Lancaster bomber project still four years away from completion
Volunteers working to restore the vintage Second World War Lancaster Bomber estimate the work will be completed by 2024.
Since 2014, restoration work on the bomber has been going on in the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association (CHAA) hangar at the Windsor Airport.
But according to the restoration project's director a new hangar will have to be built before the bomber can be reassembled because the current hangar is too small.
"It's too large to get out the doors of our hangar so our goal is to build another hangar next door," said Don Christopher, vice-president of the association.
Christopher said the new hangar would cost somewhere between three and five million dollars, adding the association would raise funds to pay for it while working with the city and the airport.
Christopher said any money from the city for the hangar would be "welcome."
Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak said he wasn't aware of the need for a new hangar. He doesn't want to see the project, now in its 14th year, drag on any longer than necessary.
"There's very, very few World War II veterans left around that could possibly see this come to fruition," said Kaschak.
Watch Don Christopher explain different components of a Lancaster Bomber:
The project is estimated to cost the city about $850,000 in the form of leasing and utilities. The ChAA will bear the restoration costs, pegged at about $1 million.
Kaschak can't say whether he would support council spending more money on a hangar until he can speak with CHAA representatives and airport management.
Meanwhile, Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie, who sits on the YQG board, said he would be amenable to seeing a more detailed proposal put forward to the airport.
"Once a proposal comes forward it would be something we would look to consider," said McKenzie, adding city council remains committed to the project.
When the bomber was removed from its plinth in Jackson Park in 2006, the restoration was estimated to take 10 years. It now looks like it will take about twice that long.
Christopher said difficulty in getting parts and the inadequate temporary hangar it was first housed in made for slow going at first.
"It was hot in the summer. It was too cold in the winter, so it would slow down on those type of extreme days," said Christopher, adding the pace doubled when the work moved to the indoor hangar in 2014.
So far, the cockpit, radio operator station and the front gunner turret in the nose section are nearly complete.
Work still needs to be done on the mid-section, wings, rear turret, fuselage and engines — but Christopher said they are more than halfway done the project.
An auditor general's report to city council on Feb. 24 addressed three allegations regarding the bomber, including that there were missing parts — but the report cleared the CHAA of any wrongdoing.
Christopher said the allegations came from disgruntled former members.
