22 Monday 1:00 Fairey Firefly WB518 and Fairey Firefly Mk. VI

The new monoplane, with folding wings for carrier storage sits its crew of two in tandem, though in separate, cockpits. The pilot up front near the leading edge while the radio operator/observer is located some distance aft. With a variety of prototypes completed production began in March 1943, although it was July 1944 before the type became operational. Its first assignment was on the aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable off the coast of enemy-held Norway. It was involved with a series of missions against the German ship Tirpitz and eventually was used in all theaters of operation during the Second World War. The Fairey Firefly harassed Japanese aircraft and ground installations throughout the East Indies, and in July 1945 became the first British aircraft to overfly Tokyo. From 1941 until 1955, some 1,702 aircraft were built. It saw service as a long range escort and strike aircraft during the WWII and as a strike aircraft during the Korean War.

The Museum’s Firefly, Fairey Firefly Mk. VI was built in 1951 and first served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, at Ford, UK. Later, it was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1953. It was retired from the RAN in 1960 and ended up in a museum in New South Wales, Australia. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum purchased it from them in 1979. Although a Mk.VI, it has been restored in the colours and markings of a RCN No. 825 Squadron Firefly Mk. V operating from HMCS Magnificent in 1949-50.

DeHavilland Mosquito

Capt. Eddie Kurdziel is a retired United States Navy and commercial airliner pilot with thousands of hours logged. His journey with Fairey Firefly WB518 began in 1974. After reading a Flying Magazine article featuring the Canadian Firefly, he says he remembered being entranced with the aircraft, but never had an opportunity to see it in person let alone see it fly. A chain of unusual events followed in his life that all lead to the purchase and restoration of WB518. During Thanksgiving, November of 1993 he was perusing every pilot’s favorite wish book Trade-a-plane when he spotted an ad for a 60% restored Firefly! He purchased it for $200,000 and spent $60,000 having it shipped to the United States. The captain’s initial plan was to sell rides on the plane, “The Firefly had a crew of two, so I guess the passenger would get the navigator/weapons officer spot”. Of course, that required making the 60% restored Firefly 100% flyable. That took eight years and 45,000 man hours.

Steve McIntosh has been the Chief Engineer at Technisonic Industries Ltd., an avionics maunufacturer for the last 29 years. He joined Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in 1991 as a non-pilot. He learned to fly at the Hamilton Flying Club in 1993 and in 1996 started flying the museum’s de Havilland Chipmunk. Steve now fly’s most of the small trainers as well as the Harvard, Stearman, Beech 18, Norseman, DC3, C47 and Firefly. He also has time in Technisonic’s Citation 501 and a P51 Mustang. He has an Airline Transport Pilot License and also holds a FAST card.

Django Studios is an automotive aftermarket and aviation-centric graphic design studio producing award winning work for companies like Raybestos, Stewart Warner, Federal Mogul, Snap-On Tools, Peak Antifreeze, Hasbro, Smithfield Foods, Richard Petty Motorsports, Commemorative Air Force, and EAA, including the design of this program. Passion fuels our creativity. djangostudios.com

Aero Media Group (AMG) is a visual communications company focused on aviation film and photography specializing in capturing aircraft in their natural element…in the air. aeromediagroup.com

Sleeping Dog TV The principles of Sleeping Dog Productions have very likely produced more aviation television than anyone in the media business. They have collaborated to produce 6 aviationbased cable television series, consisting of 175 shows that total 100 hours of running time. The team has received over 40 national and international awards for creative excellence, most recent a Silver Telly Award for “Robin Olds: ALL AMERICAN.”

To that end, FLYING, the world’s most widely read aviation magazine, in partnership with Sleeping Dog Media Properties has launched FLYINGtv.com. FLYINGtv consists of 700-plus high-definition videos, including original series, live events, historic and warbird footage. FLYINGtv.com is an online aviation TV network providing exclusive entertainment and educational content to aviators and the aviationinterested on a subscription basis. Our experiences showcase experts and entertainers; from NASA Astronaut, Robert “Hoot” Gibson to Academy Award nominee, Gary Sinise to Harrison Ford, stunning visuals and unrivaled storytelling. Whether you want to fly with airshow performer Sean D. Tucker or travel back in time with WWII Combat Ace C.E. “Bud” Anderson and German Luftwaffe Ace Gunther Rall, FLYINGtv adds new binge-worthy films and series each month, empowering you to dive deep into your favorite subjects and explore new territory sure to entertain, enlighten and inspire. Satisfy your thirst for aviation entertainment anytime and anywhere with FLYINGtv.com access available worldwide on your television, laptop or mobile device. sleepingdogtv.com

Vintage Aviation Publications is a company founded by a group of passionate Warbirds enthusiasts who love the history and technology Aviation Museums preserve for the public. It is our intention to play a role in safeguarding the heritage of these beautiful machines by providing increased awareness and education through the use of internet based digital media. Vintage Aviation Publications is the publisher of Warbird Digest and warbirdsnews.com

Paul Bowen is an award winning, commercial photographer, and has been shooting aerial photography since 1972. He is credited with over 700 magazine covers and countless campaigns and is well known in the aviation world for his photographs of wing tip vortices. airtoair.net