Report: Museum of Flight Restoration Facilities
Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:37 pm
I spent my last morning in Seattle (this trip anyway) on a little excursion back to Paine Field to visit the Museum of Flight’s restoration facility.
As soon as I entered I was greeted with a nice view of the nose of their deHavilland Comet 4C. The rear end is outside and the nose is inside. The hanger doors have been modified to seal around the fuselage.
Very near by is the fuselage of their deHavilland Vampire and a P-80/T-33 fuselage. The wing set for what I believe belongs to the T-33 were close by as well.
Proceeding into the hanger I came across the XF8U-1 (correct designation?) Crusader. It is looking to be very good and the resotration is proceeding.
Nearby the Crusader was a Fouga Magister and then what I believe was a A-5 Vigilante, but I need to check their website to confirm that. It is the one with the gear that places the nose high and the rear low. It is twin engined with the engines side-by-side and with two vertical tails spaced apart outside of the engines. If it is an A-5 it was the first one I have seen in person. What ever it is, it is the first one I have seen. Very cool.
The next airframe was the Wildcat. This was the gem that I was looking for, and it is indeed looking very good. The engine is hung on the airframe with the cowl in place. It is sitting on it's own gear. The wings are complete and installed with the exception of the starboard wing which is in the process of having some panels installed. The tail looks like it has been recently completed. The airframe is in bare metal and I didn't see any evidence of any primer being applied anywhere.
Moving further down into the hanger I came across the work area for the B-29. They don't actually have the B-29 there, but rather the bulk of it apparently is in storage in a Boeing building at Boeing field along with the B-17. They were working on the ailerons when I was there.
You can go outside and view the rear end of the Comet. A number of panels were removed on the underside and the control surfaces have been removed (at least those on the tail anyway). Right beside the Comet is a 727, and apparently this the 727 prototype, but I haven’t checked on this fact yet. Also parked nearby on the ramp was an Anotonov An-2 Antec. It is in a dark green paint scheme with the C/R N16_ or something like that.
I took the time to chat with a few gentlemen that were working on the Wildcat. They were are fantastic bunch and were willing to talk. They were the ones that told me about the B-29. They also told me that a new “small” museum will be going in on the other side of the field. It will also house the new Boeing tour center and have an adjoining 100 room hotel. Apparently it will be more transport/commercial oriented and not so military oriented. I was told their 247 will be displayed at the new museum. They mentioned the 247 is complete and in storage at Paine Field someplace. The B-52 that is on the field is also theirs, but will not likely be displayed at the new museum since it is a former military aircraft. The also mentioned that NASA’s recently retired B-52B may be going to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. It would make sense that the B-52 at Paine Field go to Boeing field, but the wiring bundles on the B-52 at Paine have been cut rendering it non-airworthy (within a limits of expense). I just couldn’t imagine them taking on the task of ground transportation. They also noted that they didn’t know where it would be displayed at Boeing field since there isn’t much room. I agree, but the Concorde had been moved to the west side of Marginal Way along with the 747, 727, 737 and C-137. Perhaps that would make room right beside the museum?
The volunteers there also indicated that the B-47 at Boeing Field (I forgot to mention last week that I didn’t see it parked where it was parked last April) had been moved to a paint shop, and once repainted, would be placed on outside display at the Museum of Flight.
That is all that I can remember right now. I may add a few more things if I remember them. Hopefully I am returning home tomorrow. I want to get my film to the photo lab so I can share with WIX. For now it is back to work.
Regards,
Mike
As soon as I entered I was greeted with a nice view of the nose of their deHavilland Comet 4C. The rear end is outside and the nose is inside. The hanger doors have been modified to seal around the fuselage.
Very near by is the fuselage of their deHavilland Vampire and a P-80/T-33 fuselage. The wing set for what I believe belongs to the T-33 were close by as well.
Proceeding into the hanger I came across the XF8U-1 (correct designation?) Crusader. It is looking to be very good and the resotration is proceeding.
Nearby the Crusader was a Fouga Magister and then what I believe was a A-5 Vigilante, but I need to check their website to confirm that. It is the one with the gear that places the nose high and the rear low. It is twin engined with the engines side-by-side and with two vertical tails spaced apart outside of the engines. If it is an A-5 it was the first one I have seen in person. What ever it is, it is the first one I have seen. Very cool.
