid at the end of the day.

Right now we're just floating the idea of operating the Firecat as an airshow display plane. It's pretty exciting to watch it take to the air, and we hope that local airshow organizers will be eager to book us for an appearance, or two, or three next summer. We'll have to see!

Peace,

David M