Warbird Information Exchange

Came across this Lysander in the museum storage at Paris Le Bourget and was surprised when I looked up 'N7791' on google and found it's supposed to be in Dulles:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0980850/L/

I've seen the aircraft at Le Bourget mentioned as 2375 by some books http://www.warbirdregistry.org/lizziere ... f2375.html but here it's mentioned as 2346: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/lizziere ... f2346.html

A bit confusing. Someone know the real ID of this aircraft?

Thanks,

Koen

By the way here's one of the other storage 'inmates'; B-17G 44-8889

There's no photo of it in the site database yet so feel free to use admin:



Koen

That's very interesting. Both those planes deserve a better situation than that, especially considering their historical significance and rarity.

Thanks for posting those.

Cheers,

David

At least they are under a roof!

Thanks for posting the shots, please post more as most of us will not ever get there to see the collection in person.

Tim

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Hello,

Thanks, nice to see a recent picture of this plane.
I thinked that the restoration of this lysander was more advanced.

This one had a landing gear in very good shape, useable to fly. They made an exchange with the Sabena Old Timer Association. The restored landing gear of the V9546 in static condition, for this one. (This lysander made an emergency landing in 2001, and the landing gear was badly damaged).
A good example of collaboration, allowing two plane to be restored: one for static and one other to flight condition.

In France means to delay in work of such planes are very restricted, in some years the museum of Bourget in restored by rarer planes as it to Pilfer and Invader as well as Lancaster, of rarer planes than B-17, there is other one prioritier planes to be restored. There is other one prioritier planes to be restored and which one cannot shelter, as Great one Constellation a Caravelle them without shelters. Finally these planes will be restored at a quality level which I doubt see in a lot of other museum. In France it is conditions of allowable stocking, because we have no place and condition weather forecast (as Texas to you). The museum of Bourget restores planes for the long delays but they are all without exeption restored as though they went out of plant. Our to Pilfer is the most marvellous in the world (I put at your disposal photographs of the inside of this plane). Nowadays Invader is at the end of restoration (it is splendid) and Skyraider which must be painted (also marvellous) as well as two Concordes (new state) I protested a lot because Flying Fortress came to Bourget in 1976 in state of theft and they let it rot in the rain, then of thief outside hides instruments but in epoch there was not place in shelters as her. I can have you to my contacts of nice photographs of the Fortress to my contacts when it was painted, said me if you want.
To conclude, we restore few planes but they are restored in a state to make you jalous!

some links:
Skyraider: http://www.pyperpote.tonsite.biz/pages/ ... erpag.html
A-26 Invader: http://www.pyperpote.tonsite.biz/pages/a26pag.html
Marauder: http://www.pyperpote.tonsite.biz/pages/marauderpag.html

All the Best

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Very confusing. The ex Dwight Brookes Lysander is hung at the new museum in Washington.

There was another ex-Canadian Lysander at Le Bourget destroyed some years ago in the famous hangar fire.

The one in the top photo has been going around - it went to Portugal and was rejected as not viable as a worthwhile restoration. (Note that on the rear fuselage what should be fabric over wooden stringers over a metal frame is actually sheet metal.)

Lysanders are tricky, as they are aircraft made up from interchangeable parts, and many, while having a legitimate identity also comprise numerous pieces from other aircraft. Some don't have a straightforward legitimate ID any more, being 'bitsers' - for your government, an ID and paper is required, and there'll be credible IDs from bits of the aircraft - but they aren't passed around as a single piece-item!

From Warbird Directory 4th Ed:

The aircraft in the first photo is:

It was, as I say, traded to Portugal and via Germany (I understand) ended up in France.

The NASM's is:

Now, as I say, on show.

Le Bourget's reserve had:


This also have a number of major parts from other Lysanders and I understand the 'project' had been gathered by Peter Diamond in the UK, from Canada.

Bear in mind that most Lysanders have been gathered together with others, during use by farmers, projected and actual restorations etc. 'Best' parts are selected for the primary rebuild, the less good 'kit' being passed on. Some have been cannibalised.

Finally, the French were presented with a genuine 'Special Duties' Lysander after the war, in a ceremonial handover (footage exists on the British Pathe website) but this aircraft vanished.

Davey, the Le Bourget store holds numerous far rarer aircraft, and has a long restoration list, each rebuild so far having been to top standard; this takes time. In the meantime, the aircraft are held in store - the older ones inside, some dissasembled in jigs, many of the larger post W.W.II examples outside unfortunately.

Cheers

(James Kightly, author of 'The Westland Lysander' MMP Books.)

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Many thanks for the replies, especially from James. I guess there is a lot of confusion in the world of aircraft ID's and I hate to think of the number of incorrections that my log's probably have!

Anyway for those interested here is a list of some of the stuff I've found in the museum storage. I was most impressed by the A-26 in particular having, seen photos of its time in outside storage.



Hope this is of interest. Thanks again for the replies. Might post some more pics later though it was hard to shoot a lot of the aircraft because of the way they were positioned in the hangar(s).

Koen

Hello,

Anybody have an idea where came from the second Lysander, in restoration for static display with the Sabena Old Timer in Brussels (Belgium) ?

Tanks

Koen, here is a link for storage's plane (with photos) of the Musée de l'Air et de L'espace of le Bourget:
140 planes (and some are missing)


http://www.pyperpote.tonsite.biz/pages/reservespag.html

cheers

_________________
B-17s of the French IGN in French
B-17s of the French IGN in English
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Half Pint: the real story of the Pink Lady