Fantasy of Flight 2013

Fantasy of Flight
July 19, 2013

I visited Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL. It is not a museum, but rather "An Attraction on a Higher Plane". The entire collection of over 150 planes (not all are restored - yet) is owned by Kermit Weeks - a former aerobatic pilot who started collecting planes after acquiring his first Mustang. The facility has two main hangars, a cafe, restoration facilities, two grass runways, a seaplane base, and a storage warehouse. They have tram tours of some of the restoration areas. It is truly an amazing collection!

Please be patient while the page loads. There was so much to see that I couldn't resist taking lots of pictures!

Click on any picture to open a slideshow. Once there, you can click the link in the popup for the full-size picture.

Immersion Experience
To enter the hangar areas, you first pass through what is called an "Immersion Experience". It takes you from the earliest days of aviation through WWII, fully immersing you in the environments of each.

The main entrance.	A quote from Kermit.	They start with a balloon, in the days prior to powered flight. Projected on the balloon are movies of the earliest attempts at flight.	Entering the WWI area.
A WWI-type bunker.	Starting the WWII area, you enter this briefing room. A silhouette of a Seargant gives you the briefing on today's bombing runs.		The day's assignments.
German aircraft silhouettes.	Leaving the briefing room you see a B-17 bomber.	You walk around the wing and enter the B-17 in the rear door. From there you must walk up and through the big bomber. The audio playing inside was receorded in an actual B-17 in flight.	The cockpit.
Nose gunner.	Making repairs in the field.	Including an engine repair.

North Hangar
Once you exit the B-17 you can enter the North Hangar. This houses planes from early flight, WWI, up to WWII.

The view as you enter.	1918 Thomas Morse Scout	1918 Thomas Morse Scout	1918 Morane A-I
1918 Morane A-I	1915 Nieuport 17	1915 Nieuport 17	1915 Nieuport 17
1934 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro	1929 Ford 5-AT Tri-motor	1929 Ford 5-AT Tri-motor This is the actual Tri-motor that was used at the beginning of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.	1929 Ford 5-AT Tri-motor
1929 Ford 5-AT Tri-motor	1937 Bücker Jungmeister	1939 Bücker Bestmann	1939 Bücker Bestmann
1939 Bücker Bestmann	1945 Piper L-4 Grasshopper	1945 Piper L-4 Grasshopper	1945 Piper L-4 Grasshopper
1944 Short Sunderland. This thing is HUGE. This participated in the 1996 Olympic Torch relay.	1944 Short Sunderland	1944 Short Sunderland	1944 Short Sunderland with a 1931 Laird Super Solution under its wing.
1931 Laird Super Solution	1929 Curtiss Robin	1943 Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina. This was the actual aircraft used to fly President General Juan Peron of Argentina into exile in 1955.	1943 Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
1937 Fieseler FI-156 Storch. This plane is a STOL (Short TakeOff and Land) plane. It can fly very slowly - almost backwards in a stiff wind.	1937 Fieseler FI-156 Storch. This was the plane used for the flight demonstration this day, but I missed it because I was eating lunch in the cafe.

1918 Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe
Shortly after I arrived Kermit was flying this Sopwith Snipe. This plane was built in by The Vintage Aviator Ltd. in New Zealand. TVAL is owned by Peter Jackson, who is most famous for being the producer/director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They are an aircraft restoration and manufacturing company that exclusively builds planes from 1914-1918.

This was real neat to watch flying, and as Kermit slowed down to land there was a distinctive "brraap-brraap-brraap" sound. It was almost as if the rotary engine was missing. Later, when I was talking with Kermit, he explained that there is no throttle on this plane! The pilot controls the speed with a kill switch on the stick. He also mentioned that their is no carburetor on the engine - the pilot controls the air/fuel mixture in flight, and has to make constant adjustments.

Here is a video I found of the plane which demonstrates the kill switch.YouTube

Here is Kermit's first "Kermie Cam" video explaining the airplane. When they publish parts 2 and 3 I will also post those here.YouTube

1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe Visible at the bottom is the Ropes Course - a kind of large jungle gym.
1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe	1918 Sopwith Snipe

1941 Stinson L-1E
The plane just received its FAA signoff a week or two before my visit. After the war, it became a camera ship for Tallmantz Aviation in California. Tallmantz used it for aerial filming for the movies, culminating in The Great Waldo Pepper. After Kermit acquired it, it was used to tow banners in Miami advertising his Weeks Air Museum. It was damaged (along with most of the other vintage planes) by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The restoration started in 1994 and took over 10,000 man-hours. This is a really rare airplane - there are only 7 survivors, and this is the only one flying. Two of the other 6 are in restoration.

