Warbird Information Exchange

Recently, I received a very generous offer of some money to restore my Spitfire. I appreciate an offer of any amount and I know that $25 might be a significant donation from someone who does not have a big income.
I received a few donations, then decided to return them with my thanks.
Then this last offer came from Saville via PM and it had some zeros with it.
The thought is greatly appreciated, and I was tempted to accept it, but I didn't. I,m not really asking for donations now, who knows, I might later though.

There has been about a years worth of restoration work done on my plane. The wings were pretty much dissembled in order to repair any damage from the impact. But even more is being done, any corrosion or other repairs are also done, so that it is in effect an overhaul of the wings. I am told that most of this internal repair work has been done, and they are getting close to the point of starting to put the outside skins back on the wings. They are not quite there yet, and it will be a labor intensive project, but when done, it will look like a plane again, and mostly will need a new propeller in order to look whole.
I expect to have an engine overhaul also. It was running well on the last flight, didn't have any metal in the filters last oil change, and I don't think there is any engine damage, but it has almost a thousand hours since overhaul, so it seems the best idea.
The engine overhaul will be expensive, over $100k, especially with the added cost of removal, shipping, installation.
When that time comes. I may well be looking for a partner or even asking for donations.Right now, wish us luck.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Thanks for the update on your Spit Bill. Glad to hear that it is progressing. Good luck!

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

I wish you luck on returning that awesome bird to the air. I admire what you've done in the warbird realm Bill (I don't know much about the rest of your interests/activities, so I can't really comment on that, but I'm sure it's class too), but I just don't understand you sometimes.

I hope that you decide to accept donations at some point so that some of us can help you to achieve your goals a bit faster. We're all only on this big spinning rock for so long, and time flies. I hope your Spit flies soon too. I know that I'd be happy to donate a few hundred dollars without a thought, and I know plenty of people that spend hundreds in "souvenirs" at shows and on trips. I'm sure the thought that their dollars helped get a Spit back into the air would make them happy, as it would me.

Heck, you could even "pay donors back" by putting a little Collings-like donors name panel, maybe in the baggage compartment or something.

Rich

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Rich Kolasa
www.crystalgraphix.com

Bill...

Hope the bird gets up and going soon and it don't break you financially...

The Hurricane ever get restored or is it in queue also to be repaired by Middleton? (you know, the one you bumped into?)

Mark

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Mark Morris

If we all donate five bucks, any chance you would put a WIX "tramp stamp" on the fuselage?

Out of line! If innocent, shame on you. If intentional, pi$$ off!

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Hey, Dennison, ever hear of 'a sense of humor'? Whydoncha head on down to Wally's Mart, they got 'em there for $19.99....try one out.

Mark

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Mark Morris

Perhaps a small little Hurricane stencil underneath the canopy rail?

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real airplanes have round engines

Not a bad idea...

I know a guy here in Colorado what killed a fire truck with his Staggerwing (Bill knows who) when it came over near his plane and he taxiied into it...it has a small red firetruck kill mark under the cockpit!

Mark

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Mark Morris

Bill, was that the engine that was installed about 1990?

Best of luck on the plane.

Mike

Anyone know how the Hurricane is progressing?

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Hang The Expense

Great idea!

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Yeah, good idea & while I am there, I'll check on their return policy as yours is obviously defective.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Bill, I hear you about the donations, but be sure to post here if you decide to sell off any damaged bits not used in the rebuild. What might look like scrap to the guy who owns one could be a treasure to the many dreamers (that would be me).

August

What a great idea! A lot of us collect pieces of warbird skin. Bill, you could save a bunch of the old sheetmetal, cut it up into little squares, say 3" by 3", and send them along with a computer-printed "thank you" certificate to those who donate some minimum amount, say $10 or $20. Gary did it with Ol' 927. MAAM is doing it with the P-61. I believe the Glacier Girl resto team did it also. I'm sure there are/were others.

How 'bout it, Bill? If you decide to do it, I'm in!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida