Lastest at Pima as of July 2020

[StangStung]

Anyone have any news out of Pima lately? I'm especially interested in the IL-2 progress.

I haven't seen any recent posts from @Jamesintucson so I'm curious. I may be out there in a couple weeks and was wondering what may be new to view. It's been about 2 years since my last visit.

[JohnTerrell]

Here are a couple recent walkaround videos I found on Youtube of the completed IL-2 and the A-20 coming together:

[JohnTerrell]

The Pima Hawker Hurricane was also refinished at the beginning of the year in a North African Theatre paint scheme.

Photos from the Pima FB page:
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F441077
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F44720B
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F41ABD7
https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F41A4B2


I'm not sure I've seen any recent photos of their Bf-109F project, but here is a shot of it from late 2017:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/museumandy/41453958900/
...and another photo of it from just over a year ago, taken by Dennis Price: https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F44C896

[JohnB]

If you haven't been in two years you may not have seen the PBY, PB4Y-2 , Bristol Bolingbroke or Spitfire...all in the same building.
There has been done rearranging of the outside aircraft, all the members of the Harrier family are in a nice line. It's the world's most complete collection of the aircraft.
Also, the 390th BG museum has a great new scale diorama of its wartime base.

Also, the list of "modern" airliners has grown a lot with the GE 747 engine test bed and Orbis DC-10 along with the decidedly more recent 777 and 787.
The Dreamliner is particularly interesting, as you walk under the fuselage, it's fun to notice the seamless composite structure. Given airport security these days, it's probably the only place where one can see a 787 up close.

[Mike]

The Pima Hawker Hurricane...

This one is more of a collection of parts assembled around a welded frame in the vague shape of a Hurricane than an actual Hawker Hurricane.

[Chris Brame]

If you haven't been in two years you may not have seen the PBY, PB4Y-2 , Bristol Bolingbroke or Spitfire...all in the same building.

Wasn't the Bolingbroke an outside display before? If so, has the blue covering on all the glass been removed now that it's inside?

[JohnTerrell]

The Bolingbroke looks quite nice on indoor display since 2015:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/museumand ... b3NyKKBneU
https://www.flickr.com/photos/halfmind/29304627252
https://www.flickr.com/photos/93237297@N00/32451294577/

The really cool Catalina/Canso display:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyflight/43769460560/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyflight/43769457200/

[Mark Sampson]

The Lockheed fuselage behind the Bolingbroke is from the former "Lady Lodestar", which was damaged in a landing accident some years ago. Glad they were able to keep it from being scrapped completely.
I live nearby... but I'm not going back until the temperature in Tucson has dropped to a level where you can be comfortable outside. So October, maybe- it's a spectacular place!

[Chris Brame]

Thanks John!

[StangStung]

Ask the WIX and ye shall receive!

Thanks everyone. Stang Jr. has been on a WWII Russian Aviation kick, so he's going to love the Il-2. So glad to see it on display!

My plan is to get out as early as possible, see what I can outside and then hit the hangars once the sun is well up.

[bomberfan]

I'm not sure I've seen any recent photos of their Bf-109F project, but here is a shot of it from late 2017:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/museumandy/41453958900/
...and another photo of it from just over a year ago, taken by Dennis Price: https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5F44C896

I was there earlier this year and that's pretty much exactly what it looked like. The volunteer told me that it was a HA1112. John, do you know the identity of this one?

I also heard that the A-20 is going to receive a name change to something more PC. Does anyone have any info on that?

[JohnTerrell]

The Bf-109F project is said to be based on the recovered wreck of Wk.Nr.13045, with parts of that aircraft incorporated throughout the fuselage and a bit in the wings, but it also features parts from multiple other wrecks. 13045, which was identified as "Yellow 4", was originally flown by Theodor Weissenberger of JG.5, the 13th highest-scoring ace of all time. The project had previously been under restoration by Jason Hodge in California. Geoff Goodall's site states that the fuselage contains 75% original parts with new skins, and that the wings were rebuilt using the original spars.

There was an earlier thread about it here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=59396

[JohnB]

The Pima Hawker Hurricane...

This one is more of a collection of parts assembled around a welded frame in the vague shape of a Hurricane than an actual Hawker Hurricane.

Their signage is pretty honest about the aircraft's components and the fact it's a composite.
Okay, "real" Hurricanes are rare and valuable...this is good enough for 99.5% of their visitors.

So, would you rather the museum have no Hurricane at all?
Or the components that make up this airframe were scrapped or left unrestored or disassembled in some lock-up?


A lot of UK museums and memorials make due with less, so I'm happy that they have a Hawker, even if its provenance is less that something you'd see at Duxford. It's pretty good for a non-flying museum in Tucson.
And remember, most flying Hurricanes aren't exactly 100% factory original metal or components.

[Mike]

Rather missing the point there John. If you're going to make an accurate replica, then fair enough. This one isn't. I've stood next to it, and it just looks odd. The shape of the vertical is wrong, the cowlings are wrong. The information is there to make an accurate replica, this representation is fine as far as it goes I suppose, but it isn't a Hurricane, real, replica or otherise.

[C VEICH]

The information is there to make an accurate replica, this representation is fine as far as it goes I suppose, but it isn't a Hurricane, real, replica or otherise.

What is it then?