Roundals on wings date from original restoration in late 1980’s as a 1950’s RAF markings. Latest markings on fuselage to show service 1945/46 when in service on the ‘Berlin Air Lift’. Yes the Berlin Airlift!

Hopefully the IWM will let us change the wing roundals!

Having helped prepare, research and paint TA179 for the IWM I know only too well the hard work involved. Well done!

Hope so but I heard that a Japanese visitor is expected at Legends!?!

Warbirds in ‘Water’

A few years ago I had the opportunity to research ‘sunken treasure’ for a certain project. Along the way I discovered there are several approx. 4 airframes of Sunderland flyingboats in a ‘fresh water’ area of the bay off Oban in Scotland.

They range from 50 – 180ft down. One of them is upright and has several fishing lines tangled on the props. One of them is a war grave. The others have been mangled from tides, fishing lines and dredging of the bay!

Water recovery is very dangerous and expensive specialist business. Good luck to them and lets hope we see a Whitley ‘air side’ one day! 🙂

Thanks for all the great photos. I was one of the volunteer restoration team but due to business was not able to attend. Please note the number ’56’ is bang on and if anyone wants any shots of the lettering phase please ask.

Also I note a few challenges for ‘day glo’ strips. The paint scheme followed many photos of the time of TA719 in service with the CAACU and never wore those. The corgi model of VP191 no. 54 has these so people assume. In fact we have a photo of 54 & 56 in flight and you can see where on 54 the ‘day glo’ has been over sprayed.

The props are fibre glass and there are no merlins to answer another query.

Onto the next project!