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Alberta Aviation Museum scores a Lancaster!


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I knew this was in the works, the deal has gone through!

Now Alberta will have three Lancasters!!! This hasn't even been announced in Edmonton yet!

The Western Canadian Regional Model Contest in both Nanton and Edmonton will now each have their own Lancaster!

http://edmundston.ca/en/renseignements/communiques/594-lancaster-kb882-d-edmundston-a-edmonton

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I knew this was in the works, the deal has gone through!

Now Alberta will have three Lancasters!!! This hasn't even been announced in Edmonton yet!

The Western Canadian Regional Model Contest in both Nanton and Edmonton will now each have their own Lancaster!

http://edmundston.ca/en/renseignements/communiques/594-lancaster-kb882-d-edmundston-a-edmonton

Great News! Now I won't have to travel so far from Vancouver to see her. My Dad did one of his trips as the F/E on KB882 with 428 Ghost squadron.

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That's cool news.

Where will they be keeping her at the Alberta Aviation Museum? Didn't they lose quite a bit of outside space when the airport shut down. I'd heard the 737 and several other outdoor exhibits had to go elsewhere.

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That's cool news.

Where will they be keeping her at the Alberta Aviation Museum? Didn't they lose quite a bit of outside space when the airport shut down. I'd heard the 737 and several other outdoor exhibits had to go elsewhere.

From all the reports I have heard it will be displayed in the hanger. Since the restoration area has been moved out to Villeneuve Airport there is now more room in the facility. Also, there is a large upgrade program for the museum with upgrading of the displays and layout. Exciting times for sure.

Since it has been outside for so long I am sure there is a great deal of work to get it into display shape. Looking forward to its arrival.

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That's cool news.

Where will they be keeping her at the Alberta Aviation Museum? Didn't they lose quite a bit of outside space when the airport shut down. I'd heard the 737 and several other outdoor exhibits had to go elsewhere.

Chris is correct in his reply, I will expand on it.

The plan is to make Villenueve the flying museum. They have several vintage aircraf owners willing to move their aircraft there. It is a substantial number and is very encouraging. But that is down the road as currently they only own the land there. They still need to raise funds for the building. The 737 wasn't lost, it is in Villienueve and will be part of that museum.

The plan for the Edmonton museum is it is going to close for a year as the display area is revamped. They are going to go with three themes, the third being post-war Edmonton aircraft. This is where the Lanc will fit in. They are going to restore it to ground running form. Interesting enough is the museum does have spare Lanc parts in their inventory.

They are not going to convert the Lanc to wartime configuration. They are going to restore it as it is as that is how she looked when with 408 Sqdn in Edmonton. One of my ex-Chiefs was a photographer on this aircraft. So I find it as a great home as that man was so well respected by those who served under him.

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Sad for New Brunswick. That has been a landmark for over 50 years. But good to see the airframe will be getting the love it needs.

No worries, she will be well taken care of. This has been in the works for two years so it was well planned out.

Alberta will now be home to three Lanc's (Nanton, Calgary, and Edmonton). Two of them will be ground run capable!

Canada has 12 of the 17 surviving Lancs in the world!

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Chris is correct in his reply, I will expand on it.

The plan is to make Villenueve the flying museum. They have several vintage aircraf owners willing to move their aircraft there. It is a substantial number and is very encouraging. But that is down the road as currently they only own the land there. They still need to raise funds for the building. The 737 wasn't lost, it is in Villienueve and will be part of that museum.

The plan for the Edmonton museum is it is going to close for a year as the display area is revamped. They are going to go with three themes, the third being post-war Edmonton aircraft. This is where the Lanc will fit in. They are going to restore it to ground running form. Interesting enough is the museum does have spare Lanc parts in their inventory.

They are not going to convert the Lanc to wartime configuration. They are going to restore it as it is as that is how she looked when with 408 Sqdn in Edmonton. One of my ex-Chiefs was a photographer on this aircraft. So I find it as a great home as that man was so well respected by those who served under him.

OK, thanks for that info.

I knew the 737 had gone out to Villeienueve, but I had no idea that the whole restoration section was going out there. The news of a flying museum is great.

That things are looking so positive for the museum despite the airport closure is really good stuff. I did a bit of volunteer work for them when they were still in the hangar next to NAIT across the field. Remembering what it was like then, it's great to see them still going forward though I know it's been a very different group of people taking it forwards from then to now.

I'm happy they chose to keep the Lanc in post war RCAF markings. Will they be restoring it to the photo mapping configuration 408 had them in?

Edited by Kevan Vogler
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No worries, she will be well taken care of. This has been in the works for two years so it was well planned out.

Alberta will now be home to three Lanc's (Nanton, Calgary, and Edmonton). Two of them will be ground run capable!

Canada has 12 of the 17 surviving Lancs in the world!

It is indeed sad to see that Edmundston could not carry out the restoration in NB. But many thanks to them for saving the last remaining Mk X that actually saw combat in WWII. Rumour had it that she would wind up in Trenton next to their Halifax but Edmonton obviously had the better plan. I see they have already begun the fundraising campaign...http://www.gofundme.com/lancaster.

And for the record, Canada has 8 of the remaining 17 complete Lancs, the three in Alberta, (Nanton's FM159, Calgary's FM136 and KB882 in Edmonton), four in Ontario (Windsor's FM212, Toronto's FM104, Hamilton's FM213 and Ottawa's KB944), and in Greenwood, NS is KB839. There are also several partials and wrecks but they are nowhere near complete.

Canada has done a fantastic job of preserving these amazing, historic aircraft. To think that only 17 remain of the 7,377 that were built and eight of them are right here makes me extremely proud. And to get to help on the restoration of FM212 is a great honour. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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I have heard of a third Lancaster that could possibly be made airworthy. Does anyone know where that one is?

You may be referring to the one in East Kirkby, UK, NX611, known as "Just Jane", which has been taxiing for quite a while. They are working hard to gain airworthy status for her.

Just Jane

Don

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A short blurb in Feb. issue of Aeroplane talks of FM212 in Windsor now being inside and their hope to restore it to taxiable condition too, so maybe that is what he heard....

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I have heard of a third Lancaster that could possibly be made airworthy. Does anyone know where that one is?

I've heard whispers of the Nanton Lancaster but it would take a lot of work. But I really doubt that will happen.

Edited by Scooby
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A short blurb in Feb. issue of Aeroplane talks of FM212 in Windsor now being inside and their hope to restore it to taxiable condition too, so maybe that is what he heard....

I have been working on FM212 for over 3 years now. Though we are doing all of the restoration to Transport Canada standards, it is doubtful that she will ever fly again due to city ownership and insurance costs. But if they ever change their mind, it is not out of the realm of possibility. :thumbsup:/>

FM159 in Nanton can taxi, but I don't think her spars are certified and, more importantly, there is no airfield at hand. I think NX611 in East Kirkby is the most likely candidate at this time.

Don

Edited by Big Daddy
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