# Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum, Hamiliton Ontario.



## jimbunting (22 Jan 2004)

Gentelmen"

For those who have never heard of the Canadian War Plane Heritage Museum, loacted at the Hamilton, Ontario airport, take a look at their website at...............www.warplane.ca

This is the largest collection of FLYING world war two aircraft in Canada. While other museums do "visual " restoration, this group of dedicated volunteers rebuilds the planes to current Transort Canada specs, and FLYS THEM. The museum is 180,00 square feet of hanger and shops, with over 40 aircraft, from De Havilland Tiger Moths to the only flying Avro Lancater four engine bomber in North America.

The museum is open 363 days a year, from 0900 to 1700 hrs, seven days a week, only closed on Christmas and New Year‘s day. Admission is $10 for adults, and the gift shop has a great selction of videos on the collection‘s aircraft, as well as original works of art, and hats, windbreakers and model kits.

Take a look at what Canadians can do, when they work togeather. And what they did, in the dark days of WW 2, to help to defeat the NAZIS.

Jim Bunting.


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## Yeoman (22 Jan 2004)

it‘s an amazing place to go to. I went a few years back, should have remembered to take a camera. but all and all it was very wicked cool.
Greg


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## muskrat89 (22 Jan 2004)

Thanks jb! Cool site. There‘s a similar place close to me here in AZ. Actually, there‘s a couple.


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## AirCon (23 Jan 2004)

The museum is fantastic....I was there last spring.  As well as a camera you should have at LEAST a couple of hours to go through.  An interesting note - within the hanger displays, according to a veteran flyer and museum guide, every aircraft there with a prop is flyable.  This includes a Spitfire, Grumman Goose and a Sopwith Pup.  They are also doing new project restorations right in the same area.  You can actually watch as they go about their work.

This museum is a "must see".....

Cheers

A


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## PriceCHofO (23 Jan 2004)

Have an extra $200? That‘s enough to buy you about a 40 minute flight in and AT-6 Harvard. It‘s about as close to flying a WWII fighter that you can get--you do actually get to fly it. Best $200 I ever spent.

Have an extra $1000? That‘s enough to buy you a flight in the Lanc


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## jimbunting (23 Jan 2004)

GUYS:

A few more interesting points about War Plane Heritage.

Started by 4 exRCAF WW2 pilots, each of whom owned his own aircraft. Now this is the world‘s biggest war plane restoration operation, anywhere. Worldwide membership is over 17,000 people, many of whom have never been there, as they live all over the world. A hard core group of about 1,000 men and women, who live in Southern Ontario, are the ones who do the work.

Volunteers are divided in four main groups. Techs who are either retired, or current aero-tech types. General aviation buffs, who do anything that they are qualified to do. Guides, like myself, who conduct tours and run intensive group teaching days, for schools and veterans groups. Lastly the executive, who raise MILLIONS of dollars to support the museums work. CWHM gets little, if any Government funding, despite the obvious "Canadian Heritage " aspect of this organisation, and it‘s message of Canadian history and service.

Pilots are the ones who provide their services, free of charge to do air shows, and to fly our "Legends flight" aircraft, as someone mentioned, you can buy a flight, for $200, in a opencockpit plane, such as a Stearman, a Tiger Moth, or a Harvard, or a Chipmunk.

The Mynarski Memorial Lancaster, which is a mark ten Avro Lancaster, four engine heavey bomber, is one of only TWO in the world that still FLY. Remember this........7,762 of them were built, including 410 built in Malton, Ontario, at Victory Aircraft. This aircraft was in pretty sad shape when the re-build was started, It took elelven years of hard work to get it back in the air. With four 1800 horsepower V-12 Rolls Royce Merlin engines, the Lanc was the load and lift champ among all Allied bombers, in WW2. Able to carry huge  loads  including the  24,000 pound "Grand Slam", which was the largest pre-atomic bomb, the Lanc could also go farther and carry more than any other Allied aircraft.

What does it cost to re-build a Lanc? Consider this............To rebuild one of the four RR engines, you need to spend about $300 thousand dollars, times four on the plane, plus two spares, total One million, eight hundred thousand dollars. Add in over 10 miles of wiring, and then replace every rivet and fastener, which is the Transport Canada requiremnt, to get a air-worthyness certificate. Add in the new hydraulic system, new props, new cockpit instrments, the hidden radar, navcomms, GPS, and the dozens of hand made parts, made from original Avro drawings, and the 100 Dunlop tires made in England, from the original moulds.

How do you find parts for a 60 year old aircraft? You‘d be surprised what people have stored away, in the barn in Saskatchewan. The world wide web is a great way to find stuff. And the retired officers network is also a great source.

All in all it‘s a great way to spend a day, as we have a full service diner, a video lounge that shows continous WW2 films, a great gift shop, and a library with hundreds of original books, that you can read. You can also talk to our volunteers, as thay work on restorations of a Bollingbrooke bomber, a Tracker,  and the first stealth aircraft, the Lysander.

Make a trek to see us in Hamilton, you will be impressed. Come anytime, but especially in the warm weather when we fly everyday!! May to October, at noon time.

Cheers; Jim Bunting.


