Vintage Wings Canada Hawk 1 Project

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:21 am

Vintage Wings of Canada (VWC) has acquired a Sabre! Canadair Sabre 5 (actually a 5 with 6 wings) with RCAF s/n 23314, c/n 1104 and c/r N8687D arrived at the Gatineau Executive Airport on the 19 September 2007, at 11:19 AM. Ferry pilot Ron Iberg was at the controls.
The preliminary plan would have the VWoC Golden Hawk Sabre flying accross Canada during 2009. Tim Leslie outlined the plan on the site recently when he announced VWoC’s Hawk One initiative.
"Hawk One is a project spearheaded by Vintage Wings of Canada to acquire an F-86 Sabre, refurbish it, paint it in the colours of the Snowbirds’ progenitor the Golden Hawks of RCAF fame and fly it throughout 2009 on the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada. The Golden Hawks were created in 1959 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the same event."
According to Tim the initial training will possibly be at Comox. Hawk1 will then tour Canada. Sure hope it goes according to plan.
Check out "Reflections of a Flying Career" on their site:
http://www.vintagewings.ca/page?s=63&lang=en-CA

Hedley · Post by **Hedley** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 8:21 am

Anyone with an interest in aviation who is passing through Ottawa, should visit the National Aviation Museum at Rockliffe airport (CYRO) for an amazing static display of aircraft, and then visit Vintage Wings across the river at Gatineau airport (CYND) to see their incredible, flying aircraft museum. It's hard to put into words, but a flying aircraft is different than a permanent static display aircraft - it smells like an airplane.

Now, all we have to do is convince Gatineau to lengthen their runway by another 4,000 feet so that a CF-104 could operate out of CYND

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:54 am

So true, I am involved in the Hurricane restoration project at VWOC and did some marshalling at the open houses over the summer. For anyone with a passion for aviation it is unbelieveable.
The Saturday events brought in such neat stuff, the Pitts (usually 3 or 4 on the ramp, Nanchungs, Harvards, and of course the fighters, Spit, Hurri, Mustang. Couple of weeks ago we had two CL415 on the ramp, the next week its a B25 and Lancaster.

cgzro · Post by **cgzro** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:01 pm

boxcar wrote:So true, I am involved in the Hurricane restoration project at VWOC and did some marshalling at the open houses over the summer. For anyone with a passion for aviation it is unbelieveable.
The Saturday events brought in such neat stuff, the Pitts (usually 3 or 4 on the ramp, Nanchungs, Harvards, and of course the fighters, Spit, Hurri, Mustang. Couple of weeks ago we had two CL415 on the ramp, the next week its a B25 and Lancaster.

Its true, I wandered over to VWOC from my hanger at CYND the day after the Sabre arrived and Mike was very excited about it. I tell you though thats once small cockpit and not much avionics in there! Oh and a working ejection seat. Apparently the plane was not flying for the last couple of years and was brought up on a ferry permit only. They will be going over her for the next year and a bit.

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:16 am

That's an interesting comment about the small cockpit Peter, especially coming from a Pitts driver!
Surprisingly true though. Dr. Eugene Richardson one of the Tuskegee airmen visited on the weekend and had to climb into the Sabre cockpit he said the same thing and he flew P47s.

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:27 am

Just a reminder though, if you wanna see Vintage Wings of Canada, you should call ahead. Or email them.

http://www.vintagewings.ca/page?s=71&lang=en-CA

There are some SWEET planes there in MINT condition. A definite MUST SEE if in Ottawa. You won't be disappointed, you have the ISTP guarantee on that one!

-istp

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:49 am

I had the great fortune to fly with VWoC for the Fallen Firefighters of Canada memorial on Sept 9th. We posed for this photo the day before. It's not everyday you see a Hurricane, Spitfire, and Mustang with two CL-415s.
Mike, Tim and Rob were all very gracious hosts.
I intend to return to VWoC with my wife and kids in my spare time. It is a place where everyone can be inspired.

xiz · Post by **xiz** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:58 am

I've been to a couple of the VW open houses, and to the Air Rally at the Rockcliffe airport this summer. I am utterly blown away by how much they've done to bring so many classic aircraft to the public, and how many amazing airplanes they have in their collection.

