Jimmy Doolittle Center open house & Vega

[ALOHADAVE]

Jimmy Doolittle Center
Open House and fly in
Saturday, June 4th 10am-3pm
Free to the public
Nut Tree Airport Vacaville CA

Unveiling of restored Vega flown by Jimmy Doolittle
also view PV-2, WACO, Kinner R, UH-1, Stinson V-77, T-28, Stearman and more
ride in a DC-3
Kid zone, food, games

WIXer DaveT

[ALOHADAVE]

the Flabob EXPRESS (DC-3) will be offering rides on Saturday June 4th during the Open House (10am-3pm). Here's a chance to step back in time and go for an amazing flight right here at the Nut Tree Airport. We hope to see you there!
Don't miss the Open House, Fly-In and Aircraft Unveiling. It's going to be a day filled with family fun, stories, aviation, history, games and more. Admission is FREE! Hope to see you all Saturday June 4th.

[Dan K]

Will the Vega's "unveiling" include a demonstration of flight?

[tulsaboy]

Which Vega is this? Is this the metal-bodied example?
kevin

[ALOHADAVE]

Lockheed Vega NC-13705, serial no. 203, Shell Oil Fleet #7 has been undergoing restoration since 2011. It has been returned to airworthy status. It is currently on static display at the Jimmy Doolittle Center. It is not scheduled to fly.

[Dan K]

Lockheed Vega NC-13705, serial no. 203, Shell Oil Fleet #7 has been undergoing restoration since 2011. It has been returned to airworthy status. It is currently on static display at the Jimmy Doolittle Center. It is not scheduled to fly.

Truly a shame...after all that work.

http://www.heritageaircraft.net/aircraft/lockheed-vega/

[ALOHADAVE]

The Vega is not the safest plane to fly in my opinion. It is nice to see one saved and restored. A very rare aircraft.

[APG85]

Beautiful restoration. Since a majority of the airplane is wood, I wonder what percentage of the plane is original. I always thought the pilots position was unique...the way the pilot sat on a tall seat...

[JohnB]

While the plane is rare, it's not unigue, there are several in museums...so it's a shame that the last airworthy wood example is grounded.

I've heard that a cement tub jig and parts/paperwork for another restoration was sold by the people who restored this example...so another Vega might eventually emerge.

[JimH]

Kermit posts regular updates on his wooden vega restoration project. The latest batch shows the reecently stripped fuselage. It seems to have been repaired rather poorly at some point. While the wing and other bits are progressing quickly the fuselage will need a complete overhaul. Should be ready to fly in 2053.

Jim

[Baldeagle]

They didn't use a female cement tub form for that restoration, they made a male wooden form, which did sell at the auction, along with patterns for all of the bulkheads, most of the original fuselage for the Shell airplane, in very poor shape and cut in three sections, and what was left of the wing from that airplane, again in very poor shape with no skin on it. This pile of parts was sold with paperwork for something like $2,000. It should fly by 2054........



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