Starfighter Resurrection begins (photo essay added)

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Tom H
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Starfighter Resurrection begins (photo essay added)

Post by Tom H »

Resurrection!
A little over 3 months ago (March 29) the Alberta Aviation Museum Association received it’s long awaited Starfighter from the Netherlands in (2) large containers. After (7) years of searching and then (1 1/2 years of working through the process of importing the aircraft the Starfighter had arrived at it’s new home as (2) huge containers of parts.

Since then the task of cataloging, stripping and sorting parts has taken place and as of today (July 5th) the assembly process begins. As this release is being written the Starfighter is undergoing a high tech polishing process that will take the now bare metal finish and bring it back to the shining aluminum of Starfighters flown in Canada.

Other components such as the Wings, Horizontal Tail, Nose and External fuel tanks will be starting to return next week for installation finished in special (2) part paints and back to the colours of Starfighter 104651 which was based in Cold Lake in 1980.

Thanks to the donations by the family of Don Hamilton, AirSpray Aviation Services Ltd and many private donors from Edmonton, Alberta and across Canada the Alberta Aviation Museum was able to acquire this complete and relatively undamaged aircraft, the first the Museum has purchased rather than recovered or had donated. The Museum is working hard to reward the donors with what may be our fastest restoration ever and hope to see the Starfighter Roll Out ceremony take place in early August, date to be announced shortly.

The aircraft will be completed representing the Starfighters flown by Canadians from 1961 to 1984 in Canada, Europe and most important for the Museum 4 Wing Cold Lake, Alberta.

Here in Edmonton the Starfighter history is deep as North West Industries overhauled the Canadian Starfighters right on City Centre Airport in the late 70s and early 80s. North West Industries was one of Canada’s high tech aerospace powerhouses through the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and into the 1980s employing thousands of Edmontonians and placing Edmonton at the top of the Aerospace field.

When the resurrection is complete this former Dutch Starfighter will return as the "Ghost of Canadian Armed Forces Starfighter 104651” which was lost (with no fatalities) during a training mission in 1980 at Cold Lake.

The Alberta Aviation Museum is proud to be returning another piece of Edmonton, Alberta and Canadian history to the public. Join us for the soon to be announced Starfighter Roll Out.

Thomas Hinderks
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum Association
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Last edited by Tom H on Fri Aug 02, 2013 2:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Colonel Sanders
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Colonel Sanders »

Tom: as one of your biggest fans (I'm over 6 feet and
over 200 pounds), we need eye candy! Pictures!

If you keep this up - posting without pictures - I'm going
to send you one of those fancy new unlocked cellphones
so you can take pictures :mrgreen:

PS It ain't gonna be an iPhone. Might as well become a
Scientologist. Probably an Android, Samsung or HTC.
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MikeAndHike
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by MikeAndHike »

I got to see it today. What a beauty! I didn't take pictures as the volunteers were hard at work polishing the fuselage. It was our first time to the museum and both of my boys and I had a great time. Can't wait to go again!
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Colonel Sanders wrote:Tom: as one of your biggest fans (I'm over 6 feet and
over 200 pounds), we need eye candy! Pictures!

If you keep this up - posting without pictures - I'm going
to send you one of those fancy new unlocked cellphones
so you can take pictures :mrgreen:

PS It ain't gonna be an iPhone. Might as well become a
Scientologist. Probably an Android, Samsung or HTC.
Ah come on Colonel

Bunch of pics coming but they haven't been posted to our photo bucket account yet.

Soon as they are I'll get em up!

You really don't want me taking pics, my older brother (recently pasted) was an aviation photo journalist, many of his photos won awards...problem is he got all the talent. The stuff I take pics of are beyond god awful. (lol)

Sides, been spending all my after work time fixing the paint on one of our T-Birds and making our CF-100 look good again.

All that said...I will get pics up as soon as I can.

