FlyPast 02.2018

12 FLYPAST February 2018

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

DC-3 to form part of Czech aircraft exhibition

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The Kbely-based Letecké Muzeum

(Aviation Museum) in the Czech

Republic is to open a new outdoor

exhibition, featuring several of the

museum’s transport aircraft.

Douglas DC-3 OK-XDM was recently

moved from Prague’s Václav Havel

Airport to the museum. Built in 1937,

it was fi rst registered NC18119 and

delivered to Panagra (Pan American-

Grace Airways) during October of

that year. It was later used to fl y

passenger services in South America.

The airliner did not see military service

and following World War Two fl ew with

several further civilian operators,

including Robinson (later Mohawk)

Airlines.

It was obtained by the museum in

1991, but until recently had been on

loan to Czech Airlines, which displayed

it outside its offi ce building at Václav

Havel. The relocation of the company

headquarters has resulted in the

exhibit being dismantled and returned

by road to the Letecké Muzeum, which

lies on the opposite side of Prague.

The aircraft remains partly

disassembled – it will be put back

together and cleaned during the

next few months for the exhibition,

which is likely to open in 2018. The

DC-3 is painted in the 1950s colours

of Ceskoslovenské Aerolinie, the

forerunner of today’s Czech Airlines.

MALCOLM V LOWE

Douglas DC-3 OK-XDM has been returned

to the Letecké Muzeum’s main site at

Kbely. MALCOLM V LOWE

The Museo del Aire’s Lockheed F-104G Starfi ghter (formerly Luftwaffe 26+23) was unveiled in
Spanish Air Force colours at the Cuatro Vientos, Madrid attraction on November 15. It has been
painted as C8-02/104-02, an aircraft of Torrejón-based 104 Escuadrón. Note this is a different
aircraft to the similarly marked Starfi ghter described in last month’s news. ROBERTO YÁÑEZ

Starfi ghter’s new colours

revealed in Spain

Supermarine Swift shown

to the public at Doncaster

Jet Art Aviation’s Chris Wilson gave a presentation at Doncaster Sheffi eld Airport on November

18 about his company’s restoration of Supermarine Swift F.4 WK275. The unique jet, previously

covered in ‘FlyPast’, was refurbished over several years by the Yorkshire-based company, and is

the subject of a new book by Guy Ellis published by Grub Street. http://www.jetartaviation.co.uk