Page 14 - March 2018

Barry then approached
the HHAS in wanting to
start building in which
they joyously agreed!
Barry is an engineer
genius! The pieces he
The Harvard Historical Aviation Society celebrated its has created in order to
10th anniversary in 2017 and started into 2 restoration make parts is mind
blowing. The HHAS
projects. One is to restore a Tiger Moth back to flying
Airspeed Oxford is
condition and the other is to restore an Airspeed
currently being built at
Oxford to display status.
the Hangar Museum
The Airspeed Oxford was the main trainer during WWII and when pieces are
complete they will be moved to the Red Deer
at #36 SFTS Penhold, AB. The HHAS has parts and
Airport / Springbrook to be stored.
pieces from two Airspeed Oxfords in their possession
as well as all the drawings for the aircraft. The first The Oxford will be assembled at the Red Deer
Airport and then eventually put on display on the
Oxford parts they collected were from Frank Thompson,
upcoming museum building that the HHAS is
an avid collector in south Saskatchewan. It was soon
planning to build.
discovered that this particular Oxford actually spent
This project of course takes not only years of time
most of its life at #36 SFTS and so the HHAS felt as
but also money. The HHAS is looking to raise $70K
though they were bringing her home.
to complete this project. If you would like to donate
The HHAS got connected to Frank through George towards the Airspeed Oxford project you can do so
Ryning from Calgary. George had a passion for the by going to www.penholdbase.ca and clicking on
’fundraising’.
Oxford and was also whom the HHAS received all the
drawing from—22 binders full! George was a long
time member of the Calgary Aerospace Museum, now
known as the Hangar Museum, in Calgary and a

meticulous collector who wanted to see an Oxford
built. He felt the HHAS was the best bet for him to
see that start to happen. He gave the HHAS all the
parts and pieces he had and any information and
connections that would help.
The Rudder
Unfortunately George passed before he could see the
start of Oxford restoration project.
A good friend of George’s is Barry Halliway. The two of
them had worked together for years on projects for the
Aerospace Museum. Barry contacted Gary Hillman
with the HHAS a couple years ago as he heard that
they had all of George’s drawing for the Oxford. He
came and took a look at them, and then came again,
and again. Soon the HHAS was sending the drawings Barry & Jodi
with Barry and he and his friend Joelle started scanning
them and cross referencing them.