Tom
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

MikeAndHike wrote:I got to see it today. What a beauty! I didn't take pictures as the volunteers were hard at work polishing the fuselage. It was our first time to the museum and both of my boys and I had a great time. Can't wait to go again!
I am so glad you had a good time, especially your boys!

We try really hard to make sure our museum is a good place to be and welcoming for kids.

Thanks for coming and the good words

Tom
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Bushav8er »

When the resurrection is complete this former Dutch Starfighter will return as the "Ghost of Canadian Armed Forces Starfighter 104651” which was lost (with no fatalities) during a training mission in 1980 at Cold Lake.
I was in Cold Lake in 80. You could always tell a 104 from other aircraft, it had a neat howl and watching them take off in pairs in evening/night you could see diamond shapes in the AB...good memories.

Congrats on your acquisition.
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Fuselage polishing was just completed

Will try to post pics tomorrow
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter...Photos

Post by Tom H »

As promised here's the first few scrounged up

Out of the can
Image

From this Edmonton Journal article
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Alb ... story.html


On the way back from stripping
Image

From this Edmonton Sun Article
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/06/20/p ... n-edmonton

During polishing
Image
Image

From this i880 News article
http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/iR ... ID=2000233

More when ours hit photobucket

Tom
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Post by Beefitarian »

I am sort of happy the polished livery won yet..

I think you might need to get a couple more and paint them in some of the other great looking designs that are rarely seen on display in Alberta.
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Re: Starfighter with some photos...Resurrection begins

Post by iflyforpie »

Awesome!! :D
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Here of some of the Starfighters company that has also been receiving touch ups, polishing and paint work to be ready for the Roll Out in August.

T-Bird...Early style
Image

T-Bird...Late style
Image

CF-100
Image

With the Starfighter coming on line ALL the jets needed to be spruced up to look good with the new arrival.

Now we need to polish the paint on the CF-101, any volunteers?

Tom
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Colonel Sanders »

Awesome photos, Tom!!
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Colonel Sanders wrote:Awesome photos, Tom!!
If you liked those...

Check out the list of aircraft currently in collection.
(note it will drop by about 7-8 aircraft as the airport closes)
http://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com/Current_Collection

And for more pics, check out the collection photos
Starts with the Atlantic Aircraft Fokker Universal (conserved)
http://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com/Ai ... _universal

Tom
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Starfighter Roll Out ceremony date to be announced shortly

Tom
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Wings arrived back today.

Top the correct gorgeous white and the bottom the correct gray.

Will post photos of the install next week

Tom
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Progress is rapid

Front cockpit refinished, except for several instruments we are awaiting to arrive.
Rear cockpit well underway
Fuselage fully assembled and polished
Horizontal Tail in it's Scarlet Glory installed, only fairings left
Tip tanks RCAF Red waiting for install
Underwing tanks RCAF Red waiting for install

Wing (already painted, White in top/Gray on bottom) install begins this morning
Nose (already painted correct light gray) arrives in a few hours with underwing tank pylons (painted same gray as bottom of wings)

Correct marking in production

Tom
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Re: Starfighter...Resurrection begins

Post by Whiplash »

Colonel Sanders wrote:It ain't gonna be an iPhone. Might as well become a
Scientologist.
Well played sir.
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by sidestick stirrer »

More than any other airplane, the Starfighter seems to me to epitomize the adage that airplanes look best when they are as clean as possible, meaning gear up and slick wings and fuselage.
While the museum cannot do anything about the landing gear, the amazingly-short, thin and sharp wing of the Starfighter is best appreciated without all the clutter that four tanks add.
All my very-humble opinion, of course.
Say; will there be a speaker hidden inside, playing an audio loop of that famous J-79 howl?
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Tom H
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Re: Starfighter with more photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Tom H »

Tail on and first wing in place
Image

One on
Image

Second one
Image

Wings and tail on
Image
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Re: Starfighter with new photos...Resurrection begins

Post by Meatservo »

Boy, she's going to be a beauty!
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