Aero Union Guardian

Tue May 27, 2008 5:46 pm

Does anyone know who bought the last of the Grumman Guardians out of Aero Union? I contacted them yesterday and found out the the cache of parts and the last plane had been sold but she could not say to whom it had gone. Darn secrecy stuff!!!!

Tue May 27, 2008 6:25 pm

HHHHmmmmm.......there's a certain WIX member here who has professed his love of big airplanes, especially of the Douglas variety with a big oil-leaking Wright on it.

Could it be? Just speculating.....

Tue May 27, 2008 9:31 pm

You know, come to think of it, it even looks a little like one of those. Except I think THAT person would have announced it to all the rest of us wixers, wouldn't he?

Tue May 27, 2008 9:37 pm

Chris wrote:You know, come to think of it, it even looks a little like one of those. Except I think THAT person would have announced it to all the rest of us wixers, wouldn't he?

Not necessarily. He may want to announce it when he's good and ready, i.e. - after restoration!

If you look at a previous thread when he announced his new full time mechanic, he made some veiled references about surprises in the future. The Guardian was one of the airplanes on his "wish list".

Even if it's not him, I hope that somebody will put one of these rare birds back in the air. I don't believe there any flying right now, are there?

Tue May 27, 2008 9:43 pm

I think Jimmy Leeward has the only one that could be considered airworthy. If it is who you think, BRAVO and kick *ss.

Tue May 27, 2008 9:44 pm

Chris wrote:I think Jimmy Leeward has the only one that could be considered airworthy. If it is who you think, BRAVO and kick *ss.

I thought that his went to a museum where it lives it's life as a static bird? Can someone verify this?

Tue May 27, 2008 11:18 pm

This is from a flight simulator site, but they talk about real aviation a bit. Im not 100% sure on this, but it seems pretty real.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1211729368

Tue May 27, 2008 11:21 pm

Sorry guys, Wasn't me. I'm in the middle of a firewall forward on the Spad. One thing at a time and all.

Wed May 28, 2008 12:48 am

EDowning wrote:Sorry guys, Wasn't me. I'm in the middle of a firewall forward on the Spad. One thing at a time and all.

Darn, I guess you'll have to rebuild a Helldiver instead!

Wed May 28, 2008 12:49 am

Flyin Illini wrote:This is from a flight simulator site, but they talk about real aviation a bit. Im not 100% sure on this, but it seems pretty real.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1211729368

Thanks for that link, that seems to confirm that it is airworthy and still in Jimmy Lewards' hands.

Wed May 28, 2008 7:52 am

Chico, California, December 1969... two Guardian airtankers visible on the ramp in this shot: