Page 13 - Photos by Friends and Guests

Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests

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On a regular basis people sent me photos, to share their enthusiasm for vintage airliners or to illustrate a question. These photos have been lingering in a scrapbook or a discarded box somewhere and/or probably wouldn't find their way to Online-use or publication.
To prevent them from getting lost, with permission of the sender, I would like to share them on this page.
Photos already online (personal websites, airliners.net, jetphotos.net, etc) are not meant to be included here.

Piper Replica C-FVNU

Phil Gies has a cottage on what seems to be one of the nicest spots in Canada...
He has a neighbour who owns an interesting bushplane.. C-FNVU is owned and flown by Jerry and Susan Wiebe; it is a Piper Replica "Pacer Express" which was built by Stan Kowaski in 1995 (all data from the Transport Canada website).

I know next to nothing about this (type of) aircraft, except that it has a piston engine and has msn 001.
Is this former Piper PA.18 150 SUPER CUB msn 18-8515, which at one time was also C-FVNU...?
Below some photos from Phil's (and VNU's) habitat... And Phil also offers a further explanation on this bushplane.

In winter:
Spruce Lake Airport

Phil wrote:
"The owner operates a fish bait company which operates from May-September. He has a minnow license for a couple of small lakes about 1/2 hour north of Kenora.
When he started in 2001 or so, he flew a Husky Cub (modified Piper Super Cub) but that plane did a forced landing into a swamp in the winter and could not be fixed and flown out. He bought the Piper Express the following spring.
C-FVNU started life as a Piper Pacer but has been modified to be a superior floatplane called a "Piper Express". Modifications were done in Manitoba. It is hard to see but the aircraft also has modified wingtips.
You will notice a changed cowling. When it was built it was likely equipped the original Lycoming 125hp. When it arrived at our lake in 2003 it had already been modified to a Lycoming 160hp. Since then that engine has been replaced by a 180hp and fine pitch prop which provides significant performance gains.
To give an idea of VNU's performance: from our shoreline directly across to the opposite shore is 1/2 mile (give or take 25 feet as measured by my GPS). VNU can land westbound over our cottage or takeoff east or west and clear the trees by about 50feet. Quite the sight! When VNU is at gross takeoff weight he usually takes off on a diagonal which offers about 3/4 mile of open water. Its takeoff sightlines are not great as boats around the far point may not see him!
As a rule when he lands, he does a high speed circuit around the lake to choose his approach.
I really love floatplanes so for me, it doesn't get much better."

Phil Gies, noticing my webpage about a visit to the Kenora Seaplane base (Ontario), sent me this 1953 postcard... Two Noorduyn Norseman floatplanes can be seen awaiting a next assignment.

Mike Leary sent me some interesting images, he took them some time between May - July 2000. The DHC-5 Buffalo flew in from Lokichokio in NE Kenya (see the film 'Blood Diamond' for interest sake) on a supply run. The Rumbek airstrip had been out of action for several years Mike corked at installing proper drainage and resurfacing, using local material.

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Phil Brooks forwarded an email (sent to him by Jon Proctor) with a powerpoint presentation, showing the havoc and damage done by a tornado at the North Little Rock Airport (03Apr08); not a pretty sight, but two propliners (Douglas C-47B N116SA -formerly operated by Saber Airlines- and what must be Convair T-29D N37695 msn 52-77 ) have survived the forces of the storm:

03Apr08 tornado damage

N941NA in maintenance In April 2008 news was published on N941NA Aero Spacelines 377SGT Super Guppy, written by Danielle Gregory of the 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs at Tinker AFB,OK
"NASA brought its Super Guppy to Tinker AFB in mid-April so that maintainers here could inspect the aircraft and perform some repairs. Project planners estimate it should take about 14,770 hours to inspect and fix the plane, which has never been fixed prior to this. That equates to an Aug. 22nd goal of completing inspections and some repairs, with a drop-dead date of Sept. 29, unless workers find something that requires extensive repairs."
(Air Force photo by Debra Bennett)

