For the fliers...

[Joe_Black]

They've got a Sea Dart on static display here at the Sun 'n Fun grounds, although it's not in the best of shape.



Oh, the Short Sunderland over at Kermit's place is also in pretty rough shape. It's on display inside one of the main hangars and has been stripped for a while. Last time I spoke with him we just talked about his Fieseler Storch and I didn't even think to ask about the Short's fate. Some neat stuff out there, including a V1 flying bomb which I think would make a very cool homebuilt (Fi-103 manned version) using a small turbine instead of the pulse jet.

[Chopper]

That Sunderland was flying maybe eight or ten years ago...how bad can it be?? Don't answer that...70 year old glass, hmmmm. I never knew there were more than two of those Sea Darts, they blew one up in San Diego harbor (or was it Tampa) when it sucked water into the intake and grenaded the engine...that is when Willow Grove got their "Display" dart...the program was killed. Guess their were at least three! Hey Joe, does Kermit still have his Grumman Duck? They were flying that thing daily. The Storch had been taken to bits....it's been a while since I was out there.

[Joe_Black]

I was out there a few months ago and the Duck looked fine, the Storch had its wings off for rebuild. IIRC it's actually a post-war French model which were built to spec but I'm not sure whether it was license built, although some were produced at the Morane works under the Vichy gov't. It does have the correct Argus inverted V8 though.

If you ever want to come out give a shout and we'll meet y'all there for gawkin' and gabbin'. Oh, looks like we'll be out your way during Biketoberfest visiting our friends in Palm Coast and maybe the weekend of the 6th too. I'll shoot you a PM if so in case your up for a brew or bite.

Here's a wiki entry on the Sea Dart, says there are four surviving examples from the program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F2Y_Sea_Dart