Fly Past

16 FLYPAST September 2018

briefi ngs

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Canadian Vampire

appears in new colours

De Havilland Vampire T.55 C-FJRH, a

former Swiss Air Force machine, has

received a striking new paint scheme.

The jet is owned by Waterloo

Warbirds of Waterloo International

Airport in Ontario, Canada, and now

represents RCAF 17021. It sports the red

vampire bat livery associated with 442

Squadron during the unit’s time at

Sea Island in Vancouver.

Waterloo’s Vampire made its fi rst

public appearance in its new colours

at the Thunder of Niagara Air Show

at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station

on June 7. ANDREW CLINE

http://www.waterloowarbirds.com

De Havilland Vampire T.55 C-FJRH is fl ying in new colours this year. ANDREW CLINE

Staff at the Atwater, California-based

Castle Air Museum have begun

the lengthy process of restoring

the attraction’s Convair RB-36H

Peacemaker 51-13730.

The aircraft, which has a wing

span of 230ft (70m), is the only

reconnaissance version of the

B-36 currently on display. It was

assigned to the USAF’s 28th Strategic

Reconnaissance Wing at Rapid City

Air Force Base (AFB), also serving at

Ellsworth, both in South Dakota, from

1952 to 1957.

It was then allocated to Chanute

AFB in Rantoul, Illinois and used as

a ground instructional airframe,

before being placed on display at

Chanute Air Museum. On September

27, 1990, it was transported to

Castle Air Museum on 11 fl atbed

railway carriages.

http://www.castleairmuseum.org

TONY SACKETOS

California’s Peacemaker being refurbished

Castle Air Museum’s Convair RB-36H

Peacemaker 51-13730. TONY SACKETOS

The Aviodrome museum in Lelystad,

the Netherlands, is to receive an

airworthy Convair 340 propliner from

South Africa later this year.

The 1954-built aircraft has been

donated by its owner, Rovos Rail, and

is currently being prepared for its trip

to Europe. The ferry fl ight will be made

from South Africa via Zambia, Uganda,

Sudan, Egypt, Croatia and Austria.

Aviodrome plans to repaint the Convair

in an as yet undisclosed scheme and

will fl y it during the airshow season.

ROGER SOUPART

Aviodrome to receive

airworthy Convair 340

An archive image of a Martinair-operated

Convair 340. THIJS POSTMA VIA ROGER SOUPART

The Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon is

carrying out some light repairs and internal

paintwork on its Aero Spacelines Mini

Guppy N422AU. The attraction is housed in

a former US Navy blimp hangar, with the

Guppy one of the few exhibits on external

display. The aircraft is a converted Boeing

377 Stratocruiser. TONY SACKETOS

Spain’s Fundación Aérea de la Comunidad

Valenciana (FACV) celebrated its 15th

anniversary on June 23 and 24 with an

historic aircraft fl y-in. FACV maintains eight

aircraft in airworthy condition, including

a Bücker Jungmann, Jungmeister and a

North American T-6G Texan, plus a Blériot XI

reproduction. ROBERTO YÁÑEZ