North Weald C54 Skymaster SAVED.

See dreams can come true, great news.

Notwithstanding the efforts of the recent saviours of this splendid bird, it strikes me as a pity that it didn’t make a journey to Dux whilst it was still airworthy, to take its rightful place alongside the other airline “greats” there.

I think it’s a fabulous iconic type and hope that the recent events aren’t just a few years more stay of execution.

Good luck – and well done.

Anon.

This particular C-54 has serious warbird cred, as it served in both Korea and Vietnam.

Hi All,
Sicobra,
That’s fantastic news I was only yesterday reading about the funding needed for this aircraft to be saved….:applause:

Geoff.

But not in 1945 I think.

I believe that the first orders were placed in 1945.

But not in 1945 I think.

BOAC’s eyes were on the Constellation

Even more so on the Stratocruiser.

BOAC’s eyes were on the Constellation so don’t seem to have shown any interest in trying to acquire the RAF’s small fleet of Skymasters . The Argonauts had some DC-6 features like a pressure cabin but 5 years were lost

The necessity of actually paying for lend lease Skymasters in hard currency led to BOAC purchasing Canadian-built variants (the Argonaut class best remembered as the transport used by Princess Elizabeth on her African trip during which her father died) equipped with Merlins, which also saved import duty.

John Mitchell who was navigator on many of Churchills flights wrote them up in the 24 Squadron Newsletters which are archived online…in this one, at the end he says EW999 was returned to the USA, damaged in China carrying General Marshal and abandoned there (EDIT…This is the editors account of EW999, John Mitchell does deal with it but in a later newslette….it’s in #21 onwards) . I had the chance once to ask John Mitchell why the Skymasters weren’t retained for BOAC, and he said they could have been but we would have had to pay for them.
http://www.24sqnassociation.royalairforce.net/issue10.htm

http://www.24sqnassociation.royalairforce.net/newsltr.htm

I recently finished reading a Churchill biography and he did do a great deal of flying in EW999.
What became of the real 999?

I’m sure it would cost a fortune but it would be nice to replicate it’s VIP interior for display.

There’s a crowdfunding page if anyone wants to donate –

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/save-the-skymaster

Well done

Paint it as Churchill’s EW999 (with replica ‘egg’ 🙂 ) and people might start taking an interest! Or possibly as one of the obscure small RAF fleet which flew a ‘cannonball’ long range service UK to the Far East at war’s end and occasionally to NZ. The preserved Skymaster in the USA which was painted as Spirit of 76 really did serve with the RAF
[ATTACH=CONFIG]253543[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]253544[/ATTACH]

It appears that we weren’t celebrating, as none of us knew. Perhaps the owners would like to pop over here and give us some information on their project.

I’ve edited the thread title accordingly.

Although substantial sections of one other are on display. Two if you count the Carvair as well.

Delighted to hear the news!

If this enters a museum it will he the only one if it’s type on display in the UK?

Yes.

Good news.

I might offer an hypothesis on the seeming lack of interest …many don’t see the Skymaster as a “warbird” rather as an old an old airlines some of which are still in service.
In other words, many feel it’s not worth fretting over. Many face uncertain futures in remote areas of the world.

The fact remains it was the finest long range transport of WWII and did sterling service in the Berlin Airlift.

So having one saved is very good news.
If this enters a museum it will he the only one if it’s type on display in the UK?

My excuse for not celebrating the news here is the same as it is for any other forum or outlet: I didn’t know there was news to celebrate! Excellent news.

Great news: congratulations to those who are looking after this grand old lady.