Warbird Information Exchange

While I was working at the ABM missile site near Langdon, ND, in 1973-4, I visited Bob Diemert's place in Carman several times. He was working on a Zero at the time, and also had an On-Mark conversion B-26 Invader parked outside. If I recall correctly, there was also the remains of an Avro Anson off to the side, in the weeds. I was a relative neophyte in warbird restoration then, and didn't notice any particular problems with his work.

Several years later, I was at the airport in Lake Wales, Florida, and saw the remains of a Grumman J2F-5 Duck, with Bob Diemert's name, address and phone number in Carman written in paint on the float. Didn't follow up on it, and don't know if he took it back to Carmen or ever did anything with it.

Walt

I'll give Diemert the benifit of the doubt, and form my own opinion once I see everythinng for myself.

By the way, what was the defender made from a T-6 tail and what else?

I am bob diemerts neighbor and have had many tours over the years. very interesting man, if anybody is wondering the defender was all taken apart and put into various projects. if anybody wants a copy of the film the defender contact me because you can't miss it. its hilarious

I think it is important to remember that, almost without exception, the aircraft that passed through Mr. Diemarts hands would not be with us if not for his efforts.

When he was recovering and rebuilding aircaft in the 60's and 70's, darn few people were interested in buying anything less than a flying aircraft. The hulks he saved were destined for the scrap heap.

He was doing what he thought was the right thing at the time. He was working on the Hurricane 40 years ago - just how many people in the world were restoring Hurricanes then?? Seems to me the British were busy burning Mosquitoes right around this time.

Hindsight is a nice thing - at the time he was one few people doing this type of work.

WAS THE RED GREEN SHOW A TAKE OFF FROM HIS RESTORATION WORK?JUST A THOUGHT THANKS MIKE

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

As I believe was posted earlier, the film "Defender" can be purchased from the National Film Board of Canada, for $30.

Walt

I have seen the defender twice and each time all I can say is WOW!. What the $(@#& was he thinking. His trusty side kick is almost as funny.

Okay, call me something(?) but I've never heard of the "Defender" video. But if it's better than the crap (is that okay to say?) Hollyood is putting out these days I would pay to see it.....Tom

I'm sorry. I misspelled "HollyaEFQAWERHSRTGEYJNY"....Tom

Hi all--

Mr Diemert's D3A-2 "Val" made at least one appearance at the Canadian National Exhibition (Toronto waterfront) airshow; this was late sixties or possibly early seventies. A cousin of mine gave me a photo showing the unmistakable shape of the D3A over the lakefront. I was amazed, as I'd had no idea the aircraft (which BTW was registered CF-TZT) had ranged anything like as far afield as southern Ontario in its flying career.

I've seen several other Diemert restorations, all by coincidence as I've never been to Carman: the Hurricane, of course, spent its last nine years in the CWH collection; the D3A was stored at Rockcliffe for a time; the Firefly I happened to spot when it was at Lone Star; and as has been mentioned two of the A6Ms went stateside, one to Quantico and one to the CAF. The latter was the first Zero, and thus far is still the only one, I have seen in the air (Batavia NY). It was R1830-powered and climbed like a rocket; apparently the R2600-engined Quantico one had a rate of ascent at least as impressive. I've got pix of all these but no way of posting them. Mr Diemert also had a Mustang fitted with a CF-100 canopy, and a fascinating composite quasi-replica P-40 (which I think became the basis for the present restoration "Shirley II"). As has been said earlier in this thread, most if not all of the rare birds that passed through Carman would probably not still exist had they not..."custom work" or no! Thanks and a tip of this enthusiast's hat to Mr D.

S.

It's not better...it is more like a PBS documentary than anything that 'Hollywood' does.

I guess as a documentary it's okay, but the subject is laughable. With the excaption of a small segment on the rebuilding of the Zero it's pretty much worthless.

Worthless? It is more like priceless

Here here!

On the basis of this thread, I purchased a copy of "The Defender" and watched it a few days ago; be prepared to receive a vhs tape that looks like NOS from 1979, with box art to match... All I can say is that anyone interested in avaition in general and warbirds in particular should watch this film at some point. If you listen closely enough, the narrative is ever so slightly sracastic; it is also inaccurate in a few spots. They didn't have time to show the entire process of restoring the A6M2, so I couldn't give an opinion as to how well it was restored, but it looked OK. Although when Lefty Gardner was taxying it out for its first flight, the thought did strike me that he must have a large set of nads on him to actually fly that questionable heap, at least more than I'll ever have...

Anyone who has seen more than a few episodes of "Kids in the Hall" will recognize immediately that they ripped off one of their characters from the sidekick in "The Defender", and blatantly at that. Does anyone know if the potted history that was given for the Zero is accurate? Was it really at Pearl Harbor? And is it just me, or is it just about every time I read about a Zero restoration the restorers are lucky to find "the last" set of blueprints in existence...

As mentioned above, priceless.

cheers

gv

I just recieved my VHS copy of this documentary from Canada and it is a riot.
It is definintely worth seeing but only after large quantities Strange Brew from Elsinor Brewery or maybe some Mooshead, eh.
It is funny how he is always defending himself to the CAF guys or the CAA for his ineptness. What a hoser!
The duct tape and bailing wire workmanship reminds me of several other warbird rebuilders that will go nameless here.

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