Strato cruiser - C97 ?

exhaustgases · **Joined:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:26 pm **Posts:** 239

I thought I remember a while back that Clay Lacy had one they were going to be flying, as well as the Berlin airlift one. Is there any news on either one of those planes?

airtj · **Posted:** Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:50 pm

Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation

http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 741

We anticipate a June departure from Floyd Bennett.... In a perfect world...

All engine hoses are nearly replaced. Newly recovered Flight controls are all replaced, some electrical mods made, lotsmore inspecting done, system by system.

New window glass installed in cockpit. Lots of other stuff.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now....

robkamm · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:32 am

nice job. post some pics of the progress.

Pogmusic · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:51 am

I agree. When I went to the site, last update was in 2012.

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 741

I agree I need to update our site. We've been so busy working on the 97, I haven't paid much attention to the website.

Ill get it together asap.

KK

DH82EH · **Posted:** Tue Sep 10, 2013 8:34 pm

Hey Kevin
WTF are you doing wasting time on the internet :lol:

Get back to work on the airplane :shock:

Seriously. W.O.W. What a project. Congratulations on what must be a monumental team effort.

Anyone should count themselves as fortunate to see and hear this beauty return to the skies.

Thanks to the team for making the effort :supz:

Andy Scott

Airlift48 · **Joined:** Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 741

K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:03 am

I'm really looking forward to seeing the C-97 back in the air. I grew up 3.4 miles off the end of Rwy 27 at New Castle County Airport, which is home to the Delaware Air National Guard. In the late 1960s, DANG was still flying C-97s (they converted to C-130 in the early 1970s and they still fly them today). Those heavily-loaded Strats would come thundering over the house, a few hundred feet up, struggling for altitude, with the roar of their engines shaking the entire house. My folks griped about the noise, but to an airplane geeek like me, it was absolutely magical!

lbarber · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:20 am

This is awesome, I had no idea this project was going on. I've always wanted to see a Stratocrusier fly.

Chief · **Joined:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:18 pm **Posts:** 187

Kevin,

Keep up the good work! I can't wait to see her fly also. Maybe you can get some of these guys who want to watch her fly, help pull the engine oil screens when they need pulled. Or maybe by now you have devised a way to do it without getting an oil bath. I always got splattered with MIL-L-6802, Grade 1100.

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Wed Sep 11, 2013 6:48 pm

This will be awesome to see when it happens and a long time in the making. I have an old brochure from BAHF from the late-90s with information on the Stratocruiser in it!

b29driver · **Posted:** Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:47 am

Chief wrote:

Kevin,

Keep up the good work! I can't wait to see her fly also. Maybe you can get some of these guys who want to watch her fly, help pull the engine oil screens when they need pulled. Or maybe by now you have devised a way to do it without getting an oil bath. I always got splattered with MIL-L-6802, Grade 1100.

When I flew 97's the crew chiefs would always use a large black plastic trash bag. They would cut arm holes and one for their head and put it on like a long tee shirt.

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Thu Sep 12, 2013 11:52 am

Speaking of which, does anyone know more about the folks trying to get an Israeli AF Stratocruiser (not a C-97, but one of the six B-377 airliners they modified to cargo configuration) to restore back to airline configuration? Specifically, has anyone located/IDed the airframe yet? The website was last updated in May 2012: http://stratocruiser.org/news.html

jwc50 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:33 pm

Airlift48 wrote:

We anticipate a June departure from Floyd Bennett.... In a perfect world...

All engine hoses are nearly replaced. Newly recovered Flight controls are all replaced, some electrical mods made, lotsmore inspecting done, system by system.

New window glass installed in cockpit. Lots of other stuff.

We can see the light at the end of the tunnel now....

Kevin - You guys have made some GREAT progress! Can't wait to see the C-97 fly again. Look forward to hearing the latest developments as they occur. Hope it will be able to take off from Floyd Bennett Field next summer. Will it return to Floyd Bennett following the departure, or will it be headed to another location? With luck maybe I will see it on its first flight.

It would be fantastic to see the "Angel of Deliverance" at Oshkosh and/or perhaps Thunder Over Michigan next July/August.

Keep up the great work!

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Strato cruiser - C97 ?

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