CT-133s in Acton and Grand Bend, Ontario

[mrhenniger]

Does anyone have specific directions on how to find these two airframes? Catherine and I are thinking of doing the grand tour of Southern Ontario on our way to Willow Run tomorrow.

I would guess Steve and/or Eric have seen these airframes before.

Mike

Last edited by mrhenniger on Thu Aug 05, 2004 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Steve T]

Hi Mike--

When I saw "CT-133s in Action" I thought, hey cool, the Waterloo T-birds are finally on the go...But methinks you mean "Acton" instead. Both of these are new ones to me, actually. I'm guessing they're recently-retired CT-133s as those keep popping up on pedestals joining well-known T-birds that have been mounted for decades.

Depending on your route, there are also Sabres in Peterborough and Oshawa, a Voodoo at Lindsay airport, and the Al Rubin collection at Markham airfield (but if you pop in there it's probably best not to try taking pix, as Al's a bit peculiar about that). There is of course the Lanc at Windsor; and at Sarnia there should still be that sorry-looking Sabre hulk in Germaine Park, awaiting replacement by a Snowbird Tutor (and, I'm guessing, a probable date with the metals-recycling industry )...

Hope to be at Willow Run 9am Saturday.

Cheers

S.

[mrhenniger]

When I saw "CT-133s in Action" I thought, hey cool, the Waterloo T-birds are finally on the go...

Oooppsss! I'll edit that.

When I saw "CT-133s in Action" I thought, hey cool, the Waterloo T-birds are finally on the go...But methinks you mean "Acton" instead. Both of these are new ones to me, actually.

Wow! I stumped Steve!

Here is a picture of the Acton bird...

http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/popfiles/acton.htm

...and one of the Grand Bend bird...

http://www.roadsideattractions.ca/popfi ... ndbend.htm

...neither are "recent" by the appearance in the photos.

...and at Sarnia there should still be that sorry-looking Sabre hulk in Germaine Park, awaiting replacement by a Snowbird Tutor...

Tell me more about this one. Any directions?

I hope to be at the show at 9 AM as well with Catherine in tow.

Regards,

Mike

[peter]

The grand bend t33 has a tail from a grumman banshee. It still has the ghost image of the royal canadian navy titling on the skin near the tailpipe.

The sabre is in terrible shape and pretty much useless for anything other than the skip. It has a canopy from a t33 due to the original one being destroyed in the fire at a wharehouse where she was stored. She was roughly put back together and with alot of fiberglass filler was placed on the post.

I posted a couple of pics of her on webshots..
http://community.webshots.com/album/172860861xDAQgu?53

[mrhenniger]

The grand bend t33 has a tail from a grumman banshee. It still has the ghost image of the royal canadian navy titling on the skin near the tailpipe.

I remember reading something here that the tail wasn't quite right. I did manage to find it, although many of the locals didn't know about it, even when I showed them the picture of the net. I took a few close-ups of the tail and will eventually post them on Webshots.

The sabre is in terrible shape and pretty much useless for anything other than the skip. It has a canopy from a t33 due to the original one being destroyed in the fire at a wharehouse where she was stored. She was roughly put back together and with alot of fiberglass filler was placed on the post.

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to take a look for it when I am in the area next summer. Approximately where in Sarnia is that park?


BTW... I did manage to find the Silver Star in Acton. It is at the local Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 197. When heading west through town on Hwy 7 and you get to the lights where you need to go right to follow 7, don't turn but rather go straight. You will pass a flower mill on the left, then start looking for sign for the legion on the right (it isn't far). When you see the sign turn right and you will find the Legion at then end of that street. The Silver Star is pole mounted on the other side of the Legion building.

Regards,

Mike

[peter]

Mike.
The sabre can be seen from East street and there is a parking lo off of east street beside the Swimming pool where you can park and walk through towards the sabre jet.
If you havent been here before, exit the 402 on Indian road turn left so that you cross over the 402 you are now heading south.The first set of lights is Exmouth, go thru the intersection and you will come up to another set of lights, go thru this intersection and you will come up to a third set of lights, This is London road. Turn right onto London road and at the first set of lights you come to turn left, this is East street. Look for the community centre on your left and the swimming poolm, the parking lot is between these 2 buildings. If you pass the fire station youve gone to far. You can park in the large parking lot and walk throuigh the arbor and the Sabre is right in front of you.
Look forward to seeing the pics?

[Andrew Semon]

I was in Toronto Area on Saturday so I decided to find the Al Rubin collection at Markham airfield...I am not too familar with the GTA so I headed north up Markham Road assuming it was located at Buttonville Airport? I did find the airport but I was not able to see any planes..all the gates seemed locked,,,can anyone provide any detailed directions?...I am sorta map challenged at times I guess... does anyone have any pictures..I know that he is not too keen on visitors but maybe who knows??[/quote]

[Steve T]

Hi Andrew--

Nope, not Buttonville...Markham airfield is just north of the town (which is in the process of reinventing itself as a city!), up a gravel drive uphill to the right off Hwy#48 (Markham Road). Except for whatever sign might still be beside the driveway you'd scarcely guess there was an airport there; you don't see it until you're up the hill. Last time I was there I did not have a camera with me (which is kind of a shame as there was no one there that day!), but around the southwest corner of the field were numerous ex-CF airframes including a Sabre, two CF-104Ds, a T-33 (out on the flightline), and five CF-5As in bits and pieces, plus parts of other stuff, and a real surprise (of which I do have pix from a previous visit), a very nice Belgian AF F-104G. Mr Rubin has also owned a number of older types such as an ex-Conair TBM, a Harvard II, a Miles Hawk Major and the remains of the one-off Mk.6 Percival Proctor. The Harvard and Proctor relics were ex-Jack Arnold. I think Mr Rubin still has the Miles Hawk (a really beautiful machine) in indoor store somewhere in the area (at least he did last time I talked with him...though that was eight years ago). He also had an operation at Mt.Hope at one time; the Miles Hawk was restored there as was the T-33 now displayed on a pylon in Fort Erie (also ex-Jack Arnold BTW). That shop is long gone but I have a number of pix taken there also. Mr Rubin's passion at that time (mid/late-80s) was the Messerschmitt 109, and he did ultimately garner a DB605 engine from (iirc) Italy...Not sure whether he ever located an airframe to go with it!

Cheers

S.

[Andrew Semon]

Thanks for the info Steve..I have printed out your directions for my next visit to Toronto..

Andrew