First time I was out, their Corsair had just arrived, and they had it, the Spitfire, and the Hurricane doing a three-ship formation, as well as the Fox Moth, the Beaver, and a bunch of other awesome warbirds. What is also impressive are the wide array of guest aircraft which turn up .. Mike Potter and the VW gang should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:44 am

Driving Rain wrote:[img]
I had the great fortune to fly with VWoC for the Fallen Firefighters of Canada memorial on Sept 9th. We posed for this photo the day before. It's not everyday you see a Hurricane, Spitfire, and Mustang with two CL-415s.
Mike, Tim and Rob were all very gracious hosts.
I intend to return to VWoC with my wife and kids in my spare time. It is a place where everyone can be inspired.

Had the pleasure of being there that day great sight, first time I ever saw water bombers with fighter cover!
Not use to having aircraft on the ramp that can actually back up!
This link will take you to Mike Henniger's shots he took that day.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2764097 ... 1775WzUiaa

pelmet · Post by **pelmet** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:05 am

There is now an F-86 in the hangar and assuming things go well today and possibly tomorrow, there will be 2 Corsairs at YND.

Driving Rain · Post by **Driving Rain** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:44 am

Did I hear Tim correctly when he said VWoC will have two zero timed Orenda's for the F-86?

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:31 pm

That's what he said, apparently they are being rebuilt by Orenda. One zero hour in the plane one in the crate, They have also apparently purchased an entire package of spares from an estate I don't know all the details. I believe he mentioned there was enough to reconstruct three Sabres! If I heard him right.

sidestick stirrer · Post by **sidestick stirrer** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:23 pm

I recall that-many, many years ago- there was dozens of dismantled Sabres at a private strip just west of YQM, ( McEwen ?)and they were being reassembled one at a time, and the engines were being rebuilt one at a time.
The Sabres were being test flown in YQM, then ferried into the southern US where they were used as drones for live-fire exercises.
The one we saw being test-flown one summer evening during a YQM turnaround out of YYZ was bare metal with American registration painted with a black spray-can on the tail.
Closer inspection revealed a small-diameter, soft-aluminum tube running along the fuselage and terminating in a nozzle sticking into the jetpipe: it had been a Golden Hawk.
The Captain and I just about cried.
The Captain offered to trade "his" DC-9 straight across for the Sword and enough gas to get out of Canada; they just laughed.

linecrew · Post by **linecrew** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 11:47 pm

sidestick stirrer wrote:I recall that-many, many years ago- there was dozens of dismantled Sabres at a private strip just west of YQM, ( McEwen ?)and they were being reassembled one at a time...

The Vintage Wings Sabre was on of those Sabres out of Moncton:

Serial #: RCAF23314
Construction #: 1104
Civ. Reg.: ex. CF-BKH, N8687D
Model: Canadair Mk. 5

History:
Maritime Aircraft Repair & Overhaul, Moncton, NB, 19??
- Registered as CF-BKH.
Leroy Penhall/Fighter Imports Inc, Chino, CA, 1973.
- Registered as N8687D.
Flight Systems Inc, Mojave, CA, 1976.
Whittington Brothers/Air Sabre Inc, West Palm Beach, FL, 1976-1978.
Military Aircraft Restoration Corp, Chino, CA, 1980-1986.
Jim Robinson/Combat Jets Flying Museum, Houston, TX, Oct. 1987-1992.
EAA Aviation Foundation, Oshkosh, WI, 1992.
- Flown as USAF 12897/The Huff/FU-897.

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 6:22 am

While the fuselage is a Sabre 5 at some point it has had the Sabre 6 wing installed. It has the leading edge slats.
Many years ago while vacationing at Myrtle Beach I watched a number of these drones heading out over the ocean. They were being chased by F15s. I was amazed to see them still carrying RCAF markings.

