JJ–

Yep, the Science Museum has a very nice aviation gallery. Interestingly they began collecting aviation items before World War I! Also in that collection are very early examples of both Spitfire and Hurricane, and one of the Schneider Trophy-winning Supermarine S6B floatplane racers. Very much worth a visit…

S.

Chamas–

Just thrilled to see this bird has returned to her Eglinton markings as she wore with FAAHF. Recently saw she’s been added to the Willow Run list, too, so just maybe I’ll get a look at her in her new finery in August…that show looks like costing me a lot of cash in film… :rolleyes:

S.

Chamas–

Bugeyed with anticipation of seeing this gorgeous bird when done. Hadn’t had any idea N20MD was coming to Goderich…heard about a Fury (a while ago) and assumed it was Sandy T’s C-FGAT. But to see this…! Not merely a Fury, but one with five blades that swing gloriously in the proper direction… 😀

I’d also heard the rumour about Mr Cruise, but that may simply have stemmed from the widely-seen footage of Mr C flying his Mustang “Kiss Me Kate” in company with the Sanders’ Fury “Argonaut” and the unpainted N20MD. Whoever owns N20MD now, I wonder is there any chance at all of seeing the Fury at one of the more-or-less local shows this summer…? Been way too long since I’ve seen a Centaurus Fury turnin’.

Many thanx for posting these. Makes my whole day!

S.

Hi all–

Found two of the old Asmara pix on a CD here and figured out how to post them (piece of cake actually)…only to find that both images are too large, filewise, to attach to a post. Oh well. PM me and I can email them to you (I forget who it was asked me to post them)…Or maybe someone has a tip for getting round the file-size limitation?

S.

Hi–

Four Firefly 1s were recovered from Eritrea (Asmara); two went to Canada and two to South Africa. The pair that came to Canada were DK545, now in storage at CAvM (Rockcliffe/Ottawa), and PP462, now under restoration to airworthy condition at the Shearwater Aviation Museum (Dartmouth NS). Both these are ex-RCN FR.1s. The pair that went to SAf were also ex-RCN, one FR.1 and one T.1 “double bubble” dual. IIRC one of those had a serial in the MB range (MB694??).

At Asmara at one point circa the late 60s, though, there were at least six Firefly 1s–four “normal” ones and two duals–parked in the open there. I have copies of photos showing six different examples. I’ve long wondered whether those last two might still be awaiting rescue. Here’s hoping!

S.

Mike–

Sorry to hear this. Had always had a queasy feeling about that project: such a huge airframe, not airworthy nor, apparently, even ferriable, needing dismantling, shipping thousands of miles, and reassembly in an outdoor airpark. One hopes the gifting of this last extant CC-106 to Ecuador’s military might buy the aircraft some time…and it probably will buy SOME time, but enough? Time of course will tell. But we got all the way down to only one North Star, too, when several more could have been rescued. Yukon 932 probably, realistically, passed the point of no return when she lapsed into inactivity at Guyaquil.

Perhaps when (sadly I doubt it’s an “if”) the FAE opts to dispose of the Yukon, some parts, say the forward fuselage/flightdeck and one of the engines, could be gifted back to Trenton…those could then be displayed indoors and the interior opened to visitors. Better to keep part of the last Yukon than nothing at all…Just my 2c.

S.

Oh wow, that’s gorgeous. Hearty congrats to Mr Black and crew…

S.