There’s lots taking place at the BC Aviation Museum!

Photos provided by James McNulty
posted September 2024
The Martian Mars water bomber arrives at new home:

The iconic Hawaii Martin Mars water bomber, with a wingspan of 200 feet, began its slow journey to a new home at the BC Aviation Museum, carefully transported by a specialized truck-and-trailer unit through the streets of North Saanich.
Above is a photo of the Mars on its last take-off from the Sproat Lake base for its final flight to Patricia Bay. The photo has been entered into a BC Hydro photo contest.
Above is a photo of the Martin Mars parked at Patricia Bay Coast Guard dock, where it sat for a few days in water after its final flight. It was then hauled out tail-first on to land for de-watering and transport to the BC Aviation Museum.  
The legendary Mars will be an impressive exhibit at the museum.
Lancaster Restoration:
James McNulty visited the BC Aviation Museum during their open house on August 17-18 to check out their Lancaster Mk. X FM104 which was open for cockpit tours.
The Lancaster originally sat outside in Toronto for many years and has a significant amount of corrosion. The full plane is set to be restored to display condition with the plan to have one Merlin restored for engine run-ups.

While out on the pylon in Toronto, the interior of the middle of the aircraft was cut, which resulted in a fair amount of damage and unfortunately theft of parts and electronics over the years.
 
The museum is looking to find funding for another hangar that will eventually be able to house the Mars and the Lancaster.
Click Here to return to the articles page.