Lancaster KB882/FM104 Restoration Video

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Profile picture for user 1batfastard

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Hi All,
Just thought some maybe interested in these videos featuring Lancaster KB822 courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/Lancaster-FM104-168591673179822/ along with news of the Save Lancaster FM104 campaign, please click link for latest news on this historic aircraft....;)

Restoring the Lancaster from Loyalist College Photojournalism on Vimeo.

While the recommendation must still be approved by council, it looks as if FM104 will be deaccessioned by the City of Toronto and given to the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Sidney, B.C. it is almost criminal in a heritage sense that Parc Downsview Parc was allowed to evict the CASM. Aside from robbing one of Canada's major cities of a museum dedicated to flight in Canada, Toronto will now loose an irreplaceable piece of its history. A sad day for the City and especially so for all of us who dedicated over 12 years and uncountable hours as part of the Lancaster FM104 Restoration Team. Hopefully, our Lanc will find a good home where the restoration will be completed and she will be well cared for. The final decision has yet to be made however.

Geoff.

Original post
Profile picture for user DH82EH

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11 years 2 months

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The City of Toronto has no motivation to invest in FM104.
For one thing, Canadians seem to be really good at bulldozing history.
They couldn't get the old Victory Aircraft / Avro Canada / Boeing / McDonnell Douglas site leveled fast enough! That site has now been vacant for about a decade.
Probably didn't want historical status to get in the way.
They also don't need a Lanc, as they are regularly buzzed by FM213.
Sidney B.C. is far too close too the ocean for my liking. Storing an aeroplane beside the ocean, is only marginally better than storing it in the ocean.

Andy

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20 years 1 month

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The video is actually Lancaster X KB882 , which is being restored by the National Museum of the Royal Canadian Air Force at Trenton Ont. This particular Lancaster had been sitting beside a highway in Northern New Brunswick for the last 50 years. It is still surprisingly complete and the effects from being outside are manageable. FM104 was in far worse shape when it came off the pedestal in 1999.

Its an interesting point that the current Mayor of Toronto, John Tory, is named after his grandfather,John Tory,a lawyer by profession, who was on the board of directors at Victory Aircraft, when FM104 was built at Malton. He subsequently helped start Avro Canada in December 1945, negotiating the contract with the Government of Canada to sell the former Victory plant at Malton and then coming on the board at Avro Canada and providing legal council for Avro Canada and Roy Dobson in the UK.

MRP

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ADMIN Note A bit misleading in the original post. Do you want to correct the video link or delete this post and start over??

Profile picture for user DH82EH

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The facebook link in the first post does contain a reference to a promotional video for FM104.

Andy

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

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Hi All,
Peter - Apologies I have amended original post hope this explains better.

Geoff.

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perfect...

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

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Hi All,
Peter -Only aim to please with a brain fart here and there being forgiven....:rolleyes:

Geoff.

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17 years 7 months

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Update on the situation.
The Economic Development Dept of the City of Toronto recommended the transfer of the aircraft to the BC Aviation Museum . It looked as if this airframe was to finally have a safe and stable future.
However, a small grass roots group of 4-5 individuals has come forward and is attempting to block the transfer and keep the aircraft in Toronto.
They are a small group that has no money , no facility or location to build a facility , no experience in aircraft restoration. They have contacted a couple of people that have Lanc Resto experience but nothing more than that. While I too would love to see the aircraft stay, its history in Toronto has been horrible its whole life . From sitting on a pedestal for years, to being scavenged for parts for other Lanc projects , to being loaned to the Toronto Aerospace Museum which could not keep themselves afloat , to sitting stored for several years at various location.
The City of Toronto did the right thing and accepted proposals from reputable Aviation Organizations that wished to take over ownership of the aircraft. It identified a suitable group that are supported by Victoria Air Maint, ( they just restored a Mosquito ). The City also place a parachute clause that would transfer ownership to another group if the BC Museum closed down. They did their due diligence
This new small inexperienced group has now come on the scene and is trying to block the entire proposal. While their intentions may be in some way understandable, giving ownership to such a group at this point in the negotiations would be adverse to the airframes future.
Toronto really does not have the market for another Lancaster Exhibit considering there is one flying example and 2 under restoration and one in the National Museum all within 5 hrs of each other. Each of these aircraft were built in Toronto , so Victory Aircraft Ltd is well represented.
The main concern should be for the airframe itself , NOT where is does or does not stay .
I really hope that the City sticks to the recommendation and finally does right by this aircraft.

Profile picture for user DH82EH

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This is the most interesting thing in the article posted above.

“We realize that restoring a Lancaster is a step up for us,” he said. But he said the museum would be partnering with Victoria Air Maintenance, a professional restoration company.

“We are fully confident we can restore (the Lancaster) ultimately to flying condition,” he said.

Restoration to airworthy would be an unbelievably huge undertaking for this airframe. Tens of millions of dollars.

Andy

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Very true Andy
VAM just completed a Mosquito so I think they up to the long term task and understand the work scope
The article above makes this fledgling group to be more than the are
At this point they are more a detriment to the airframe than anything

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9 years 9 months

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Well said Cam. I was starting to believe I was the only one who thought the 'save 104' group was, um, misguided. Well intentioned certainly, but where were they and their funding (?) when TAM was seeking support for the restoration?

Regards
John

Profile picture for user 1batfastard

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Hi All,
Davidisby - Thanks for the great update....:eagerness:

Geoff.