Fantasy of Flight, Worlds Greatest Aircraft Collection
Rated • 1 review • aerospace, aviation, aviation history • fantasyofflight.com
Even if you have been to Florida several times, you may not have discovered a wonderful attraction called Fantasy of Flight.
This place is not a theme park and it is not the work of a corporation. It is the lifetime achievement of one extraordinary man, the billionaire aviator Kermit Weeks - a man with the spirt of the legendary Howard Hughes.
Among other things, it houses the greatest private collection of aircraft in the world, all of which are, or are in the process of being, restored to full flying condition. It includes an airfield, many hangars and workshops, and a lake from which flying boats take off and land.
We had a fascinating day there, including visits to the workshops where dedicated enthusiasts think nothing of undertaking restoration projects lasting 10 to 15 years, or even more. If you like working in wood (many of the planes have wood and fabric frames), or any kind of craft where the joy is in doing something right, then the workshop tours are a don't-miss.
One of the most beautiful aircraft ever made, the Lockheed Constellation. I once crossed the Atlantic as an unaccompanied minor in one of these - it had shiny TWA livery then!
The PBY Catalina, one of the most successful multi-role military aircraft of all time. Used extensively in WW2, it was not retired from military service until the 1980s, and is still used today all over the world for aerial firefighting.
A 1944 Short Sunderland flying boat, the last airworthy example of its kind. It is not as big as Howard Hughes' awesome Spruce Goose, but it saw considerably more service!
This is an engine that literally changed the world. It is the Rolls-Royce Merlin, a specially-supercharged V12 engine of incredible performance and reliability. Each of its 12 cylinders develops the power of an average family car. Rolls-Royce kept running it at full power until something failed, and then redesigned that failed part - a strategy that eventually allowed it to be run at full power for eight-hour bombing missions, and made it one of the most reliable aero engines in the world. The unique supercharger gave it unparalleled high-altitude performance.
Although it was used in many WW2 aircraft, including American aircraft, the most famous application of this engine was probably in the Supermarine Spitfire. Without this engine, and the bravery and skill of the pilots who flew the aircraft in which it was fitted, the world would be a very different place today.
[Continues in Part 2]
This place is not a theme park and it is not the work of a corporation. It is the lifetime achievement of one extraordinary man, the billionaire aviator Kermit Weeks - a man with the spirt of the legendary Howard Hughes.
Among other things, it houses the greatest private collection of aircraft in the world, all of which are, or are in the process of being, restored to full flying condition. It includes an airfield, many hangars and workshops, and a lake from which flying boats take off and land.
We had a fascinating day there, including visits to the workshops where dedicated enthusiasts think nothing of undertaking restoration projects lasting 10 to 15 years, or even more. If you like working in wood (many of the planes have wood and fabric frames), or any kind of craft where the joy is in doing something right, then the workshop tours are a don't-miss.
One of the most beautiful aircraft ever made, the Lockheed Constellation. I once crossed the Atlantic as an unaccompanied minor in one of these - it had shiny TWA livery then!
The PBY Catalina, one of the most successful multi-role military aircraft of all time. Used extensively in WW2, it was not retired from military service until the 1980s, and is still used today all over the world for aerial firefighting.
A 1944 Short Sunderland flying boat, the last airworthy example of its kind. It is not as big as Howard Hughes' awesome Spruce Goose, but it saw considerably more service!
This is an engine that literally changed the world. It is the Rolls-Royce Merlin, a specially-supercharged V12 engine of incredible performance and reliability. Each of its 12 cylinders develops the power of an average family car. Rolls-Royce kept running it at full power until something failed, and then redesigned that failed part - a strategy that eventually allowed it to be run at full power for eight-hour bombing missions, and made it one of the most reliable aero engines in the world. The unique supercharger gave it unparalleled high-altitude performance.
Although it was used in many WW2 aircraft, including American aircraft, the most famous application of this engine was probably in the Supermarine Spitfire. Without this engine, and the bravery and skill of the pilots who flew the aircraft in which it was fitted, the world would be a very different place today.
