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Re: Kermit Weeks Lancaster

Posted by Alastair George on Thu Jun 06, 2002 03:16:51 PM

In reply top Re: Kermit Weeks Lancaster posted by Rob Rohr on Tue Jun 04, 2002 07:57:41 PM

I saw the Strathallan Lanc several times (KB976) when I was younger , I was also there when they dismantled it and took it down to Popham Airfield and subsequently Bae Woodford , it was a complete aircraft , although Sir William Roberts never flew it in Scotland ,it was taken outside and fired up occasionally , if this is the one Kermit Weeks has , where have the Lancaster remains which are lying at Sandtoft Airfield come from ?? .There is a battered nose section , rear fuselage and 6 40ft containers full of bits ?? if anybody has any photos of the Lanc at Strathallan or any info you can contact me direct on ageorge@haemonetics.com
I was looking forward to seeing this thing intact and flying again but the sad death of Charles Church put paid to that , however having seen Mr Weeks's track record of superb restorations you never know it may fly again !!! , it's a sad fact that barely 12 years ago this aircraft was intact and basically airworthy , now it,s a big scrap jigsaw kit , I don't think us Brits appreciate our own aviation heritage , it's only thanks to Mr Weeks's foresight and enthusiasm ( and cash !!!) that some of these rare aircraft are present today ,I wonder what would have happened if Mr Weeks's had'nt bought the Sunderland from Edward Hulton , where would it be now ?? , Mr Hulton worked hard to save both the Sunderland and the Sandringham , but in the end too few people were interested enough to make the Sunderland a viable airshow exhibit , the local council should have provided the facilities to display the aircraft and made it a tourist attraction , however thanks to Mr Weeks's for saving it , when is his Napier Sabre engined Hawker Tempest due to fly , and what other restoration projects does he have running in England at present ????

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