Creating a Gate Guardian
Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:00 am
Hi All,
Mike Potter, of VWoC, was involved in creating the Jerry Billings "Essex Memorial Spitfire", which is being unveiled this weekend. Of course this is a fiberglass Spit on a mount.
We'd like to do something like that at VWoC, in Ottawa/Gatineau. But before we purchase one of these replicas, we are considering mounting something that reflects the Collection.
First choice would be a Harvard (T-6). Second would be a F-86.
Does anybody make these in fiberglass? Or does anyone know of a candidate actual aircraft for this?
Obviously we would not want to compromise an airframe that would ever be made airworthy -- our entire mandate runs opposite to that -- but if anyone knows of a gate guardian aircraft that needs a new home, please let me know.
It could be in the roughest of condition. We would put a volunteer team onto refurbishing it for display.
Thanks,
Dave
Mike Potter, of VWoC, was involved in creating the Jerry Billings "Essex Memorial Spitfire", which is being unveiled this weekend. Of course this is a fiberglass Spit on a mount.
We'd like to do something like that at VWoC, in Ottawa/Gatineau. But before we purchase one of these replicas, we are considering mounting something that reflects the Collection.
First choice would be a Harvard (T-6). Second would be a F-86.
Does anybody make these in fiberglass? Or does anyone know of a candidate actual aircraft for this?
Obviously we would not want to compromise an airframe that would ever be made airworthy -- our entire mandate runs opposite to that -- but if anyone knows of a gate guardian aircraft that needs a new home, please let me know.
It could be in the roughest of condition. We would put a volunteer team onto refurbishing it for display.
Thanks,
Dave
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:20 am
Dave,
Kermit Weeks, posted on his facebook page about a month or so back, that he has a large number of Candair F-86's. If I am remembering what i read correctly, he stated that he had enough to make multiple air worthy examples and had a few that would never fly again but could be made into nice statics. For what your looking for you may want to make contact with him.
Travis
Kermit Weeks, posted on his facebook page about a month or so back, that he has a large number of Candair F-86's. If I am remembering what i read correctly, he stated that he had enough to make multiple air worthy examples and had a few that would never fly again but could be made into nice statics. For what your looking for you may want to make contact with him.
Travis
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:54 pm
The Week's idea sounds great, but allow me to make another suggestion.
Contact the NMUSA and see if they have anything in your area.
With collections downsizing there might be something on their books that might be at risk of getting scrapped if it doesn't find a new home.
Contact the NMUSA and see if they have anything in your area.
With collections downsizing there might be something on their books that might be at risk of getting scrapped if it doesn't find a new home.
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:19 pm
JohnB wrote:The Week's idea sounds great, but allow me to make another suggestion.
Contact the NMUSA and see if they have anything in your area.
With collections downsizing there might be something on their books that might be at risk of getting scrapped if it doesn't find a new home.
Dave I am glad you looking for a replica for a gate guardian, good luck on the search.
I don't think the NMUSA would like any of their collection heading north of the border, but did you mean the National Museum of the United States Army ? or maybe you meant National Museum of the US Air Force ?
sorry a pet peeve, museums have names, please use them.
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:36 pm
Matt Gunsch wrote:sorry a pet peeve, museums have names, please use them.
Sorry...I meant NMUSAF..forgot the "F".
I don't know about their "foreign" display policies. But I do know some aircraft, that are likely still on their books are displayed in other countries...the SR-71 at Duxford comes to mind. And I don't think Canada is seen as much of a security threat.
Sorry to offend you, it's just that it's a common abbreviation here.
Life is too short to be pedantic about abbreviations when we all know what we're talking about.
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:11 am
JohnB wrote:Matt Gunsch wrote:sorry a pet peeve, museums have names, please use them.
Sorry to offend you, it's just that it's a common abbreviation here.
Life is too short to be pedantic about abbreviations when we all know what we're talking about.
The problem is, not everyone that comes here knows that, you are assuming. Just as a example, I tried to find out what museum Dave was helping using just the initials, it was 3 pages deep before I found it, the first 2 pages were the VolksWagon Owners Club (VWoC).
WIX is a great place to learn about Warbirds, so why do we insist on making it hard for new people to learn what is going on in the Warbird world ?
Dave, something I thought of, TCFM at FFZ, Oh, I meant The Champlin Fighter Museum At Falcon Field, had a fiberglass Spitfire on a trailer before they closed, I wonder where it ended up ? Maybe GHA at CGZ would know, ops GossHawk Aviation at Casa Grande Airport.
Now, who would know what museum, what company and what airport I was talking about unless I told them ?
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:04 am
Ed Russell had a glass fibre Spitfire at Niagara South. I'm not sure if it is still there.
You might be able to find that out with a phone call.
Andy
You might be able to find that out with a phone call.
Andy
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:46 am
I can confirm that the Russell fibreglass Spit Mk 9 is still sitting there.
It has a support under it as the L.G. was damaged a few years back but that would not matter if it was going
to be mounted
It has a support under it as the L.G. was damaged a few years back but that would not matter if it was going
to be mounted
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:16 pm
Thanks!
I had forgotten about the Russell one. That would be a very easy job. I'll ask.
Cheers,
Dave
I had forgotten about the Russell one. That would be a very easy job. I'll ask.
Cheers,
Dave
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Tue Sep 23, 2014 7:29 am
Dave,
I'm curious why a Spit wouldn't be top of the list for VWoC. I'm just thinking of it from the point of view of where the whole operation started.
Terry
I'm curious why a Spit wouldn't be top of the list for VWoC. I'm just thinking of it from the point of view of where the whole operation started.
Terry
Re: Creating a Gate Guardian
Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:10 am
fleet16b wrote:I can confirm that the Russell fibreglass Spit Mk 9 is still sitting there.
It has a support under it as the L.G. was damaged a few years back but that would not matter if it was going
to be mounted
Hey! I was hoping to get the replica for our museum! Last I heard he loved the replica and didn't want to sell it.