The next airframe was the Wildcat. This was the gem that I was looking for, and it is indeed looking very good. The engine is hung on the airframe with the cowl in place. It is sitting on it's own gear. The wings are complete and installed with the exception of the starboard wing which is in the process of having some panels installed. The tail looks like it has been recently completed. The airframe is in bare metal and I didn't see any evidence of any primer being applied anywhere.
Moving further down into the hanger I came across the work area for the B-29. They don't actually have the B-29 there, but rather the bulk of it apparently is in storage in a Boeing building at Boeing field along with the B-17. They were working on the ailerons when I was there.
You can go outside and view the rear end of the Comet. A number of panels were removed on the underside and the control surfaces have been removed (at least those on the tail anyway). Right beside the Comet is a 727, and apparently this the 727 prototype, but I haven’t checked on this fact yet. Also parked nearby on the ramp was an Anotonov An-2 Antec. It is in a dark green paint scheme with the C/R N16_ or something like that.
I took the time to chat with a few gentlemen that were working on the Wildcat. They were are fantastic bunch and were willing to talk. They were the ones that told me about the B-29. They also told me that a new “small” museum will be going in on the other side of the field. It will also house the new Boeing tour center and have an adjoining 100 room hotel. Apparently it will be more transport/commercial oriented and not so military oriented. I was told their 247 will be displayed at the new museum. They mentioned the 247 is complete and in storage at Paine Field someplace. The B-52 that is on the field is also theirs, but will not likely be displayed at the new museum since it is a former military aircraft. The also mentioned that NASA’s recently retired B-52B may be going to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field. It would make sense that the B-52 at Paine Field go to Boeing field, but the wiring bundles on the B-52 at Paine have been cut rendering it non-airworthy (within a limits of expense). I just couldn’t imagine them taking on the task of ground transportation. They also noted that they didn’t know where it would be displayed at Boeing field since there isn’t much room. I agree, but the Concorde had been moved to the west side of Marginal Way along with the 747, 727, 737 and C-137. Perhaps that would make room right beside the museum?
The volunteers there also indicated that the B-47 at Boeing Field (I forgot to mention last week that I didn’t see it parked where it was parked last April) had been moved to a paint shop, and once repainted, would be placed on outside display at the Museum of Flight.
That is all that I can remember right now. I may add a few more things if I remember them. Hopefully I am returning home tomorrow. I want to get my film to the photo lab so I can share with WIX. For now it is back to work.
Regards,
Mike
Tue Jan 11, 2005 3:50 pm
Mike
could it have been a F7U? I know there are a couple beening restored, but no sure where http://www.dvhaa.org/f7u.html
The A-5 has a single tail.
http://www.vectorsite.net/ava5.html
could it have been a F7U? I know there are a couple beening restored, but no sure where http://www.dvhaa.org/f7u.html
The A-5 has a single tail.
http://www.vectorsite.net/ava5.html
Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:07 pm
TimApNy wrote:Mike
could it have been a F7U? I know there are a couple beening restored, but no sure where.
The A-5 has a single tail.
I'll check and report tonight.
Mike
Tue Jan 11, 2005 5:13 pm
It's the cutless alright.
Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:26 pm
The 247 was in the adjacent hangar (to the right of the parking area) with the Bf-108 last time I was there. And yes, you saw the Cutlass. Did you notice the balsa wood core for the wing skins? I also recall the An-2 had some accident damage.
Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:01 pm
bdk wrote:The 247 was in the adjacent hangar (to the right of the parking area) with the Bf-108 last time I was there. And yes, you saw the Cutlass. Did you notice the balsa wood core for the wing skins? I also recall the An-2 had some accident damage.
Confirmed it was the Cutlass. I didn't notice the balsa wood core for the wing skins. I also didn't notice any accident damage on the An-2.
Mike
Tue Jan 11, 2005 9:25 pm
http://community.webshots.com/album/244637426kDNsQH?969mrhenniger wrote:Confirmed it was the Cutlass. I didn't notice the balsa wood core for the wing skins. I also didn't notice any accident damage on the An-2.
See pages 2 & 3 of the album for a few photos I took in October of 2002 (longer ago than I recalled).
Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:04 pm
Was the B-47 still on the field, about half way down on the west ramp area?
Thanks,
Lynn
Thanks,
Lynn
Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:39 am
Last April the B-47 was on the ramp on the west side north of the control tower. I did not see it this week, and I was told it is in a paint shop.
Mike
Mike