Hi All,

 I was looking for any news regarding the Tempest II G-TEMPT, there is nothing on the Ultimate Warbird Twitter or Facebook regarding the above yet they are still posting. 

While I cannot participate on Facebook/Twitter I can read post’s and comments, I espied this little snippet regarding Richard Grace’s visit to Kermit weeks:-  https://www.facebook.com/UltimateWarbirdFlights/photos/a.18282303805624…

Of interest I thought are the two rather tongue in cheek comments about bringing the V & II back to the UK 🙂       But imagine a fantasy if you will of What if it’s true ?    Personally I think Mr Grace is probably on another fact finding mission regarding his own Tempest II.?  

I also look at this way the chap ( Andy Salter ) who was working on the two Tempests but concentrating on the V has retired and Kermit as far as I am aware has put them firmly (Like a lot of other aircraft) on the back burner concentrating on his on going airworthy restorations A-26/Boomerang/The Lockheed Vega/Me108 & 109 to name but a few of the many on going airworthy restorations.

But just supposing for one minute Mr Weeks decided to concentrate on just important American military aircraft of WWII or just relevant to himself being all about aviation history as he is.  The money he would get from the sale would go to other projects when you consider the current economic climate it’s easier to liquidate an asset when you have so many rare aircraft to choose from.

Either that or Kermit and Richard could be discussing about restoring his two over in the US at some point when Richard’s Tempest is trouble free so to speak, but like I suggest above is a more likely scenario. 

Going off on another completely different tangent,  I had another thought which concerns the original Lancaster KB976 tail section that is being repaired for Elvington by the LAHC team and whether or not  this could that possibly be swapped with the one Kermit has as he would have most of KB976 apart from the mid section which I think is in Australia wouldn’t he ? 

Failing the above what having his KB976 Lancaster parts shipped back to East Kirkby to work they’re magic ?  I imagine that as they have invested in the different jigs over the years they would be by far the most experienced engineers currently at restoring Lancaster’s are they not ? 

Or in the long run does it not matter if the aero engineers who take on these projects are specialists in vintage aircraft per say and so long as they can read all the technical paperwork and drawings thus the project becoming just another job to them as trades persons in basic terms ? 

I know, I know, I know, still wearing those rose tinted glasses but no harm in wondering I imagine that like all things regarding restoration:-  1st – Cost, 2nd – Logistics, 3rd – the will of all parties involved, 4th Time to do it. these are really the main things to be considered when attempting an airworthy restoration especially.

Still when you consider what has been achieved elsewhere in the world regarding bombers or simply rare aircraft it can be done if all those parameters are met.

Geoff. 😮 )