Warbird additions in the Netherlands

Good stuff! I’d add that I was very impressed at both my visits to the Aviodome before it closed and later to the Aviodrome, an often overlooked, but excellent facility for vintage aviation in Europe. Glad to see such progress.

Thank you all for your valuable remarks on the USAAF insignia. I have passed them on to the Aviodrome restoration team!

What Chad refers to is the curved edge between the star and the bars – it it should meet with the points of the star rather than follow the outer edge of the circle. Its not an unusual mistake and its still a beautiful restoration of an unusual type.

Thanks Mark – it’s a classic that’s very obvious if you know it, but I couldn’t see it at all at first! I was aware of the history of how the star & bar evolved, but had forgotten the effect in this version. It’s an easy mistake to correct (as well as commit!) if they are informed and decide to, at least.

I agree it’s a great restoration of a far-too-rare type.

I think the absence of ailerons and flaps are more of a problem than the paint! With the recent TFC P-47, obviously these items are now to be regarded as ‘rollout optional’. 😀

Regards,

like this one? The one on the Mustang is ok, I think. :confused:

But are the letters of the name Trusty Rusty ok?

Ah, yes, very subtle, some good reference here http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/mark6.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.bowersflybaby.com/stories/army_paint.html&usg=__H2IHEr_yAJi6rxPPTXsS2GpeU0Y=&h=361&w=557&sz=45&hl=en&start=68&zoom=1&tbnid=ygDlD8uc8ZgUCM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=133&ei=cIVSTsGnK8WChQeTldjYBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dusaaf%2Binsignia%26start%3D63%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ACAW_enGB337GB337%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1 (scroll half way down to Sept ’43)

In effect there is a thin blue circle and border that goes around the original blue disc with the white star and the white bars, so the points of the star in effect meet the white bars.
I have genuinely learnt something new:)

like this one? The one on the Mustang is ok, I think. :confused:

What’s wrong with the insignia, Chad?

Norseman looks lovely!:) Must admit I’m struggling to see what is wrong with the national markings aswel.
Is the Tracker a potential flyer or a museum exhibit?

What Chad refers to is the curved edge between the star and the bars – it it should meet with the points of the star rather than follow the outer edge of the circle. Its not an unusual mistake and its still a beautiful restoration of an unusual type.

With the Tracker they still do engine runs and they flex the wings.
The Norseman is not readycompletly done, the wing is on but not yet fully fixed.

I remember from the early days of reading Flypast (84-85), that there was a photo of a Harvard, also in KLM colors together with the Tracker. It really looked striking. Think it went somewhere else later and slipped on a uniform.

T J

Yes, it is still about, now in its original colours. Don’t recall by heart where it went.

They also had a Neptune in KLM colours, this is now back in its original scheme at the Aviodrome.

I remember from the early days of reading Flypast (84-85), that there was a photo of a Harvard, also in KLM colors together with the Tracker. It really looked striking. Think it went somewhere else later and slipped on a uniform.

T J

Thanks for you clarification and pictures of the Trackers Jur.
Yes the Norseman looks absolutely superb, it would be nice to see in the air, a different shape!

Thanks GS, actually I was assuming that the Norseman is being restored to fly, but this is possibly not correct?

The original intention was to make the Norseman flyable again. I have no idea whether or not this is still feasible, but looking at the quality of the restoration it doesn’t seem impossible.

Norseman looks lovely!:)
Is the Tracker a potential flyer or a museum exhibit?

The Grumman S-2F Tracker is far from a potential flyer, as she has been outside for more than 40 years. Initially she was outside the original Aviodome Museum at Schiphol Airport, until the museum moved to Lelystad Airport and became the Aviodrome.

Schiphol about 1975

Lelystad 2009

There is another former Royal Netherlands Navy Tracker in the Aviodrome museum, which is in a much better shape. The livery is a bit odd, as she has been a training exhibit in a technical school for several years.:o

Thanks GS, actually I was assuming that the Norseman is being restored to fly, but this is possibly not correct?

Tracker is a museum exhibit. I thought that there was a thread here about it’s estimated restoration costs a couple years ago, but I can’t find it because the search function now only goes back one year.

Norseman looks lovely!:) Must admit I’m struggling to see what is wrong with the national markings aswel.
Is the Tracker a potential flyer or a museum exhibit?

As Johns said, Mustang’s are popular but common, the Norseman definitely noteworthy.

Both aircraft look great. I only wish they had done a bit more research on the USAAF insignia prior to painting the Norseman.

What’s wrong with the insignia, Chad?

What?….. pigeons firing uphill? :p they would have to do a roll inverted and pull negative G to get it plastered on the underside like that…… one hopes they have been suitably equipped with Mrs Shillings Orifice prior to the mission…..:p

They look superb post restoration….. 🙂

I love the patina…or is it just pigeon poo?

😀 Wonderful stuff,that Norseman looks a real character,just needs to be dirty so it looks like it’s been somewhere a bit naughty and has a story to tell.

This is how she was found in France; dirty enough? 🙂