Warbird Information Exchange

Yes, that photo was taken in Red Lake, Ontario in 1984. Here it is with names.

What a fine looking group of gentlemen. I really wish I could have been a part of a group like that. I guess the future still holds a lot of opportunities. So we'll see.

By the way, looking at those different PBY 'after-market' nose modifications... Was there any major, or even mildly significant differences between them other then looks? Did some provide better visibility, or better cruise speed, or better water handling characteristics? Or was it just because the PBY's got their noses modified at different shops, and some shops did things differently?

Peace,

David M

Hello!

I am new to the site, but can shed light on what's going on with C-FNJB. It has indeed been acquired by the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum for our facility at McMinnville, Oregon. We purchased the aircraft during a trip to visit it on July 31, and have been working on getting it ready for a ferry flight to MMV, hopefully in the near future. Our restoration director Tim Coons, (who's already working on getting our EC-121T Constellation ready for a ferry flight out of Helena, MT) will be up in Nanaimo this week with a team, beginning work on the aircraft.

Of course, one look at it will show that it will take a lot of work to get it up in the air. An initial inspection showed the aircraft to be in relatively sound, but this week they get down to the nuts and bolts of it.

Once it gets to McMinnville, it will go into restoration here and our volunteers will be working on making it presentable for display next to it's big brother; the Spruce Goose. At the moment, the plan is to put it on static display, but there have been some folks around here that want to see if fly regularly. That will all depend on manpower and money. We've not decided on a paint scheme yet, but we have plenty of time.

We'll try to keep a flow of news out to people as things progress.

All the best,

Stewart W. Bailey
Curator
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

Hi Stewart,

Thank you for the update. I appreciate you keeping us in the loop with her.

I'm very glad to hear she'll be well looked after with you guys and I'm excited about th prospect of her flying. I hope funds will be available to get her in the air at least a few times.

Peace,

David

Thanks for the update Stewart and welcome to the WIX! Any time frame on getting the Connie to McMinnville?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Pat-

Since the same crew that works on the Connie is currently working on the PBY, it will be a little while. We've got the carbuetors and fuel pumps off of it and they are in for re-build. The elevators are here in McMinnville being repaired and the rudders are up in Helena being recovered. The aircraft itself is secured for the winter and we will start up again in the spring. Things are looking good, so we hope to be able to ferry it in late summer or early fall of 2011.

Stewart

Stewart - in your reply above, are you referring to the Canso or the Connie?

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David Legg
Editor, The Catalina News
The Catalina Society
Author: Consolidated PBY Catalina - The Peacetime Record

Stewart - just read your post again and as you refer to 'rudders', I'm assuming the Connie, not the Canso

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David Legg
Editor, The Catalina News
The Catalina Society
Author: Consolidated PBY Catalina - The Peacetime Record

With great happiness, it is announced that PBY-5A Catalina (Canso) N249SB, formerly C-FNJB has arrived at its new home in McMinnville, Oregon today. It had a smooth ferry flight from Nanaimo, BC and will now go into restoration. She's a beauty!

Congratulations guys!

I'm jealous, but I know you're going to take amazing care of her. Good luck with your restoration and I can't wait to see her when she's done. Any ideas on the paint scheme yet? Also, are you going to operate her on the water, or strictly on wheels only?

Again, congrats! You'll have to come back up this way for a visit when she's lookin' prettier after the restoration. There's the other PBY in Victoria, BC that I believe will be a flyer at some point too. Is it true you acquired their engines?

Anyways, have fun with the PBY!

Peace,

David M

David-

Thanks so much. It was a true joy to see her come over the fence and touch down today. Sadly, it will probably be her last flight as our plan is to restore her for static display. The paint scheme will most likely be that of 44-P-4, the aircraft Jack Reid and his crew used when they spotted the Japanese at Midway. We got a set of side blisters from the former CAF machine that came over from Australia in the 1980s; its carcass is currently down at the Pima Air & Space Museum. Now all we need to get is a nose turret.

The work on the aircraft to make her flyable was done by Victoria Air Maintenance and I'm not sure where they got the engines. (I was not in on all the negotiations; they were handled by another division of Evergreen... I just get to manage the volunteers on getting it restored and painted so that it can be put on display.) Anyway, we have to take their engines off and put the originals back on, which are pretty much shot. So, there is little likelihood of her flying unless someone shows up with a whole lot of money. Still, she will be preserved to be displayed next to her big sister, the Spruce Goose.

Stewart

Speaking of nose turrets...

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41512


Congrats on the successful ferry flight.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Hullo Stewart,...........and the turret ring that it sits in. The Cat in the photo has a nose turret that looks reasonable and it looks like the big aluminium ring is still in place. So anyone that goes for the turret - dont forget the ring
Simmo

Shame she won't fly again, but superb news that she is going to be restored Could you keep us informed and post pictures of the restoration? I love PBY's

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

Can you post pictures of the QEC's being pulled and the engines being swapped? This would be a great opportunity to document the process!