Dan, my sincere condolences. You’re in my thoughts and prayers.

With some personal matters and trying to finish up the work on my CD-ROM taking up most of my time I haven’t been around the forum much recently. I decided to drop in and catch up this morning only to see this thread. What sad, sad news.

I never knew Steve, in fact I don’t think I even swapped any PM’s with him, but his posts were some of the few I always took the time to read. Through them one could see that he was a man of passion and convinction who had a sense of humor and a great love for both history and aviation. One could also sense what a great guy he was to others and, in the end, isn’t that the true measure of a man’s worth – how many people’s lives he influenced for the better? If so, the length of this thread alone indicates he was indeed as great of a person as I thought him to be.

I send my heartfelt condolences to his family and everyone who knew him and I raise a glass in his honor.

He will be dearly missed.

Syd “Locobuster” Edwards

I say, old chap, have a smashing birthday and wishes for many more from the colonies!

From what I’ve read they intend to cut it into sections 😮 so that it can be transported by truck…If this is true it’s just insane! Surely there is some other way to accomplish the move without resorting to such measures!

Dog House Ldr., it is really a shame that the Muesum never came to be and that, after all of the time and effort spent restoring her she won’t reside in the city where she was born and for which she was named.

edit: I hadn’t visited the B-36’s site in quite awhile, so I clicked on the link above. Sure enough there is confirmation that they do indeed intend to cut her into small, easily transportable pieces… I quote: “Due to the size and weight of the main wing section, the beautifully restored wing will be cut in half to allow it to be placed on two trailers for transport.” 😡 🙁

I should have phrased my question a little better, I wondered if the Southern Cross had previously flown with the number 71, not 47. Seems I was right, thanks Martin! I should’ve known to look on the registry, but I’m just getting ready for bed here. I just vaguely remembered seeing photos of it with that number on some race website but it was years ago…

I didn’t think I was going crazy, well, any crazier than I already am. 😮 I mean I spent a good two weeks studying every picture I could find of the plane when I was designing that shirt for Steve earlier this year. I remember getting the number on the side of the plane to look right was a real bear for some reason… 😮

None the less it’s good to see her in the sky, did he get the panel the way he wanted and did he find a Spitfire style stick for her, Mike?

Did Steve change the number on the side of the Sea Fury? It used to be 47.

Happy Birthday and many more to come, Martin!

Congrats Melv!