2010/04/18

Airminded : Pat's Victorie find a new house

 
Provided to you by the Brussels Air Museum Fund (www.bamf.be ) and the Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society (http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/introduction.htm

Links

The  2nd Tactical Air Force Medium Bombers Association Newsletter page is updated. The back issues of February, May and August are now available on the website of the bamf at http://www.bamf.be/Dispersals/ 


Coming soon

SZB909 des bombes sur St Ghislain
24/04 to 02/05/2010
Click on the image for details
Including
A B-25 back to Belgium display


  Stampe Flyin 15-16/05/2010

Wissant / Audembert Spectacle Aérien le 18 et 19 septembre 2010.

 par l'Association de la Mémoire de la Bataille d'Angleterre sur la Côte d'Opale




April, 2010                                                                   

Pat's Victories find a new home



This Saturday April, 17th, 2010, our B-25 reached the Recreatief Vliegveld Grimbergen. (Being one of the very rare airplane in motion this week end thanks to the Ash cloud over Europe)

Let's go back on the week end of October 31st and November 1st. The project « A B-25 Back to Belgium » progressed thru a significant path.


One week before, the North American B-25 which is in Belgium since 2005 moved from Lokeren to Melles near Tournai to reach the Van Cutsem – Windels company.

The following week, the rear fuselage, the tail and the wings were sandblasted. 17 tons of fine sand was needed to process 245 M2.

On the Saturday October 31st ,  the volunteers of the Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society (BAMRS) and the Brussels Air Museum Fund (BAMF) travelled to Melles to work on the airframe.


When arriving in Belgium the B-25 "44-30925" was first stored thanks to the Royal Army Museum at the Vissenaeken depot. In 2007, the aircraft moved to New ICC in Lokeren for chemical based anti corrosion process. If New ICC succeeded in processing the wings, the fuselage was too big to be completed.


A new partner was searched and after tests, the Van Cutsem Windels company was selected. The enthusiasm and the innovative approach of the manager of the company helped to solve all possible issues. The company is pretty well equipped as well to move the airframe, to sandblast it and to apply a protective primer.
During the winter, the airframe was cleaned, one of the main undercarriage leg was disassembled.

The rear fuselage, the wings and the central section were painted.


In March 2010, the second undercarriage leg was dismantled and the front section was painted.

Then the B-25 was ready to move to the Grimbergen to be stored before further restoration. However, we needed to take care to the weather conditions and the transport was to be done under strict environment conditions to avoid nuisances. Finally, all the conditions were filled, the transfer was organized in a few hours by the volunteers. The aircraft left Melles by truck at 11:30
and reached Grimbergen on 14:00.

The past and current operations on the airframe will permit to spare years of work usually hand made. A member of the project is already seeking spare parts in the USA to start the following steps and the support from specialized companies is already obtained.


“A B-25 Back to Belgium” is a project of the Brussels Air Museum Fund. We still need support. Any individual can also help the project and participate in the remembrance of  RAF, Dutch and Belgian B-25 crews who took part in the liberation of Europe.

Please note the Royal Army Museum in Brussels is not taking part in anyway in this operation which is a pure Brussels Air Museum Fund operation.

We thanks the Van Custem Windels company, New ICC, the Buyl transport company, www.copiepresse.be, Dirk, the local press (Sud-Presse), No telé , the RTBF, the 
Recreatief Vliegveld Grimbergen, Florian, Frans, Paul and all the anonymous friends for their precious help.


B25GR041.jpg
High quality pictures available for publication.
See http://www.bamfbamrs.be/Bahl/thumbnails.php?album=43

For more information about project, please visit

 
A B-25 back to Belgium : http://www.bamfbamrs.be/B25/B25-en.htm
Brussels Air Museum Fund :
www.bamf.be
Brussel Air Museum Restoration Society :
http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/BAMRS.htm






Do not hesitate to forward and share theses news with anyone who could be interested.
You are always welcome to share news or links with us, just drop us a mail at airminded@bamf.be
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