Cosford's Liberator

It looks to me as Kermit flies his new restorations for a year or so , and then puts them into his museum as static exhibits. Therefore I don’t have much faith in seeing most of his planes fly in the long run!

T J

I think with the larger aircraft such as the B24, B26, Sunderland etc… It’s more to do with cost, even in the land of cheap fuel.

The Sunderland hasn’t flown since 1996, and when I spoke to Kermit in March he told me it was going to form the centre piece of a display celebrating the great era of the flying boats. It was looking a little tatty when I saw it.

Hi All,

I can speak on Kermits aircraft, since I was on one of the last flight that David had in it before Kermit bought it alonmg with the B-26.

The plane had been up in New England with two down engines #1 and #4 plus it was out of annual. When Kermit bought it he stated that he was going to fly it for a few months and then pickle it till he had time to completly rebuild her.

To say its in rought shape is an understatement I remember doing a walk around before we fired it up for it flight down to Florida and I swear any place it could leak it did. We had a problems getting #4 to turn over had to change the mags out twice.

Thou the plane is IN MY OPPION the most original 24 out their its going to take alot of time and money to bring her back to airworthy status. Beside I think Kermit is more interested in getting the new buildings done at FOF.

RER

It looks to me as Kermit flies his new restorations for a year or so , and then puts them into his museum as static exhibits. Therefore I don’t have much faith in seeing most of his planes fly in the long run!

T J

Hi All,

I can speak on Kermits aircraft, since I was on one of the last flight that David had in it before Kermit bought it alonmg with the B-26.

The plane had been up in New England with two down engines #1 and #4 plus it was out of annual. When Kermit bought it he stated that he was going to fly it for a few months and then pickle it till he had time to completly rebuild her.

To say its in rought shape is an understatement I remember doing a walk around before we fired it up for it flight down to Florida and I swear any place it could leak it did. We had a problems getting #4 to turn over had to change the mags out twice.

Thou the plane is IN MY OPPION the most original 24 out their its going to take alot of time and money to bring her back to airworthy status. Beside I think Kermit is more interested in getting the new buildings done at FOF.

RER

Does anyone have any recent pictures of the Duxford Liberator? I understand that some of the parts a group of us discovered on a farm a few years ago here in Canada have gone into the restoration.

Dan
[email]warbirds@shaw.ca[/email]

Well said, Melv.

The plans for the new Cold War building at Cosford look quite impressive, but Cosford is already well worth a visit, if you haven’t been.

If you’re a Friend of Duxford, one of their trips each year is usually to the Restoration Centre at Cosford – well worth going on.

I do find some of the other posts interesting. Rob – No one has to go to London. It’s been at Cosford for twenty odd years. I presume the complaint is that everything gravitates to London eventually? Where are you? What’s the problem?

And there is something going the other way . . .

Hi Dan, Kilvy,
Welcome to the forum, and thanks for your contributions – most illuminating. Having had a good look at the Ottawa machine last Canada Day (it was open for tours of the rear fuselage and bomb bay) the interior looks very interesting and I know Ryan Keogh of the Collings team was very excited about some of the widgets – but old wiring and fuel tanks aren’t funny!

I do find some of the other posts interesting. Rob – No one has to go to London. It’s been at Cosford for twenty odd years. I presume the complaint is that everything gravitates to London eventually? Where are you? What’s the problem?

As to cutting the wing spars – sure, a bad idea. But the RAFM has always been a statics only museum, and in that period, far worse happened. It’s never going to fly again since it went to the RAFM collection, so it’s hardly a major issue. And how else would one more it from one location to another?

Cheers

Here is Cosford’s Liberator at the end of its last flight from India, landing at RAF Lyneham on Sunday 7th July 1973 after overflying Greenham Common.
It sat on the pan for a couple of weeks with trays underneath it to catch all the oil leaks and then made its final flight to nearby Colerne.

Cosford Liberator

I’m a new poster so be gentle! 🙂

I’ve been lucky enough to be on a training course at RAF Cosford for a couple of weeks, so as I hadn’t visited the museum before I thought I’d give it a quick look. I’ve been back every lunchtime and evening for the last five days and no doubt I’ll be back on Monday. 🙂

I noticed the Liberator was on skates so asked the Cosford staff what was happening. Apparently the Dakota is going to the convservation centre next week (to go back to a bare metal finish?), so the Liberator, Jetstream and Hastings need to be moved outside. This is going to occur next week. I’ll be back and will post any piccies I get.

