Category: Warbird Restoration

Open Hangar Day, American Aero Services

This past weekend, the family and I traveled up to New Symrna Beach to visit American Aero Services during one of their Open Hangar Day, in which the shop is open for people to walk around and see the restoration and maintenance work that they are doing. The Collings Foundation has selected American Aero as their vendor of choice to do maintenance on their B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, F4U-5NL Corsair and P-51C Mustang. The Collings Foundation is also restoring a A-36A Apache at American Aero.

Also being restored at American Aero for Shelby Burch is N5444V, P-51 Mustang.

There was a Grumman TBM Avenger, N452A, in attendance as well, getting maintenance.

The balding red-headed guy with the blonde 2 year old are us. The wife was taking photos.

Florida Wing, Commemorative Air Force

The Florida Wing of the Commemorative Air Force has finally re-emerged from its absence on the web with two new editions of their newsletter for November and December. For those you not familiar with the Florida CAF Wing, they are in the process of restoring to flyable condition a TBM Avenger. They have a couple of liaison type planes in their possession as well as a new built hangar to house the restoration and other soft items of their collection.

Their TBM has a history of serving with the US Navy and Royal Canadian Navy. She was sold by the RCN and became an aerial bomber in Canada.

As with a lot of non-profits, they are looking for funds to support the restoration. The December newsletter highlights the Challenge Grant that is being offered to them from CAF headquarters. Best of luck on this project and I look forward to taking a ride up to their hangar to see the progress

Current Fantasy of Flight restorations

Here is a list from various sources, like WIX, Kermit Week’s blog and other forums about the restoration of aircraft for the Fantasy of Flight museum. If you have any additional info or photos, let me know.

A-26 Invader “Whistler’s Mother”: Final stages of the restoration at Aero Trader. Waiting for the 2nd engine to arrive.

3 Boeing 100: A restoration of an original Boeing 100, that was damaged in the hangar collapse during Hurricane Andrew, by Roy Rehm in Nevada. Mr. Weeks has contracted for 2 additional Boeing 100’s to be configured as a Army P-12 C/D and a Navy F4B-2

Grumman Duck in Kansas

Corsair center section and Kingfisher in Australia

Stinson L-1: Being restored at the Fantasy of Flight shop. (photo credit to Joe Amend)

Seversky P-35: Being restored at the Fantasy of Flight shop. (photo credit to Joe Amend)

Grumman TBM Avenger: This was being restored at the Wings over Miami museum and it is still there now.

Hawker Tempest V: Undergoing restoration at Personal Plane Services (PPS) in England. This has been a slow restoration but a highly anticipated one. Latest photos available here and here.

updated with L-1 and P-35 photos, 27 Nov 08