Airworthy Lysanders

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Mon May 18, 2009 4:50 pm

Seeing the Lysander in the Shuttlesworth thread got me to wondering, how many Lysanders are taking to the skies these days?

Holedigger · **Posted:** Mon May 18, 2009 4:52 pm

I think Kermit Weeks' is, or at least was. Not sure of her last flight. Saw her earlier this year parked in the Sun-N-Fun museum hangar. Didn't look like she had been up very recently though. A bit dusty!! :shock:

Apparently there is an airworthy Mark IIIA at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Ontario.
So does that make three flyable or at lest nearly so?

Rhino-9-3 · **Posted:** Mon May 18, 2009 5:54 pm

Holedigger wrote:

I think Kermit Weeks' is, or at least was. Not sure of her last flight. Saw her earlier this year parked in the Sun-N-Fun museum hangar. Didn't look like she had been up very recently though. A bit dusty!! :shock:

Apparently there is an airworthy Mark IIIA at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Ontario.
So does that make three flyable or at lest nearly so?

Not sure about any other than the one at CWH. That one hasn't flown yet, but it will be by the begining of June.

m charters · **Posted:** Mon May 18, 2009 7:13 pm

CWH's should fly in June, Vintage Wings of Canada's may fly in 2009, the Shuttleworth Collection has an airworthy example , and the Sabena Old Timers have one, but I am uncertain if it is currently flying. I am uncertain as well to the status of Kermits.
That makes 5 potential airworthy examples.

JDK · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 7:55 am

m charters wrote:

CWH's should fly in June, Vintage Wings of Canada's may fly in 2009, the Shuttleworth Collection has an airworthy example , and the Sabena Old Timers have one, but I am uncertain if it is currently flying. I am uncertain as well to the status of Kermits.
That makes 5 potential airworthy examples.

A very good summary. To clarify, the only current flyer is Shuttleworth's - G-AZWT.

I don't know when Kermit's (RCAF 1244) last flew - certainly some while before 2007, and I don't think since. I don't recall any evidence it ever flew in the US - anyone? Not airworthy, IMHO.

Sabena's and the CWH example (C-GCWL) are indeed near but haven't flown (AFAIK in the Belgian's case).

Additionally there is an original Westland built example (V9132) being restored at Duxford by the Aircraft Restoration Co for John Romain. This will fly, but is some way off.

The NASM's example was airworthy before donation.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 9:12 am

On further reading on Kermit's Lysander, it was rebuilt (apparently only to static condition) and is in the lineup to be rebuilt to flying status (which certainly will be a while!) With his small staff and big collection......looks like she will be static for a while yet! :shock:

JDK · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 9:22 am

Holedigger wrote:

On further reading on Kermit's Lysander, it was rebuilt (apparently only to static condition) and is in the lineup to be rebuilt to flying status (which certainly will be a while!) With his small staff and big collection......looks like she will be static for a while yet! :shock:

Errr? It was airworthy in the UK, and when sold to him...

barnbstormer · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 3:51 pm

Where is, and what is the status of the one the The Bianchi's, of Personal Plane Services, U.K. restored to flying condition for Philip Mann? At the time, I believe that was the first one to be restored to flying status in the modern era, circa mid 1970s. I know that all the paperwork was lost in Neil Williams' tragic CASA 111 crash and after that, Mann said it would need the equivalent of an annual inspection for EACH flight then on, (barring another full restoration with new paperwork records) so that was his reason for selling it on to a major UK collection who could sign it off for flights. The name escapes me at the moment. I remember some little details such as Dunlop having the mold to get the restoration a proper set of tires for it. We had also shipped it to UK with a spare Mercury IX, (possibly firewall forward) for the Lysander,if my memory is correct.

blurrkup · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 4:02 pm

barnbstormer wrote:

Where is, and what is the status of the one the The Bianchi's, of Personal Plane Services, U.K. restored to flying condition for Philip Mann? At the time, I believe that was the first one to be restored to flying status in the modern era, circa mid 1970s. I know that all the paperwork was lost in Neil Williams' tragic CASA 111 crash and after that, Mann said it would need the equivalent of an annual inspection for EACH flight then on, (barring another full restoration with new paperwork records) so that was his reason for selling it on to a major UK collection who could sign it off for flights. The name escapes me at the moment. I remember some little details such as Dunlop having the mold to get the restoration a proper set of tires for it. We had also shipped it to UK with a spare Mercury IX, (possibly firewall forward) for the Lysander,if my memory is correct.

From looking around on the internet, I believe this is the one Kermit Weeks now owns.

Iclo · **Posted:** Tue May 19, 2009 4:21 pm

Sabena Old Timer's looks to be very clause to fly after being heavily damaged in 2001. They plan to fly her in 2009, but I don't have more information...

Links to picture: http://picasaweb.google.com/bamf.bamrs/SabenaOldtimersPresentationOfTheWeslandLysanderAfterRestoration#

Nota: there is TWO lysanders in their hangar. On in black paint scheme of special operation, nearly two fly, and an other one in "target tug" livrery, in restoration for static display at the Brussels Royal Army Museum.

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3333

JDK wrote:

Holedigger wrote:

On further reading on Kermit's Lysander, it was rebuilt (apparently only to static condition) and is in the lineup to be rebuilt to flying status (which certainly will be a while!) With his small staff and big collection......looks like she will be static for a while yet! :shock:

Errr? It was airworthy in the UK, and when sold to him...

Kermit had a second Lysander, a project, which is the one now with ARCo at Duxford.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 6:14 am

Ah, so that's the answer! Kermit Had two. I was starting to think that as I was coming up with conflicting data. Nothing new!!! :shock:

Firebird · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 7:38 am

Must have a search through some old photos for the Flying Legends at Dx back in the mid-90's sometime when all three flyers at that time, flew together - what a terriffic sight that was.

IIRC, wasn't the Lizzie designed by Teddy Petter who went on to join English Electric and design the Canberra and start the design of what became the Lightning.

John Dupre · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 8:14 am

I remember reading that one of the UK flyers had some sort of problems with the Briston Mercury engine that took nearly a year to sort out. Any one have any idea what that was? Could that be why the one restored in CA in the 70's that is now at the USAFM had such a short flying career?

Yak 11 Fan · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 11:35 am

The one that Kermit now has took some time to sort out. The Aircraft Restoration Company sorted it out in the end and then operated it for a while before it ended up with Kermit Weeks.
I didn't see the Lysander on my last visit to Florida, however when I saw it 3 years ago it was a shadow of its former self. I guess in time it will be restored to its former glory.

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