Douglas C54 Skymaster at North Weald

[Sad Sam]

There used to be two and now there is only one.

She's a game old bird, a genuine WW2 veteran and participant in the Berlin airlift.

She is up for sale on this web site.  https://www.historicandclassicaircraftsales.com/skymaster

They have a facebook page running and I noticed some one with vulcan to the sky club as their user name had liked some comments.

https://www.facebook.com/savetheskymaster/

Some nice pics on there of the aircraft over her long and varied carrer.  It would be nice if her long life did not end up as baked bean tins in an Eping supermarket.

And yes this is another Bee in my Bonnet (to go along with the Mosquito, the Shackleton, the Canberra, the Gannett, the Walrus, the Blenheim, the Hunters and Just Jane) perhaps if they all come off I'll have my own airshow!

Watch this space.

[steve w]

Hi Sam, please can I add the Bristol Beaufighter at Duxford to your virtual reality airshow?

[Sad Sam]

You could, but that is not a project I have any involvement with.

I think there is a problem with engines for that project.

Duxford for some reason do not seem to want to talk to me.

[eddief]

Just makes me wish I was fifteen years younger and an AWFUL lot richer.  Such an opportunity for somebody with cash and a passion for gorgeous aircraft...

[Sad Sam]

Report for the DC4 is now submitted just got to sit back and wait now.

I talked to the fella sorting the sale yesterday and he has a plan b which sounds just as interesting.

Back to the day job...

[Sad Sam]

Bugger...

Plan A has failed.

Onto plan B.

Standby as plan E or F is crowd funding the restoration, doing a couple of seasons then selling to the highest bidder...

[Sad Sam]

I feel right at home now.

The aviation enthusiasts/experts on UKARSE have now spotted the facebook page and have now honoured us with our very own thread.

The resident mouth on a stick (Dan O Hating) has given his expert opinion that 914 is so rotten that £30K would not even get her back to ground running - just as well he's a commentator not an engineer.

The thread has now degenerated into a slagging match for any one who dares to try and return an aircraft to flight. I must look up the definition of "aviation enthusiast" because the guys who post on there don't seem very enthusiastic about anything aviation related...

[dee]

Dan o hatefilled is an A***!!

[JACKB]

I think that it would be nice to see the Skymaster flying again would be a great edition to any airshow just sad that when something good is mentioned on UKAR they always play it down and as Sam said they turn it into a slagging match.

[sickbag_andy]

good luck with the project Sam, here are a couple of pics of it that I took last June at the Air Britain fly in:

N44914 (56498 'Atlantic Diviusion') C.54, North Weald 18-6-2016 6280 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

N44914 (56498 'Atlantic Diviusion') C.54, North Weald 18-6-2016 6296 by Andrew Goldsmith, on Flickr

all the best

Andy

[CLIFFORD]

good luck Sam

[Sad Sam]

Thanks for the pics Andy,

The last time I went down there (a couple of weeks ago) most of the cars had been moved from underneath the wings.

I have finally succumbed to a farcebook account in order to post updates on there.

https://www.facebook.com/savetheskymaster/?pnref=story

It's an open page so anyone can read what is going on.

The crowd funding idea is looking more likely now though we are still pursuing other options.

The more I think about it I quite like the idea as it means we will keep the aircraft here which will put a little bit of variety into the airshow scene.

If we follow the crowd funding plan there will be a new web site if you don't want to follow the project on facebook.

[dee]

Well to say i dont like Prop jobs, i actually like this one!!

Could the 'club; do some fund raising ??!!

[Sad Sam]

The club would be more than welcome to get involved.

I think there are quite a few familiar names following the facebook page.

This will be a big project, not as much of a money pit as 558 but with a great story to tell.

The cold war is now part of the curriculum so there will be interest from schools as she really is a bit of living history.

We plan to have access to the aircraft for the supporters with organised visits, events, the chance to help out getting your hands dirty and we hope flights as well.

It's all a dream at the moment but one we need to act on soon if we want to save her from the breakers and be ready for next year.

Lots of interest in my post yesterday (ok yes so I see the point of farcebook - it will be nice if we can turn those "likes" in into Pounds Sterling)

https://www.facebook.com/savetheskymaster/?pnref=story

[sickbag_andy]

I think that it would be nice to see the Skymaster flying again would be a great edition to any airshow just sad that when something good is mentioned on UKAR they always play it down and as Sam said they turn it into a slagging match.

there are people on UKAR who appear to want every restoration projetc to fail which is a bit odd as they are often moaning that there is nothing new on the airshow circuit .
However on the positive side a couple of the mods on UKAR are regular visitors to north Weald so maybe once they see things happening they may post comments in a more favourable light to counter the normal doom-mongers that they attract on UKAR.