There is no such thing as a quick restoration project, especially if it’s “Memphis Belle,” probably the most famous B-17 of World War II. The big bomber has been undergoing restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Dayton, Ohio, since the fall of 2005, when it arrived at the museum […]
‘A bit of an oddity’: Just one of five built, David Powell’s restored Anderson Greenwood AG-14 has a sci-fi feel
The Great Depression and the post-World War II glut of aircraft on the market are not the only factors that led to so-called “orphaned” designs. Poor timing led to the demise of the Anderson Greenwood AG-14, according to David Powell of Rogers, Ark., who owns AG-14 Serial No. 5, the last of the twin-boom, two-place […]
Hidden’ pictures embellish Wayne Hadath’s F-1 Rocket
One of the joys of building your own airplane is that you can design a one-of-a-kind paint scheme. For Wayne Hadath of Kirchner, Ontario, Canada, that process began with a desire to honor the Canadian Air Force. Eventually it grew into a most unusual paint scheme featuring “hidden” pictures of a variety of objects from […]
Randy’s Red Rocker: Want attention on the ramp? Start with candy apple red paint, then add a flaming skull or two for accents
There is something about a red airplane. It can be sitting perfectly motionless but it will catch your eye. Randy Pflanzer, from Indianapolis, agrees. He says he gets a lot of attention when people see his candy apple red F-1 Rocket. “It took me about two years to build and I have been flying it […]
Spirit of Flight Center lands at EIK: After a three-year search, museum finds an airport home
The problem with having an aviation museum that isn’t at an airport is that you miss a major chunk of your target audience — pilots. The folks at Spirit of Flight Center in Lafayette, Colo., are hoping that their museum’s new location at Erie Municipal Airport (EIK) near Denver will help attract more visitors — […]
New Jersey airport sold to make way for ball fi elds. Massive tax increase forces long-time owners to sell
William and Jean Weasener of Pennington, N.J., have spent the better part of their lives operating Twin Pine Airport (N75), but a massive increase in property taxes is forcing them to sell the privately owned, public use airport. “The township did another tax assessment and increased the property taxes from $14,000 to $55,000,” said William […]
P-38 found on the beach: Recovery efforts expected next year at secret site
Can you imagine walking down a beach and literally stumbling across a World War II airplane? That’s what happened to someone in Wales last summer, when shifting sands exposed a Lockheed P-38 that had been on the beach since it crashed there in 1942. The airplane is largely intact and does not have much corrosion, […]
Boom times. Kentucky opens three new GA airports, with another set for next month
GA is booming in the Bluegrass State. According to Steve Parker, Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Aviation, state officials are in the midst of a push to enhance existing GA airports and add to the number of GA airports in the state. “Kentucky has been a little behind in the number of general […]
Cessna SkyCatcher to be built in China
You can add the Cessna SkyCatcher to the list of Light Sport Aircraft manufactured outside the United States. On Nov. 28 Cessna Aircraft Co. announced it is partnering with Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC) to build the SkyCatcher. SAC is a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corp., which is a government-owned consortium of aircraft manufacturers. “The […]