2023 restorations.

[Michel Lemieux]

Sad to hear for Mick.........time flies like crazy.

Thank you for the clarification oz rb fan

[Spitty]

i believe the PNG KI61 is now at HARS in Wollongong being finished off.

Just popped up on Facebook this morning.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3312079825722483&set=pcb.3312080129055786

[bdk]

i believe the PNG KI61 is now at HARS in Wollongong being finished off.

Just popped up on Facebook this morning.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3312079825722483&set=pcb.3312080129055786

Sorry, this content isn't available right now

Darn! Was really hoping to see this. Anyone else having better luck?

[Zac Yates]

Photo at Moorabbin Air Museum February 4 2022 by historian Daniel J Leahy on Facebook, shared with permission:
Ki61 20230402 by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[old iron]

Thanks Zac,

(

Photo at Moorabbin Air Museum February 4 2022 by historian Daniel J Leahy on Facebook, shared with permission:

)

but how much of that would actually be physically part of the "restoration"? Seems to me that most-all of that would at best be used for templates or as information to make a better reproduction. Might be termed as a reproduction with some (minor) parts, but should not be called a restored aircraft. Or is this a case of it being whatever the owner wishes to call it?

[JohnB]

Odd that the display case photo shows the prototype Ki-61III, which featured a cut down rest fuselage and bubble canopy.
An odd choice considering production "Tonys" had a razorback, as does the cockpit assembly on display (which by the serial is a a Ki-61-1a).

[mike furline]

https://www.destinationsjourney.com/avi ... i-61-tony/

[Zac Yates]

We missed mentioning the project earlier but here in New Zealand Bevan Dewes' Harvard NZ1044/ZK-OTU made its first post-restoration flight on March 10. This airframe had survived in part thanks to being an instructional aid with Air New Zealand.

In the latest AC , O'Leary mentions some secret , never thought possible restoration to fly that's coming.

Has this been revealed yet?

[Warbird Kid]

Although not destined to be a flyer, what about the Wildcat currently in restoration at the Air Zoo? I understand after the restoration is complete, it will be going to the Natl Medal of Honor Museum in Texas.

Here's what it looked like December 30:

FM-2 Restoration by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

More Wildcat, SBD-1 and F-117 photos from my visit here and on page 3 of the same album:

https://flickr.com/photos/124970884@N02 ... 9613/page2

Someone on Facebook who just visited the restoration shop in Kalamazoo was told by restoration volunteers that: "The FM-2 had previously been scheduled to be displayed at a new museum in Texas, but that is no longer the case. The volunteers I talked to said its future display location is to be determined. They expect to complete the restoration in April. I don't know the specific final paint scheme, but it will be blue-gray over white."

[kalamazookid]

Although not destined to be a flyer, what about the Wildcat currently in restoration at the Air Zoo? I understand after the restoration is complete, it will be going to the Natl Medal of Honor Museum in Texas.

Here's what it looked like December 30:

FM-2 Restoration by Matthew Vader, on Flickr

More Wildcat, SBD-1 and F-117 photos from my visit here and on page 3 of the same album:

https://flickr.com/photos/124970884@N02 ... 9613/page2

Someone on Facebook who just visited the restoration shop in Kalamazoo was told by restoration volunteers that: "The FM-2 had previously been scheduled to be displayed at a new museum in Texas, but that is no longer the case. The volunteers I talked to said its future display location is to be determined. They expect to complete the restoration in April. I don't know the specific final paint scheme, but it will be blue-gray over white."

That was me. The story I was told is that there was a change in leadership at the MOH museum and they decided to go in another direction with their displays. I wish it was being restored in an actual FM-2 paint scheme, but nobody asked me and I'm sure the people fitting the bill have their own ideas. Hopefully, they will pick an interesting story. My thought was maybe they had already done research to represent a Medal of Honor winner's aircraft and decided to move forward with one of those schemes. It will be interesting to see where it ends up.

For those who don't do Facebook, I just finished uploading all of my latest FM-2 and SBD-1 restoration photos to my Flickr page here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/124970884 ... 2598493186

[Zac Yates]

Rob Mackley's Lockheed 10A Electra CC-226/CC-LCN/CC-CLEA/N10310/ZK-AFD (may fly in the coming weeks)

Missed it by that much: she flew today! Credit to Hawk Aero Ltd and Classic Wings Magazine respectively (sorry folks, I'm not sure how to embed)
https://www.facebook.com/10005747373891 ... 585791225/
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1924349571300939