Anyway I hope these pictures contribute something to the thread.

Kilvy

It’s wings were cut off to facilitate moving from Colerne to Cosford – an act of butchery I find hard to understand.

and i think it happened in the late 70s?

Cosford’s Lib, irregardless of her mechanical or structural integrity, should, in my opinion, stay on the ground as well. The airplane, particularly on that side of the Atlantic, is just too rare to risk in the air again, so in Hendon or in Cosford is where she should stay, to be enjoyed and to educate people for centuries.

Dan

It’s wings were cut off to facilitate moving from Colerne to Cosford – an act of butchery I find hard to understand.

Roger Smith

RAAF Liberator at Werribee, Victoria

There is the RAAF B-24 being restored at Werribee, just between Melbourne and Geelong in Oz. I believe the intent is to restore it to “almost” airworthy condition, but it will only be statically displayed. The restoration effort is documented in a 30 minute Australian Story for the ABC network. IIRC, the current stage of work has it about 80% complete, though there was a problem with one of the hangers that the restoration team occupies – storm damage.

…geoff

Nothing in poona larger than a canberra, i am afraid. No liberators there.

Jagen
What about these 2, still at Poona ?
info from www.warbirdregistry.org
——————————————–
Serial #: 44-44263
Construction #: 1558
B-24J
Status: Stored
Last info: 2001
History:
Delivered to RAF as KH392, 19??.
– Abandoned at Chakeri AB, India, 1946.
Delivered to Indian AF as HE846/T.
– BOC: 1947.
– SOC: 1968.
– Stored, Poona AB, Dec. 31, 1968.
Reported still stored as of 2001.
——————————————-
Serial #: 44-44262
Construction #: 1557
B-24J
Status: Stored
Last info: 2001
History:
Delivered to RAF as KH391, 19??.
– Abandoned at Chakeri AB, India, 1946.
Delivered to Indian AF as HE848/D.
– BOC: 1947.
– SOC: 1968.
– Stored, Poona AB, Dec. 31, 1968.
Reported still stored as of 2001.

Martin

Hi Jagen,

Well, as for the Pima Lib, the first thing they would have to do is put doors on the building! I seem to remember when I was there last (’96) that the old guy I was talking to said the airplanes were moved into the building and then the last wall was put up! I’d expect that she’s there for good.

The Rockliffe Lib could be flown again, but it would take alot of work. Dad’s last task on it was to fog the engines with inhibiting oil which they pumped into the carb air intakes while they ran until the engines choked on the oil and finally quit. I guess the smoke clouds they were making attracted alot of attention! 🙂 Realistically though, she won’t ever leave the ground again.

Mr Weeks Lib will no doubt fly again someday, but there are other machines there competing for the engineers attention, but someday no doubt we’ll see her in the air again.

Cosford’s Lib, irregardless of her mechanical or structural integrity, should, in my opinion, stay on the ground as well. The airplane, particularly on that side of the Atlantic, is just too rare to risk in the air again, so in Hendon or in Cosford is where she should stay, to be enjoyed and to educate people for centuries.

But maybe we could convince a certain computer gazillionaire with a soft spot for old props to put them back into production! 😉

regards,
Dan

Talking about the Ottawa lib, I recently uploaded this small story on my website.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/2000s/Dragon.html
Anyone figure out why it is painted “she was a reluctant dragon” in the nose gear bay?

I have to ask a question here, if Collings can put an airframe that has been grounded for years back into the air, surely all the other four liberators are prime candidates for an airworthy restoration right?

why does everything have to go to sh1tty London

I saw Cosfords B-24 flying 🙂 & have a pic. when she appeared at IAT Greenham Common in ’74 (?)

Hello Andrew,

Yes, an RAF scheme on the Lib would look nice, wouldn’t it? The one we have in the museum over here is in Coastal Command markings and it’s really quite sharp. As much as Cosford will hate to see it leave it’ll be a great addition to Hendon if that’s the case.

As far as flying it again though, I don’t think that the Weeks operation even fly theirs anymore, and it would probably be in similiar if not better condition. Could you imagine even just re-wiring the beast?!? 😮

cheers,
Dan

I seem to remember being told that the spars were sawn through when she was moved from Colerne to Cosford, so she has been ground-bound for many years.