BUSY PAINT BOOTHS

Air Classics, Feb 2004 by O'Leary, Michael

The artisans at Sky Harbour Refinishers have been busy as detailed by James P. Church

Sky Harbour Refinishers located at Goderich, Ontario, Canada, has been very busy painting Warbirds. Mike Potter's Ottawa, Ontario-based Spitfire Mk, XVI SL721/C-GVZB has emerged in No. 421 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force camouflage as AU*J which represents an aircraft flown by Fit. Lt. William Harper of Niagara Falls, Ontario. The original AU*J (TB886) was named Dorothy U but Potter elected to replace this with 421's adopted logo - the Indian head motif of the McColl'Frontenac oil Company which was applied to most of the squadron's Spitfires. TB886 was the first low-back Mk. XVI to fly with the squadron and Harper had always wanted the logo applied to his Spitfire but the supply of decals had run out. It has only taken 58 years to correct this!

Dick James of Fennimore, Wisconsin, had his P-51D USAAF s/n 44-74417/N6327T completed in a 353rd Fighter Group scheme as Lt. Leroy Pletz's Donna-Mite. Dick's Mustang had last seen military service in Canada as RCAF 9586. This is the third time the Mustang has been painted by Sky Harbour - first was for Garland Brown of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, followed by Bob Byrne of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Gooney Bird N34 is the last of a large fleet operated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Built in 1945 for the USAAF, the aircraft was transferred to the Navy as an R4D. After eleven years of Naval service, the Gooney went to the Civil Aeronautics Administration where it was used in the calibration of navigational aids within the National Airspace System. In 1985, the aircraft was restored to its original CAA configuration and flown to various airshows throughout the US to educate the public on the role of the current FAA. It was grounded in 1993 and placed in storage at the Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. The decision was taken to refurbish and repaint N34 and fly it to selected airshows during the 2003 season before it is once again grounded for museum display.

Sky Harbour has also completed painting of Jerry Yagen's Goodyear FG-ID Corsair in the markings of Lt. Ray Beecham of VF-17. Beecham shot down two Zeros during two tours of duty with the Jolly Rogers, the first of which was the first official kill credited to the squadron. Beecham was a highly decorated pilot that held, among other awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart. FG-ID BuNo 92508/N46RL was previously with Robert Lammerts of Oklahoma City before joining Yagen's Vintage Fighters which is based in Suffolk, Virginia.