Warbird Information Exchange

Jim Slattery's SBD being restored at Vulture's Row Aviation should fly this year.
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q= ... 20aviation

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Expect some news this week.

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Kevin Kearney
Vice President
Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation


C-54D "Spirit of Freedom" 43-17228
C-97 "Angel of Deliverance" 52-2718 (painted as YC-97A 45-59595)
C-54E/R5D-4 "Spirit of Freedom" 44-9144 BuNo 90414 (wfu April/2020)
http://www.spiritoffreedom.org

Meier Motors finished the Fiat G.59. Hope to see this one flying soon.

http://v25.meiermotors.com/index.php/pr ... limitstart

What a beauty! I had the pleasure of seeing this one fly back when Sanders had it. Very neat! Would absolutely LOVE to see the Yagen airplane converted to G.55 standard as has been rumored to be the case. The G.55 is my favorite among all of the Italian fighters and a flyable example would be fantastic. If anybody could get it done Meier Motors would be the ones.

The Italians managed to convert one and it was very publicly displayed, which was the only thing worth watching in the forgettable McConaughey movie, "U-571". She was very foreboding in black with that cranked-wing boring in on the sub during the attack scene. Very memorable! Very sexxy bird! Ville Viglia museum...um...err..I'll have to look it up. Might have been restored o converted, looked like it was packing a DB.

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The machine in U-571 was a stock Merlin powered G.59. In fact it most likely was the very aircraft in James' link which has just been completely restored by Meier Motors. At one point the aircraft was operating with a three blader which might account for some thinking it had a DB up front.

Dottie Mae was started and taxied the other day, so that one is getting close

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Here is a link to video for those not on Facebook or who haven't already seen it: https://www.facebook.com/10000487714781 ... 097265021/
The "Sierra Sue II" of P-47 restorations (and another 9th AF combat-vet to boot), it's just as I dreamed it would look at this stage and I can't wait to see it with the cowlings on and the (destined to be) very colorful and brilliant recreated nose art.

Oshkosh is the one event that they've been asked about attending this year that they aren't denying.

That is what's happening apprently. It's written on Meier's website, but only in German.

Understand the BAHF C-97 was close to its 1st flight but on test runs one engine kept giving problems; anyone an update?
Rudi

Thanks, sorry for the slow reply but my post created more questions than answers. I was using my laptop testing a new endoscope on an old motor in the shop when this thread popped on the screen when I was dragging the cable over the finger-pad gathering it up. My comment was very, "shot from the hip" because I was more surprised than anything that my wifi extended into the shop...AND I hadn't thought about that G.59 for quite a while.

I finally saw the movie on cable about 3 years after it came out and I searched everywhere for the movie Fiat in the Luftwaffe markings, but no joy...well I thought I found it but not in it's movie colors. I ran across a photo of a single seat Fiat G.5? on an Italian forum ID'd as, I thought, the Fiat in the U-571 film. Looking back at the wonders of Babelfish, I think they were saying "like or similar to" the Fiat in the film. The photo was of the dark olive colored G.55 at the Italian Air Force museum at Vigna di Valle...which turns out is also a convertd G.59, not a true .55. Seen about 4/5 down the following link among other G59, .46's, Veltro, etc...
http://www.targeta.co.uk/vigna_di_valle.htm

The Luftwaffe bird, as I found out since my post was in airliners.net, but I just didn't ask the search box vaguely enough. Was looking for U-571 movie G.59 and variations, but all I had to do was request in the warbird search...Fiat...and the image was on the 3rd page! Not the G.59 in the Meier's link, but Pino Valenti's I-MRSV, MM53774, cn#181 photo'd in 1999 after the movie...
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled ... B/266052/L

I think the reason I thought it was a DB-powered bird, was the gray underside paint line against the black scheme made the nose appear slimmer. As for a 3-bladed prop Chad(?), I have no idea as the Fiat never quit moving it's entire time on screen and you couldn't even tell it was a doppelsitzer because of camera angle and distance.The following link is a clip from the movie beginning, luckily, with the G.59 scene....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL-IXvwZGk8

So there ya go, definitely not a waste of time. G.55 or G.59 still eye and ear candy. Looking forward to the DB605 or Italian equivalent conversion when they get done with it. As I understand the engine conversion is being done in Italy. Ran across an older blurb and it suggested, in lieu of a 605 they were looking for one of the Italian license versions.

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

Sorry, I may be missing something or my dyslexia is jacking with me. The photos identify this G.59 as the ex-Zuccoli MM53278 with the constructor number as NC185. NC 185 is the cn# right? The cn for 53278 is ID'd on the Meier page(and elsewhere) as cn 179. Jerry Yagen's G.59 being converted to G.55, MM53778 has the cn# label on his bird as NC185 in the photos before stripping. Got any clue as to what's up?

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I'm not sure. Maybe CN 185 is some sort of sub type number? I guess you'd have to look for more G.59 photos to see what they have stencilled on them?

I assumed you spoke German and was asking to see if any changes were noted on the Meier website as my google translate doesn't cover everything. This is not my first contact with IAF aircraft, and I always thought that number corresponded to the individual aircraft. I have already looked at a bucket load of photos and this has held to be true.
All I can figure is,
A- Meier or research found an identification switch occurred sometime in the 2 aircrafts history and corrected it(entirely possible)
D-FIAT's ID is MM53278, Yagen's G.59 is MM53778

B- Meier made a mistake and painted the wrong NC ID on MM53278(highly improbable)

C-I've screwed this up and am tilting at windmills...

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I do speak German, but i didn't see any other info Meiers site concerning this. I'll have another look later on. It's a bit odd. You can always ask them on FB - they usually reply - and if they don't then maybe someone else on there knows what's up.
I'm not sure where Mr Yagens A/C came from in fact.