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## mattoigta (23 Jan 2004)

Yeah i went there a few years back and really loved it. It has great displays. There was a veteran at the Lancaster display who told me a few stories of his bomber days. Also the air combat simulator was some good fun.


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## old medic (4 Feb 2013)

Hamilton’s mighty Lancaster needs funds to keep it flying 

04 Feb 2013

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/880653--hamilton-s-mighty-lancaster-needs-funds-to-keep-it-flying





> An appeal has gone out for help with the cost of overhauling the famous Lancaster’s engines so the Second World War era plane in Hamilton can keep flying.
> 
> The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has issued the appeal for $500,000, saying as the museum approaches its 25th year of flying the Lancaster, it is at a point where the four ‘mighty’ Packard Merlin 224 engines are nearing the end of their normal operating life and need to be overhauled.
> 
> ...


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## Bluebulldog (4 Feb 2013)

Ironically I was just there yesterday. Great place and a lot of interesting old planes, most in great condition. 

Donations made in the collection boxes to more than a few on their floor.


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## NavyShooter (4 Feb 2013)

Paid a visit with the family a couple of years ago, and got a video of my Dad describing to grandkids what the C-47 was like, and what the Tiger-Moth was like.  (He was in Air Cadets after the war.)  

I have seen some pretty impressive air museums over the years and in the various countries I've stopped in.  CWHM was about the best.

NS


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## BeyondTheNow (4 Feb 2013)

It is excellent! Very easy to spend a long time in, even with the kids!


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## RubberTree (4 Feb 2013)

In 2001, I was on final in Hamilton in a Cessna 152, I think my second or third solo flight...

"GZKU, Hamilton tower...speed up your approach, we have a big bird coming in behind you"
I turn around and see the Lancaster behind me...closing fast (or so it seemed to me).

"Hamilton tower, ZKU...umm...how about I just go around?"
By far the most exciting part of my pilot training
RT


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## Bass ackwards (4 Feb 2013)

I haven't seen the "new" museum, but I was there on the morning, in the mid-1990's, when a fire broke out in the hangar containing the Lancaster, a Hurricane and a Mark V Spitfire that was in the process of being restored (I was one of the crew working on the spit).

Guys literally risked their lives running into the burning hangar to hook up a tug to the bomber and drag her out.

Sadly, we lost the two fighters but fortunately no one was injured. 
I saw some pretty tough, crusty old gents watching that hangar burn down with tears in their eyes.


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## Bluebulldog (5 Feb 2013)

There is now both a Hawker Hurricane, and Spitfire in the collection, that look nicely restored. 

Shuck....absolutely, I took my little boy, who's almost 4....and I can see us making a few trips over the next few years...he loved it.


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## BeyondTheNow (5 Feb 2013)

Bluebulldog said:
			
		

> There is now both a Hawker Hurricane, and Spitfire in the collection, that look nicely restored.
> 
> Shuck....absolutely, I took my little boy, who's almost 4....and I can see us making a few trips over the next few years...he loved it.



Mine's three also, great age! He loved it! I only had my cell so pictures weren't the greatest, but we might be going again this weekend and I'm bringing the Canon!


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## 2010newbie (5 Feb 2013)

Shuck10 said:
			
		

> but we might be going again this weekend and I'm bringing the Canon!



Good, I need another photographer at my wedding..... I'm getting married there this Saturday.


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## BeyondTheNow (5 Feb 2013)

2010newbie said:
			
		

> Good, I need another photographer at my wedding..... I'm getting married there this Saturday.



Congratulations! 

If you're serious, PM me. I'm a photographer on the side. I'll send you a sample of my work...we can discuss fees and such if you like what you see. I've done weddings, showers, portraits, photo-journalism, nature, etc., etc...


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## 2010newbie (5 Feb 2013)

Thanks!

The comment was tongue-in-cheek..... I have ended up with three photographers for the wedding. We hired a husband and wife team that work the event together and they asked if they could bring someone along that is shadowing them.

If you do go though, feel free to come say hi!


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## BeyondTheNow (5 Feb 2013)

Lol, ya I figured but I'm never one to waste an opportunity!

That's actually an awesome venue, I'm sure you'll have some truly memorable shots! Congrats again!

'Guess I know whose wedding I'm crashing on Saturday


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## Journeyman (6 Feb 2013)

....now if only they'd build a Mosquito  (as opposed to rebuild/refurbish, since that 1940s plywood just didn't hold up well).


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## BeyondTheNow (10 Feb 2013)

For anyone in the area, just a FYI that next weekend will be some fun kid's activities. They're having a big "Kid's Fest" with inflatable items for the Family Day weekend Feb. 16-18

We went again this Saturday, our son had a great time. Definitely go check it out! (Btw, fantastic set-up, 2010Newbie. All the best for a long and happy future together!)


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## Jammer (11 Feb 2013)

A company in NZ has just finished a Mossie. It was commisioned by a private buyer and is one it's way to the US. The company has all of the tool and dyes and is working on a second plane. I doubt the CWM has the resources for this undertaking. 
In the last few years it has had to sell it's Corsair to keep afloat. The Bolingbroke restoration has been going on forever and I suspect it's not due to lack of parts, but lack of funds. they have the intention to have it airworthy, but there is an enormous amount of testing and certification to be done. All of this costs big money. it's essentially building a new plane from scratch.


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