N941NA (377SGT-201F c/n 004) on Airliners.net

Roger Cain sent me this, in April 2008:
I was at the Minter Field air show in Shafter,CA this past Saturday (19Apr08) and took some pictures of Wade Eagleton's B-26C Invader that used to be with Air Spray (C-FAGO). Now registered (although it isn't on the plane yet) as N5625S, I have enclosed a more detailed closeup of the artwork than you have on your website.
The large "Air Spray"-titles have been removed; the history details near the cockpit are:
1945 12th air force meditteranean grosseta italy
1951-56 67th tactical recon wing japan&korea "dragon lady"
teagu k-2 airbase korea kimpo k-14 airbase korea
aerial fire suppression airspray 1983
Near the cockpit is written: "Pilot Chris Baldwin"

In April 2008 Dave Dula contacted me; he wrote-
"I am taking the A&P course at Atlanta Technical College and when I am bored I go play in the planes...
I have been visiting your website for years and imaging my suprise, when I was trying to identify SNB-2 39208, it showed up at your website!
I had been trying to identify that aircraft for 6 months, but there are absolutely no markings I could find on it. Then, low and behold, I found the 39208 number and found a matching hit on your website!
Thanks for all the great information and as a matter of record: it is still there during April 2008. They crank it every so often I am told, but the right engine leaks a lot of oil...
See below images, including the serial number plate."
Dave

Ron Lapp sent me these 'make over' photos of A-26 C-GWLT; he added:
"I saw Invader T-98 here in Winnipeg on the weekend (05+06Apr08). It looks beautiful, even if the markings are totally fictitious!
Unfortunately, the A-26 never served in the RCAF or Canadian Air Force, but did a great service in the Fire Fighting area."

And indeed, while on my visit in 2006 it was still present in the familiar yellow Air Spray livery, during 2007 I noticed it had gone missing! May she have an active and long warbird career ahead of itself!

C-GWLT was registered to Air Ross (1980) Inc. (care of Ross Robinson, Calgary,ALB) 27Mar08.

Rolf Larsson sent me some Ilyushin IL-14 images and not without reason...
He wrote: "I had a look at some old black & white negatives and found a few Aeroflot IL-14 aircraft, the pictures all taken at Stockholm-Bromma airport, perhaps these photos can be of interest."

"CCCP-L1576 c/n 147001315 and CCCP-41869 (c/n ?) were both seen on the regular Aeroflot service to Bromma, both pictures were taken sometime between 1959-1961.
Any info regarding the missing IL-14 construction numbers would be most welcome!"

Peter Hillman and Aad van der Voet both provided identification for CCCP-41869, being c/n 146000840. Unfortunately CCCP-61703 remains a mystery to this day!

"CCCP-41869 (c/n ?) at Bromma, photo dates from sometime between 1959-1961."

"CCCP-61703 (c/n ?) apparently performed an odd cargo flight, the picture was taken in 1959."

Steve Kinder caught this Avro (Hawker Siddeley) 748 S2-AAX (c/n 1767) (©) at Blackpool airport (BLK/EGNH) on 08Apr08.

The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the aging DC-3's then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated market. 380 aircraft were built by Hawker Siddeley. [More: Wikipedia...]
For me personally, the HS.748 will always be associated with years of exchanging military aircraft slides with Harry Holmes during 1970s and early-1980s; he was a Sales Rep for the HS 748. We lost contact when I stopped trading and lost interest in aviation photography for a number of years.
The 'Budgie' is a dying breed, its number of operational airframes dwindling fast.
Richard Church, acknowledged expert on the Hawker Siddeley 748, wrote a report in Propliner 113 (Winter edition 2007) of those still in operation in Canada and listed the following companies: Air Creebec (1994) Inc., Air Inuit, Air North, Bradley Air Services/First Air, Calm Air and Wasaya Airways.
When Emerald Airways saw its AoC revoked in 04May06 by the UK CAA all its aircraft, including G-BGMO, were grounded. The latter now has been reregistered to S2-AAX and seems to be heading for a new future in Bangladesh.
S2-AAX on Airliners.net
Photos by Steve Kinder on AirlineFan.com

Richard Church revealed "S2-AAX is due for delivery to Easy Fly Express Ltd, a new Bangladesho cargo carrier."

