Last Airworthy CH-21 donated to Arkansas Air Museum...

[Warbirdnerd]

FAYETTEVILLE [KFSM] – A Siloam Springs woman donated her late father’s lifelong project to the Arkansas Air Museum— a Vietnam War era helicopter that her father bought, restored and loved for years until his passing in 2000.

Robin Lundstrum’s father was a Vietnam Army pilot, and after retiring as a major, he bought the skeleton of a 1956 CH-21 and rebuilt her to her glory.

“It took a lot of work, a lot of Vietnam vets would come on their vacations and spend their vacations in Springdale working on this helicopter to get it running.” Lundstrum said.

On Friday afternoon (Oct. 31), the helicopter took its last flight ever from Springdale to Drake Field with Lundstrum in the cockpit.

“It was emotional, once we landed I was a little teary but it’s the right thing at the right time and there’s a time and a season for everything,” she said.

Her father Max Hall passed away 14 years ago, and Lundstrom said she knew the day would come when she would donate the helicopter. She said she wants her dad’s memory to live on at the Arkansas Air Museum.

“This is a very emotional and difficult time, it’s like burying him all over again, but it’s an honor to give this to the museum,” she said.

In a ceremony Saturday (Nov. 1), the CH-21 was given to the Arkansas Air Museum where it will be on display for visitors to enjoy. Several Vietnam veterans came to the dedication.

“The most important thing is that it’s in memory and honor of my dad, and and honoring the Vietnam veterans who really sacrificed so much in honor of this country and are often times overlooked,” Lundstrum said.

The Arkansas Air Museum is open from 11-4:30 Monday through Friday and on Sundays. It opens an hour earlier on Saturdays.

Video and story can be found here:
http://5newsonline.com/2014/11/01/woman ... ir-museum/

[Cubs]

Great story. I love those funky helicopters.
I wonder if this is the guy who flew a CH-21 from Oshkosh Airventure, with a bunch of friends, to a local pizza restaurant? 'bout had to have been, how many -21's are in civilian hands?

[airnutz]

That's a bummer, I'd hoped to make it up there "some day" to see about a ride....at the very least see it fly in person. Neat sight and sounds. Since Max Hall's passing they had flown the bird with rides on his Vietnam unit's reunion's. Never put off till tomorrow what you should do today!

[JohnB]

Isn't the H-21 still airworthy with Classic Rotors out of Southern California?

http://www.rotors.org/h21/21.htm

[Chris Brame]

Yep! Duly noted on the station's comments.

[JohnB]

Yep! Duly noted on the station's comments.

Where?

[airnutz]

Yep! Duly noted on the station's comments.

Where?

Yep , I didn't see that mentioned in the clip...in fact the newscaster leads off the piece with this one being the last flying one. For some reason, I thought Classic Rotors had ceased flying theirs...but no, after looking it up...she was still going as of earlier this year. For my purposes tho, Ramona, Calif. is a bit out of range for me.

[Dan K]

Great story. I love those funky helicopters.
I wonder if this is the guy who flew a CH-21 from Oshkosh Airventure, with a bunch of friends, to a local pizza restaurant? 'bout had to have been, how many -21's are in civilian hands?

Different pilot; different bird.

Part of the Bill Harrison legend was the run from OSH to the Pizza Hut in Fond du Lac.

Pretty sure the Shawnee used was this example (which, AFAIK, still sits in the Basler boneyard):

http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/wp-c ... -28683.jpg

[K5DH]

While we're on the subject of CH-21s... VFM is restoring a CH-21B. Any leads on CH-21 parts would be appreciated. We need cockpit glass and other stuff.

[p51]

I'm pretty sure this was the kind of bird that was sitting out front of Paramore's Surplus in Mt Pleasant, Florida (near Quincy, FL, and somewhat near Tallahassee) for many years and vanished sometime in the 80s. Would anyone have a clue whatever happened to that one?

NICE story! Too bad this CH-21 could not be maintained in airworthy condition.

As mentioned, don't think this was the last airworthy H-21 out there. As far as I know the one in California is still airworthy. Have seen it fly into Chino for a couple of their air shows, but not sure I have seen it there since 2012 or so.

[JohnB]

I've heard that rotor blades were a huge problem...not many left.
(The same goes for Kaman Huskies....)

Mechanically they were something, with lots of gearboxes and oil/transmission coolers, etc. I recall poking around an airworthy one at Chandler Municipal AZ, in 1990-91. An ex-RCAF machine it was enroute to a new owner after being overhauled somewhere. I've heard it went up to Canada and was lost while logging....


BTW: I have a couple of model kits I'd like to build...what color is the cockpit interior...seats, floors, bulkhead, etc. Green or gray?

[Chris Brame]

Yep! Duly noted on the station's comments.

Where?

Scroll down below the story to where it says "Comments". Duly noted by me.

[T-28mike]

Bill Harrison used to fly his H-21 (and some other helicopters) back and forth between Oshkosh and the Holiday-Inn at Fon Du Lac on a daily basis during the convention. Often times with passengers. He would generally land in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn ( which was the Warbirds of America members hotel of choice at the time ). There was a Shakey's Pizza next to the Holiday Inn, and that may be where the story about pizza hut came from.


AAAAAh, the good old days of Oshkosh !

[airnutz]

Yep! Duly noted on the station's comments.

Where?

Scroll down below the story to where it says "Comments". Duly noted by me.

I am duly corrected! Embarrassing, because I usually take a gander at the comments section until my "obnoxious opinionated arsehole filter" explodes and I move on to nicer web reading.

The "last CH-21 flying" claim has come full circle. A couple of times in the past 10 years, Classic Rotors or folks familiar with them stated they had the last one flying and a couple of times I posted here on WIX details of Max's CH-21 in Arkansas with his unit info and reunion stuff. Now the rotors on the other mast..so to speak...and it goes back to Classic Rotors...mebbee.

Surfing earlier today, I found an announcement Classic Rotors were flying St. Patrick's Day 2014...but I dunno if they did. They don't keep up their website news or facebook page very well.