Warbird Information Exchange

I am glad to see all the new growth by the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in the past month. From the top of my head, the following popped up:

-A-26 Invader
-Skyraider
-PV-2 Project (from WI)

Plus the Sea Fury from earlier in the year... will the CFM be continuing to expand and acquire more this year? Are there plans for a new building to house more of the collection as the recent buys are "big" birds...

It's great to see such growth though!

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Is the PV-2 project, the former CAF airplane?
Chris

According to http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=685392, yes it is.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

Ryan, do you know if Doug's Is it planed to have the harpoon fly or be static?

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Michael Luther
Yankee Air Museum's
Air Show Director
THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN

Ryan,

plus a third T-28, a Cobra gunship (static), a third Bell 47, and a Sherman tank....

Doing a quick count in my head, the Cavanaugh Flight Museum maintenance department is currently looking after approximately 60 aircraft, which are part of the museum, based at CFM, on loan from USAF, or are maintained by the CFM on behalf of Jim Cavanaugh or the Jani-King corporation.

When you add to that number of aircraft, the art collection, engines, artifacts and displays, military vehicles, etc, then display space is definitely at a premium.

Thankfully, there is "light at the end of the tunnel".

As to whether the Harpoon will be a flyer or will be static... thats one for Doug. The first priority is to make sure all the pieces get down to Addison without damage to any of the marvelous work the CAF wing has already accomplished.

Julian

Sold to a collector in Texas? I hope this is a typo. Didn't know the CAF was back in the selling of rare artifacts again!

The PV 2 was sold to someone who donated it to CFM. If you recall, several months ago, there was a wix notice looking for someone to accept a donation of a PV2. We were the acceptors. We originally planned to make it static, but after seeing the work that has been done, It may be flown in the future. We have a lot on the plate right now. We do have expansion plans in the works in the near future.

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Blue Skies,
Doug

www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com

As far as I'm aware, there is nothing that says the CAF (or any non-profit organization for that fact) can't sell something it owns. Not only that, but I'm sure Mr. Cavanaugh would be very upset to hear you call him "a collector in Texas". He has done a lot for the warbird community and does not "collect" aircraft as much as preserve them, just like any other museum. You would be hard pressed to find another private individual who spends as much of his own money to maintain, fly, and present at airshows the quality of aircraft that Mr. C does.

BTW, in case you didn't know - Mr. C is a life member of the CAF, so other than the fact that it's now assigned to an individual instead of a wing, one could say that it's merely a transfer of the aircraft instead of a purchase.

Thanks for the kind words but, the aircraft was bought by someone else then offered for donation. The Wisconsin wing has done a lot to the PV2 however just ran out of money and the volunteer workforce determined that they could not finish it. The money will be used to get another project that is flyable, and more to the wing's abilities

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Blue Skies,
Doug

www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com

Doug, I understand that it was donated to you. The Wisconsin wing sold it to the person who then donated it to you. That and then the reference to Mr. C. as "a collector in Texas" were both equally off-base, and thus my response. There will still be money well spent to finish the restoration that the Wisconsin wing started and I definitely agree with them selling it for something they do have the workforce and money to complete, something that unfortunately they didn't have for the PV-2.

Read the newspaper article! I didn't say a collector the article did, but I stand by my statement about selling planes in the fleet that are not redundant.

Which A-26 was puchased by CFM?

A-26C "Hard to Get"

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"Keep 'em Flying!"

I agree that it appears frustrating when the CAF sells an airplane as it seems contradictory to their charter, particularly in the case of non-redundant airframes, but what makes more sense? Keeping an airframe that more than likely will never fly due to budget constraints or labor shortages, or selling and using those funds to acquire something that can be flown and maintained? It's a difficult decision and one the CAF would not make were there indeed ample funds and volunteer labor to support every airplane in the collection.

Maybe the new leadership in place in CAF land will help lead the organization to greener pa$tures where decisions to sell won't enter into to discussion.

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“Words are never enough . . . words do not exist to make us see, or know, or feel what it is like, what actually happens."

And maybe the general public can rediscover the CAF again. This will in turn hopefully start new wings which will maintain the one or two aircraft scenirao.

Lets Hope!

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

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