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:33 am

Here's a shot of her when she arrived at VWoC.

http://image63.webshots.com/463/1/29/20 ... mug_fs.jpg

Flyboy757 · Post by **Flyboy757** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:53 am

Absolutely Beautiful

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Sun Nov 04, 2007 9:59 am

Even better when she looks like this!

cgzro · Post by **cgzro** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:43 pm

boxcar wrote:That's an interesting comment about the small cockpit Peter, especially coming from a Pitts driver!
Surprisingly true though. Dr. Eugene Richardson one of the Tuskegee airmen visited on the weekend and had to climb into the Sabre cockpit he said the same thing and he flew P47s.

Yeah, it seemed very tight and I'm not a big guy 5'9 or so. Must have been crampt for taller guys, or did they have adjustable seats?

Anyway I wander over to Mike's hanger most Saturday or Sundays between practice flights and there is always something new and amazing there. I would not be surprised to walk in and find a Space Shuttle next weekend

after all they do have Canadarms on them

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:40 am

Dave has posted an article on the Hawk 1 Sabre to the VWoC site worth a read.
Check it out here.
http://www.vintagewings.ca/page?s=63&lang=en-CA[/img]

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Fri May 23, 2008 1:01 pm

This update was posted in yesterday's Citizen
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/new ... cfc21abf25
The first of two open houses at Vintage Wings is June 7, 2008.

boxcar · Post by **boxcar** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:44 pm

This from the Vintage Wings site:

On September 20th, at the Vintage Wings of Canada Fall Open House, the Sabre will be unveiled in her temporary markings. She will be test flown by Paul Kissman and made ready for her journey to CFB Cold Lake where Jim Beliveau, Canada's premier fighter painter, will have a go at her to turn her into Hawk One. For the press conference, her USAF markings have been stripped and will be overlaid with Centennial of Flight colours and Canadian roundels.

http://www.vintagewings.ca/rsrc/vwc/img/Sabre7.jpg

Old Dog Flying · Post by **Old Dog Flying** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:50 am

The Hawk One project is very interesting as a modeller, I have built a few Sabres including the Golden Hawk Mk6. When I heard of the project, I sent VWoC a colour chip of the original Sheffield Luxor Pale Gold paint used so long ago on the 1:1 scale birds. I still have a small supply of the original dry pigment used on the Hawks...this was "liberated" from Trenton in 1962 by a "light fingered" friend.

As to the McEwen Sabres, I visited the site near YQM in 1977 and Dave gave us a great tour of the facilities. The Swords were made airworthy and delivered to Flight Systems as targets as mentioned, but 5 years ago I met Bob Laidlaw, the owner of Flight Systems, and ended up building him a 1:32 scale model of his Tiger Moth which had been meticulously restored..and then donated to the Toronto Aerospace Museum at YZD.

Aviation is certainly a small world...and the tales are never ending

Barney
http://www.barneysairforce.com

Rockie · Post by **Rockie** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:07 am

Hedley wrote:Now, all we have to do is convince Gatineau to lengthen their runway by another 4,000 feet so that a CF-104 could operate out of CYND

How about CYTZ? I hear they're very pro-aviation there and would go absolutely apeshit at the lovely, eerie sound of a 104 howling by.

Moose47 · Post by **Moose47** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:47 pm

G'day Boxcar

I'm turning my nitpicking mode on temporarly.

The Canadair Sabre never had its Mark identified with a Roman numeral. It was always Arabic. The R.C.A.F. did away with Roman numerals between 1948 and circa 1950/51.

Furthermore, the Sabre Mark 5 and Mark 6 were more commonly referred to as just the Sabre 5 and Sabre 6.

I applaud your organization on the efforts they are making to preserve Canada's rich aviation history. When you see Tim Leslie, tell him I still owe him a beer from Oshkosh.

Incidentally, my first aircraft ride was in the back of a C-119G (s/n 22117) from No. 408 'Goose' Squadron (based at Rivers) in February 1961 as a young R.C.A.F. dependant. We flew from R.C.A.F. Unit Fort Churchill to R.C.A.F. Station Winnipeg at 13,000 feet. I can still see the light of day coming in through those clam shell doors!!!

Cheers..Chris

Director
Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada)

Vintage Wings Canada Hawk 1 Project

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