14 FLYPAST February 2018
NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE
Canberra back on display after tropical storm
English Electric Canberra TT.18 WJ
has been returned to its display
position at the Valiant Air Command
Warbird Museum in Titusville, Florida.
The aircraft has been repaired after
it sustained minor damage during a
storm.
Built as a B.2 in 1954, it was posted
to Wyton in Cambridgeshire andserved with 540 Squadron. It fl ew photo-
reconnaissance missions over Russian
missile sites before being allocated to 57
Squadron at Cottesmore. The aircraft was
converted to TT.18 confi guration for the
Royal Navy in 1974.
After withdrawal from military service
it was acquired by a civilian owner in
the US in 1994 and carried on fl ying until- After several years of being
stored in Florida, the Canberra was
taken on by the museum in 2011.
The attraction is also in the process
of restoring North American F-100D
Super Sabre 56-3434. This aircraft is
on loan from Dayton, Ohio’s National
Museum of the USAF and is expected
to be fi nished by the end of 2018
http://www.valiantaircommand.com
Left
English Electric Canberra TT.18 WJ574 at
the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum.
BOTH TONY SACKETOS
Below
North American F-100D Super Sabre
56-3434 is being restored in Florida.Battle of Britain ace’s
medals to be put on show
The family of Wg Cdr Ronald Kellett DSO
DFC AE have donated the late airman’s
medals and other artefacts to the
Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge.
Ronald fl ew from nearby Northolt in
1940, commanding the Polish-manned
303 Squadron. His children decided to
donate their father’s medals to ensure
the items stayed together. The family,
which comprises fi ve siblings and 14
grandchildren, was concerned that the
collection would eventually be split up.
They chose the Battle of Britain Bunker
after meeting senior curator Daniel
Stirland at a Polish Air Force dinner.The bunker housed RAF Fighter
Command’s 11 Group operations room
throughout World War Two, and is now
under the ownership of Hillingdon
Council. It was the room from which
much of the air force’s activity in the
Battle of Britain was co-ordinated.
Daniel said: “This is an historically
signifi cant collection and we are
very excited the family chose to
donate their father’s items to us. This
will be one of the highlights of the
new exhibition when it opens in the
spring.”
http://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/bunkerWg Cdr Kellett’s medals and logbook are
among items donated to the Battle of Britain
Bunker. HILLINGDON COUNCILThe Spirit of Flight Center in Erie,
Colorado, is offering an immaculate
Ford Thunderbird car as a raffl e
prize – all proceeds will benefi t
the restoration of the attraction’s
1936-built Lockheed 12A Electra Junior,
originally registered NC16079.
“We are incredibly grateful that
the Thunderbird was gifted to the
museum,” said Spirit of Flight Center
boss Gordon Page. “The donor saw our
Lockheed 12A project and wanted to do
something to help get it back in the air.
We had no idea they would give us a
collector’s car to raffl e off to help the
process.”
Built in 1957, the Thunderbird has
only 35,000 miles ‘on the clock’ and
was fully restored in 2006. The keys
to the car will be handed over to the
winner at the attraction’s annual Spirit
of Flight Day on July 14. People can
enter the draw by making a donation
to the non-profi t Spirit of Flight
Foundation at http://www.spiritoffl ight.com.
WITH THANKS TO GORDON PAGEClassic car raffl e to raise
money for Electra fl ight
Lockheed 12A Electra Junior NC16079 is
being restored to fl y in Colorado. COURTESY
GORDON PAGE