Marauder at MAPS

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:35 pm

Anyone been there lately and viewed the work taking place on the Marauder? I was just checking out restoration photos on their website but I'm not certain just how old those photos are.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:43 pm

All I know is originally that was suppose to be a restoration to flight and now it will be static. :evil:

oscardeuce · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:34 am **Posts:** 1021

One of the wings in in the jig and at least 50% done.

I was never aware this was to be a flyer, but the restoration is to that level.

Slow but steady.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:33 pm

I heard a flyer too. Until recently.

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:44 pm

oscardeuce wrote:

One of the wings in in the jig and at least 50% done.

I was never aware this was to be a flyer, but the restoration is to that level.

Slow but steady.

It was long slated as being a flying restoration, but I must admit to being a bit discouraged at the quality of the work I saw ten years ago... rivets with smiley faces, sandblasted skin... that sort of thing. Hopefully that's been rectified. Regardless... they are doing a great deal with a very little, and I really enjoyed my visit.

Cheers,
Richard

oscardeuce · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:34 am **Posts:** 1021

From what I've heard since I joined in 1999. Is that it is a "flyable" restoration". No plans to actually fly her. Most of the error of the past have been atoned for in the repairs. It is my understanding that MARC and MAPS co own this bird.

oscardeuce · **Joined:** Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:34 am **Posts:** 1021

From what I've heard since I joined in 1999. Is that it is a "flyable" restoration". No plans to actually fly her. Most of the errors of the past have been atoned for in the repairs. It is my understanding that MARC and MAPS co own this bird.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:55 am

Don't get me wrong, I applaud MAPS for taking on this very rare restoration. I also hope to get out there to visit there museum. Seems like a great collection. But I'd still love to see that Marauder fly one day. And if that involves the B-26 being transfered to Geneseo then so be it.

The only reason I say Geneseo is because MARC seems to have a trend of moving many of there aircraft there. I only hope this trend continues.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:46 pm

MARC can't move the B-26 without paying a very substantial amount to MAPS. MAPS learned a lesson from watching Air Heritage get screwed over by MARC.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 3:31 pm

mustangdriver wrote:

MARC can't move the B-26 without paying a very substantial amount to MAPS. MAPS learned a lesson from watching Air Heritage get screwed over by MARC.

Ahhhhhhh, I see. Was that the case with the 2 SBD's that were once there? Seems like Air Heritage/MARC has a bad history of screwing over groups/individuals. Am I right to say that Air Heritage and MARC are the same organization?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Tue Aug 24, 2010 3:37 pm

No, Air Heritage is a small museum of volunteers north of Pittsburgh. Many of the aircraft they used to have were owned by MARC. They had the screws really put to them by MARC. MAPS took note and protected some of their interests.

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

mustangdriver wrote:

No, Air Heritage is a small museum of volunteers north of Pittsburgh. Many of the aircraft they used to have were owned by MARC. They had the screws really put to them by MARC. MAPS took note and protected some of their interests.

Also, MARC (Military Aircraft Restoration Company) is the corporation that Dave Tallichet set up to own all of his warbird assets. Have you noticed a common theme here - money! Tallichet, even when alive, was not known to pour extravagant amounts of money into his restorations and flying warbirds. He was forced some years ago to sell off some of his assets, i.e. - the B-26 and B-24 because he couldn't afford to keep everything maintained and in flying condition. This is not a knock against Tallichet, as he did the best he could, like all of us would have done, to keep the most amount of warbirds flying with the limited resources he had at the time. I'm assuming that his son, who is now running MARC, has the same philosophy and wants to get the most "bang for the buck" when it comes to selling off MARC's assets.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 1:22 am

I posted these in another thread, but since this one is dedicated to the MAPS Marauder, here they are again (in no particular order.)

These photos were taken when I visited the museum in August of last year (2009.) The Marauder is making slow progress, but she's coming along. I'm not sure what they're going to do about the engines. Years ago I heard that they didn't have anything forward of the firewalls (except maybe the engine mounts.) That means they'll have to find a set of engines, and fabricate all the cowl panels.

Cheers!

Steve

tulsaboy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:27 am

I know in advance that the answer to my question is simply, "it's complicated." That being said, I still feel inclined to ask- in a situation like this one, where an aircraft is being restored to "flyable" condition but is not scheduled to be flown, what typically would be have to be done post-restoration to actually fly the aircraft? Would a "flyable" restoration be putting overhauled engines on the airframe, overhauled carbs etc? Would the wiring be up to spec? Would the instruments be flight-worthy and certified appropriately? Would it be as simple as checking the seals, gassing it up and testing the systems to make sure that it really was airworthy? Or would you assume the airframe itself was ok, but that nothing else was ok. Would you end up taking the aircraft apart again, only to re-restore some areas and then put it back together?

The question, I think, is applicable in this situation because I could see at some point in the future with a dedicated and wealthy supporter, or a change in management, or a change in ownership, an airframe like this one could see air underneath its wings. With that in mind, how big of a problem would it be to roll it out and go flying?

I feel like we see the statement often made by museums or other organizations that an aircraft is being restored to "flyable" status but that it will never be flown. Is that just code for "we're trying really, really hard to do a nice restoration" but in actuality has nothing practically related to restoring a flying aircraft?

kevin

Aircraft Mech Paul · **Posted:** Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:33 am

Hi Guys,

I was lead to believe that when the hulk of this aircraft was removed from Beaver Fallls to move to MAPS it was going to be made into a Flyer. It would be shame if it weren't, but I can well understand it if were not given the planes reputation and Kermits only other flyer example. But it would be oh so sweet to see them both airborne together at some point don't you think ?

Paul

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