Carvair flight, Oct. 4, north Texas ? ? ?

K5DH · **Posted:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:32 pm

One of our VFM crew (WIXer pmahaffey) said that yesterday, Oct. 4th, he saw a large, four-engined, radial-powered airplane with dual maingear tires flying southbound from Gainesville, Texas, going right down IH-35. It was directly over his head, so he couldn't tell for sure, but he thought it was a Carvair. The last airworthy Carvair, N89FA, lives here in north Texas, and it was rumoured to be for sale. Has it been sold? Anyone know where it's headed?

For those not familiar with the Carvair, it was a modified DC-4 / C-54 airframe designed as a flying ferry to carry five automobiles and 25 people across the English Channel. Sir Freddy Laker's company did the mods. The nose was heavily modified to include large clamshell doors and folding ramps, and the flight deck was moved to a "bump" on top of the fuselage. Here is the URL for the Carvair Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvair

Cheers!

TAdan · **Posted:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:02 pm

Could this be it?

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=24762

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:34 pm

The Carvair was in its normal parking spot at Gainesville three weeks ago.

Ztex · **Posted:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:43 pm

Hey Dean,

I saw a C-54 flying over town Saturday...It landed at Arlington...
Maybe this was the one.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24762

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:44 pm

It was still there this past week...

Lynn

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Wasn't there a Carvair at the former Perrin AFB, in North Texas?

Is this the same airplane that you guys place in Gainesville, or is it a different airplane?

Saludos,

Tulio

K5DH · **Posted:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:07 am

Tulio: It's the same one (the only one left airworthy, as I understand it).

Zane: Nice photos of the C-54 on your other thread! I'm a sucker for propliners of any kind. I sure wish I'd had a chance to see (and hear) it!

All: Pat may have seen the C-54 that Zane refers to, although I'm not sure why it would have been flying at a low altitude with the gear down that far north of Arlington. Anyway, I'll mention it to him next time I see him.

Cheers!

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:14 pm

Didn't know any were left in flying condition, I thought the last one flying had been rolled up in a ball in a landing accident @ a mine site in British Columbia a couple of years ago (I think Leeuw may have shots of the aftermath on his website). It occasionally transited through KPAE and always drew stares as it either flew past or taxiied out, the same outfit used to operate two ARGOSYs which also drew folks to the fences.

M.P. · **Posted:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:11 pm

Not much left:
http://www.geocities.com/anjapaul/production.htm

Pictures of N89A:
http://www.geocities.com/anjapaul/n89fa.htm

Ztex · **Posted:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:25 pm

The site MP linked to says The N89FA is supposedly to leave Gainesville in 2008 to fly with Brooks Fuel @ Fairbanks."

Is this true? Anyone know when?

Would be sad to see it leave Texas but great if she could find work or at least enough to keep her moving...

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Carvair flight, Oct. 4, north Texas ? ? ?

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