Kermit's place last Saturday evening

[Baldeagle]

I worked for Kermit for a couple of years in Miami, up to the hurricane, and had an apartment over the storage bays just south of Tamiami Airport. Myrtle's entire fuselage was downstairs and sometimes at night if I was bored I'd go down, crawl through the tunnel, and sit at the controls. The nose section was moved over to the main museum not long before the hurricane hit, just in time for it to fall over on the P-35 and the Jenny during the storm. Knocked one wing off the P-35 (I think only a few bolts were holding it), and crushed the Jenny fuselage, but didn't hurt the B-29 nose much.




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[stetz]

Current restorations at our facility include the Stinson L-1 Vigilant, Seversky P-35 and Curtiss Jenny. Restorations outside the facility include our A-26 invader with Aero Trader, our second Ford Tri Motor in Michigan, second Grumman Duck in Kansas City,Kingfisher,Corsair center section and P-39 in Australia and three Boeing 100's being built using one original as a guide.The person who is sick about the B-29 nose section can take some medicine that will cure him of things of which he does not understand.

[TAdan]

Thanks for that concise update stetz. Sounds like there is plenty going on.

[Ztex]

three Boeing 100's being built using one original as a guide

WAY COOL!

[gary1954]

stetz What is the status on the B-23, I saw the center section under rebuild in Griffin Georgia several years ago, and the folks doing the work said if was the one from the Weeks collection.

[wendovertom]

"The person who is sick about the B-29 nose section can take some medicine that will cure him of things of which he does not understand."

nice sour grapes. I'd have just gone for a polite explaination of how much $ it takes to just to restore a nose section and that Kermit saved a B-29 from destruction.

Tom P.

[APG85]

The person who is sick about the B-29 nose section can take some medicine that will cure him of things of which he does not understand.

Fair enough. It's still tough to see one of the most historically important (IMHO) of the surviving B-29's sitting in pieces 3,000 miles apart. I can certainly appreciate the cost and monumental effort to re-assemble this aircraft (and fix its corrosion issues). Is there any thought to donating/selling it to another organization? Whats the long term plan? Just curious...

[N3Njeff]

Just wondering,
I know Kermit let the CAF use a Nacell for the conversion mock up. Does anyone know if Kermit is "in Bed" with the CAF and the new engines?? Like might as well make 8. Then he will have them in the future for his?

[PinecastleAAF]

On its maiden flight,Carl and Tony of Aero-trader,had her running flat out at 175ft AGL and it would'nt climb

Not enough motor or wing or what? Seems hard to believe. I'd call that a deathtrap rather than a widowmaker.

[airnutz]

stetz What is the status on the B-23, I saw the center section under rebuild in Griffin Georgia several years ago, and the folks doing the work said if was the one from the Weeks collection.

The wing center section?

[airnutz]

On its maiden flight,Carl and Tony of Aero-trader,had her running flat out at 175ft AGL and it would'nt climb

Not enough motor or wing or what? Seems hard to believe. I'd call that a deathtrap rather than a widowmaker.

Ditto here..hard to believe. The first question which came to my mind..What was the
temperture that day, but my second thought was..no guns, no armour, no full crew with kit...WTF???

[stetz]

I apologize for the sour grape remarks, but we work very hard to do the best we can to restore and display our collection, either flying or static and we take great pride in what we do , so sometimes we take it personally if someone has a unkind remark regarding what we are trying to accomphlish. It is true that the components to our B-29 are 3,000 miles apart but this is because we have no room at our facility to store the entire aircraft and no room to display the aircraft fully assembled. We have no plans to donate or sell the aircraft but Mr. Weeks actually has a second B-29 that is for sell but at this time nobody has expressed interest in purchasing this airframe. The B-23 was damaged in Hurricane Andrew back in 1992 and a agreement was established with a restoration shop to repair the damage but unfortunatety the people doing the work had no clue on how to accomplish the work and project went down the boober along with alot of money.

[gary1954]

Thanks stetz for your information on the B-23 center section....it's a shame that Weeks' organization got taken on the rebuild. Though I have never been down to your facility/museum, I have followed it with great interest. Unfortunately, right now, and perhaps the next couple of life times, I am short several million to be able to acquire the "extra" B-29 People are always going to have their own honest opinion about something..so you guys just keep on ding what you are doing...we enjoy seeing the work, and many of us would love to be a part of it...for now however, I am JAFO.

[retroaviation]

Just wondering,
I know Kermit let the CAF use a Nacell for the conversion mock up. Does anyone know if Kermit is "in Bed" with the CAF and the new engines?? Like might as well make 8. Then he will have them in the future for his?

A fair question, but no, Kermit is not "in bed" with anyone here at the CAF. He is just incredibly generous to have let us borrow his nacelle for FIFI's re-engine project. It kept us from having to remove one from FIFI to take to Nelson Ezell while he fabricates our new exhaust and induction systems. He could have very easily (and understandibly) said, "No, I'd rather that my completely original, very nice engines & nacelles not be messed with," but he didn't. It was quite nice of him to allow us to utilize his B-29 components and we are very grateful for that.

Gary

[Pat Carry]

Now that Mr Weeks has moved the B-29 section from Lakeland over to the Fantasy of Flight Museum, has he also moved the other aircarft he had in Lakeland?