Here is a video of Kermit doing the first test flight.YouTube

1941 Stinson L-1E Seen from the hangars, across the runway.	1941 Stinson L-1E On the tram tour, we circled past it.	1941 Stinson L-1E Kermit was getting ready to take her on a shakedown flight.
1941 Stinson L-1E	1941 Stinson L-1E	1941 Stinson L-1E

Tram Tour
Not long after I walked outside a tram tour was leaving. They drove us around the complex, stopping at various locations.

View of both hangars from across the ramp.	The South Hangar - I hadn't made it that far, so this was the first glimpse I had of the Mustang and C-47.	They stopped and did a short presentation in the engine room. Those are Allison V-12 engines (P-38, P-40, P-51,)	More engines!
They gave a short explanation of engines from the rotary through the inlines and radials, and explained the major differences between them.	Radials - a Jacobs Stearman engine top left, Lycoming Stinson L-1 engines on the right.	Pratt Whitney R-4360 The largest aircraft piston engine.	Pratt Whitney R-4360
Anybody got a P-38 that needs an engine? I have read that Kermit bought most of these in one lot at an auction to keep them from the powerboat racers.	I'm not sure what these two were, but they were VERY large!	A rack full of props. They can use these to make new ones by taking measurements or making molds.	Parked out by the entrance road is this 1957 Lockheed Constellation L1649 Starliner.
1957 Lockheed Constellation L1649 Starliner	The next stop was another hangar that you can't walk through. Some real neat planes in here, starting with a 1945 Grumman Duck. After watching videos of Kermit flying this plane, it was neat to get to see it in person!	After the Duck is a 1917 Albatros D-Va. This was also built by The Vintage Aviator Ltd. Beyond that is a 1944 Consolidated B-24J Liberator.	A 1930 Sikorsky S-39 amphibian, and a 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk 16 behind it.
1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk 16	1945 North American P-51D Mustang I've seen videos of Kermit flying this as well - I really wish he would have flown one of the Mustangs this day!! Beyond it is a 1944 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.	The 1918 Sopwith Snipe being wiped down after the morning flight.	1939 Grumman TBM-3E Avenger.
The "World's Greatest Aircraft Collection" is actually a non-profit charity that owns several of the planes on permanent display. A portion of each ticket sale goes to the charity to support the restoration and preservation of the collection.	The water tower and hangars.

South Hangar
The South Hangar contains mostly planes from after WWI through WWII.

As seen from out on the ramp during the tram tour. This was my first glimpse of these planes since I hadn't made it over to this hangar yet.	A beautiful 1944 North American P-51C and a 1944 Douglas C-47 dominate this hangar.	1936 Bücker Jungmann	1936 Bücker Jungmann
1932 Gee Bee R-2	1932 Gee Bee R-2 It would take a lot of guts to fly one of these!	1932 Gee Bee Z	1932 Gee Bee Z
1917 Fokker DR-1 Triplane It was the song Snoopy and the Red Baron which Kermit credits with sparking his interest in flying.	1944 North American P-51C and 1944 Douglas C-47	1944 North American P-51C	1944 North American P-51C Kermit had this plane painted in the famous Red Tails scheme of the Tuskeegee Airmen.
1944 North American P-51C	1944 North American AT-6	1944 North American AT-6	1944 North American AT-6 and 1944 Douglas C-47
1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47
1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47	1944 Douglas C-47
1929 Travel Air 4000	1929 Travel Air 4000 It was strange seeing this plane in these colors and with the Wright J-5 engine. I'm used to the EAA's Travel Air in blue/yellow with a Continental.	1943 North American B-25J Mitchell	1943 North American B-25J Mitchell
1943 North American B-25J Mitchell	1943 North American B-25J Mitchell	1940 Martin B-26 Marauder	1940 Martin B-26 Marauder
1940 Martin B-26 Marauder	1940 Martin B-26 Marauder	1943 Grumman F4F Wildcat	1943 Grumman F4F Wildcat

Waldo Wright's Flying Service
Also located at Fantasy of Flight is Waldo Wright's Flying Service. They give rides in a 1931 New Standard and a 1942 Stearman. It was my intention to take a flight in the Stearman, which is actually more flight instruction than ride, and purchase a video of it. Unfortunately, I was still feeling the effects of the motion from the cruise and didn't feel up to it. I will return someday to do it!