One HS748 survises in someones backyard... see HERE

Timo de Vries shot this impressively decorated Antonov An-12 EW-266TI at Maastricht (Netherlands) on 29Jan08.
EW-266TI has c/n 6344610 and its most recent identification was LZ-VEC for Vega Airlines. When Bulgaria enforced strict aviation regulations to comply with EU regulations, Vega A/L was banned from operations into the EU. And this An-12 was one of many which found a new owner (in this case: Ruby Star of Belarus) and now they are back in the EU...
Since I am a great fan of this rugged freighter, I am glad they find ways to continue to operate into the EU bastion!
This particular Antonov 12 was almost damaged beyond repair in an accident at Baghdad on 09Mar05, when the right wing and no.4 engine hit the runway, but fortunately it was repaired. Like I said; a rugged freighter!

Antonov An-12 on Wikipedia
This An-12 on Airliners.net

Patrick 'Pat' Kilkenny shot this fine winter study of Douglas DC-3 N85SA at Fremont,OH on 09Mar08.
N85SA (c/n 11637) has been here at Fremont for at least 14 years now, owned by E.E. 'Gene' Damschröder who owns the entire airport (and the Flying Club too?).
Another DC-3, N137PB, seems to languish here too.

Don McDonald sent me this photo which he took while travelling on Vancouver Island (09Mar08).
It shows the two Martin Mars airtankers of 'Coulson Flying Tankers' at their base on Sproat Lake.
Note no.3 engine of C-FLYL is under a hood, for maintenance; C-FLYK sits on the right.

Aad van der Voet wrote a comprehensive report on the Martin Mars on his website www.OldWings.nl
Other links for information on these unique aircraft: Wikipedia - Coulson Flying Tankers - YouTube

John Vogel noticed my interest in vintage aircraft and airtankers, so he sent some images along.
N446DF Tanker 94 CDF

N446DF was taken at Mather Field,CA in May 1996.
From my files I have that this is Grumman S-2A Tracker, c/n 175 ex/ BuNo 133204.

John wrote about this image: "There should be some S-2 aircraft preserved at Weed Airport, California since August 2005, but I am not really sure which aircraft might be there.
There might be a Tanker 94, but this is possibly not N446DF, but a different S-2 painted as tanker such...
I have noticed that the CDF has, from time to time, changed some of the tanker numbers on the S-2's: e.g. this photo shows 2 aircraft with tanker number 95!!
One of the aircraft is N447DF, the other is N406DF.
And I have pictures of N406DF as tanker 73, tanker 74, and tanker 95. And N447DF as tanker 93.
These are all the older S-2's, not the S-2T's (which is the only model the CDF now uses)."

Photo taken at McClellan Park in August 2007.
[N446DF c/n 175 was preserved at Weeds Airport, CDF had it replaced by BuNo 152826 - Webmaster]

Here are some more air tanker pictures, this time of N443DF (c/n 195).
Picture N443DF-1 is a scan from a slide, taken at Mather Field in February 1996. The tanker number is 71.
Picture N443DF-2 is a digital picture taken at McClellan Park - the former McClellan AFB, and now the home of the CDF air tanker fleet (during the winter months) - taken August 2006. The tanker number is now 84.
Pictures N443DF-3 and -4 are digital pictures taken in May 2007, and show the tanker at the Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa, California. It was flown to the Museum in November 2006.

Top picture of Grumman S-2A N436DF (c/n 445) was taken at Rancho Murietta, California in July 91. Note that the tanker is in the old CDF yellow/green color.
Below pictures of N436DF was taken at Mather in August 2007. It appears the doors in the bottom of the aircraft have been removed. The registration had been painted over.

Vintage Transports, photos by Friends & Guests

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