Paint booths are busy at Sky Harbour

Air Classics, Apr 2003

Canadian company is the top refinisher of Warbirds

Sky Harbour Aircraft Refinishing at Goderich, Ontario, Canada, has been very busy with Warbirds over the past few months. Among the aircraft that have passed through the facility is Bob Tullius' P-51D N51RT Donald. "Back when I originally had the aircraft painted," recalled Bob, "it was common to paint the whole aircraft silver and that's what I did. However, we all know that P-51Ds had bare fuselages while their wings were filled, sanded, and painted to maximize the laminar flow. I have been making my aircraft more and more representative of its original condition so I let Sky Harbour return the plane to a much more accurate configuration." The aircraft is finished in the markings of 4th Fighter Group pilot Donald Emerson who was killed on a Christmas Day 1944 mission over Belgium.

Another pristine Warbird that has just received a new paint scheme is Bob Jepson's TF-51D N6320T which has emerged as a 353rd Fighter Group, 352nd Fighter Squadron Mustang named Little Witch. Long-time Warbird fans will remember that this aircraft was once the property of WWII P-51 pilot Hess Bomberger who flew the craft as Vergultungswaffe.

Our good friend Dick James also has his P-51D N6327T in the shop where it is being refinished as Donna-- Mite flown by Lt. Leroy Pletz and the folks at Sky Harbour have noted that this is the third time they have refinished the machine!

Also in the shop are Jerry Yegan's FG-1D Corsair N46RL which has emerged from a lengthy rebuild and Mike Potter's Spitfire Mk. XVI C-GVZB which will be losing its accurate all-blue scheme in favor of a camouflaged machine operated by the RCAF during WWII. Thanks to James P. Church for keeping us updated on all these new finishes!