Waldo Wright's is located right on the ramp.	1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman There was only one flight in the Stearman while I was there, but I was lucky to catch it when it took off.	1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman	1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman This plane was absolutely beautifully restored. While I prefer the blue and yellow paint scheme of the U.S. Army, or the all-yellow of the U.S. Navy, this example was stunning!
1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman	1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman	1931 New Standard D-25A This plane is large, and the front cockpit can hold 4 passengers.	1931 New Standard D-25A
1931 New Standard D-25A taking off.	1931 New Standard D-25A	1931 New Standard D-25A	1931 New Standard D-25A landing.
1931 New Standard D-25A	1931 New Standard D-25A	1931 New Standard D-25A Taken while on the trolley to Golden Hill, I captured the landing approach.	1931 New Standard D-25A Later, I was able to get these shots as they taxied in to park. Look at the smile on that boy's face!
1931 New Standard D-25A	1941 Stinson L-1E and 1931 New Standard D-25A While I was on the trolley, Kermit in the L-1 formed up with the New Standard and flew a pattern in formation.	1941 Stinson L-1E and 1931 New Standard D-25A	1941 Stinson L-1E and 1931 New Standard D-25A

Golden Hill Storage Facility
A short trolley ride across the road takes you to the Golden Hill Storage Facility. Here there are two large buildings where they store future restoration projects. It was amazing to see all of the planes and parts that are awaiting restoration!

1942 Consolidated Vultee PBY-5A Catalina	1942 Consolidated Vultee PBY-5A Catalina	Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines	Wings
B-17 inboard wing panels	1943 Tupelov 2	1943 Tupelov 2	MIG-15 Wings
1949 De Havilland Vampire	1949 De Havilland Vampire	Galcit Ten-foot Wind Tunnel This came from the California Institute of Technology, received its military inspection by Charles Lindbergh, and was used to test Allied warplanes for WWII.	Galcit Ten-foot Wind Tunnel When it was disassembled, the measuring weights went to the Smithsonian, and Fantasy of Flight bought the body and fan. Cool!
Japanese Zero	Lockheed 14 wings	1946 Lavochkin LA-11	1946 Lavochkin LA-11
B-17 outer wing panels	1943 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat	1943 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat	1943 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat
Grumman Duck Wings	Racks and racks of parts.	B-17 and B-29 rudders	1944 Lockheed P-38 Lightning
1944 Lockheed P-38 Lightning	1944 Lockheed P-38 Lightning I have read that when this aircraft was recovered from Paraguay in the 1970's the tail booms were not removed for transport. Half way on it's trip to the shipping dock it was discovered the load was to wide to clear some obstacles along the road so the booms were sawed off!	1944 Lockheed P-38 Lightning wings.	1953 Sikorsky S-55
1953 Sikorsky S-55	1953 Sikorsky S-55	Ryan C-1 wings	1945 Corsair FG-1D
1945 Corsair FG-1D	1944 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress	1944 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress	Douglas B-23
1936 Messerschmitt BF108	1936 Messerschmitt BF108	1944 Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon	1944 Curtiss SNC-1 Falcon
1944 Comonwealth Wirraway	1944 Comonwealth Wirraway	Unknown. Korean War era?	1942 Douglas SBD Dauntless
1942 Douglas SBD Dauntless	1944 Beech AT-11	1944 Beech AT-11	1951 Junkers Ju-52
1951 Junkers Ju-52	1930 Dewoitine D-26	1930 Dewoitine D-26	A few more engines.
1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress This B-29 was used to launch the first Skyrocket to go Mach-2.	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress
1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress	1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress engine
1945 Boeing B-29 Superfortress engine	Corsair wings	Sitting outside of the buildings are what look like an A-26 wing and fuselage sections from other planes.

Compass Rose Diner
I ate lunch onsite at the Compas Rose Diner. The service was slow, but the food was decent and the artwork on the walls was nice.

Compass Rose Diner artwork

Miscellaneous

After I met and talked with Kermit Weeks, he walked over to talk with a couple of the employees.	They were dressed in period costumes for the daily flight demonstration and tour.	1937 Sikorsky S-43 Before leaving I walked over to join a walking tour to see this plane. This was Howard Hughes' S-43 which he used for flight training while building the Spruce Goose.	1937 Sikorsky S-43 Kermit acquired this plane recently and it only arrived at Fantasy of Flight a week or so before my visit.
Republic (Seversky) P-35A	Republic (Seversky) P-35A This rare airplane is slowly being restored. They were explaining some of the process.	Republic (Seversky) P-35A Now that the L-1 is mostly finished, work will progress on this.	Republic (Seversky) P-35A Clecos holding a formed panel in place prior to riveting it on permanently.

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