Thanks to the success of the crowdfunding appeal, and the dedication of the engineers,  the Cat was today able to fire up the new engine.

Matt Dearden has today posted as follows-

”After just over a month since Miss Pick Up was stranded at Loch Ness, she finally has a working starboard engine again. In the words of our engineer, Garry, there’s still a few niggles to iron out but certainly less niggly than a broken driveshaft somewhere deep in an engine floating out on a Loch…

Our small team of volunteers has been working every single day on the engine change, spurred on by everyone who has so kindly donated to the rescue operation. We cannot thank you all enough!

Hopefully the niggles can be sorted over the weekend and when Garry is happy, when the weather is ok and when Miss Pick Up feels ready, we will launch! That will mean warming up both engines on the quayside, craning her on to the water (with suitable wind speed and direction for take-off), starting up and flying the ten minute hop to Inverness. We need to go to Inverness to refuel. Garry will take another look over the plane at Inverness and then, all being well, we will fly home to Duxford. Realistically we may need to overnight at Inverness due to the lack of daylight hours at this time of year.

Once again thank you all so very much for all the donations and do remember, any additional donations we receive now will go towards the estimated £25,000 cost to repair the damaged engine.”

https://www.gofundme.com/f/misspickup?fbclid=IwAR2hr8LMUpluFOuAJ-nuBduK…

MK12 (once) of this forum posted this picture , observing as follows 

”PT879 photographed at Airframe Assemblies on I.O.W. on 17 March 1998.

By my judgement of the leading edges, I would say it impacted snow or very soft ground inverted at about 10 degrees to the horizontal.

Mark”

I wonder if they tried applying a high pressure air-line, to return it back to  3D shape.

In the scheme of things, that wreckage represents a very substantial start for a rebuild.

Two attempts were made to make a single-engine take -off, but sufficient airspeed could not be reached.

Crew Chief reports as follows-

”It was felt to be very important to at least try and get the Catalina off the Loch as there are no slipways there and very few options for beaching. Two attempts were made by our two very experienced pilots to safely take off on the good engine. This was unsuccessful as insufficient speed could be attained and no further attempts were made. In the end, the lifeboat team who took us in tow were able to take us to a mooring buoy where, in darkness, we safely secured the aircraft.

All focus is now on replacing the broken starter motor and effecting a temporary repair on the port blister to safely fly off the loch in the next few days and fly the short distance to Inverness Dalcross Airport. It was very unfortunate that a fairly simple mechanical failure was compounded by an over-enthusiastic boatman, not one of our team. But accidents happen. I hope this clarifies the position.”  D.L

It was subsequent to this post that the more serious extent of the engine issues became apparent.