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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-10-14, Page 38PA' iE;16-ODERICH SIGNAL -STA , THURSDA°Y, OCTOBER 14, 1976 ' Panda bears and ,tigers Painting planes a real art BY DEBBIE DIMMICK There's ' not much dif- ference between painting a. truck or painting an airplane, so when the Goderich Sky Harbour paintshop needed - some artwork done about four years ago; airport manager Doug Hunter- gave his old friend Gord Harris • of, Kin- cardine a call.' , Several planes later, .Gord can now be proud of one of his latest :works as .a P -40E Warhawk. bearing , h.is art- work recently won the grand championship in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where one i large airshow is held every year. On both sides of the plane a five-foot long tiger and a Panda "bear about two -and - one half feet= -tall were carefully drawn to scale and painted by the Kincardine sign .painter .to restore the. plane . to its original ap-' pearance. The fighter plane, built about 1936 or 1937, is one of seven of its kind still flying. The squadron bearing the insignia painted on the plane were jtnown as the, . Flying Tigers and were active in China at the beginning of WorldWar II.. ' Theplane was first restored by Don Plumb •of Windsor, who owned several other war- planess, . but •wag sold to, Max Hoffman of Colorado when Plumb was killed'" while flying his Mustangfighter. Plumb's Spitfire was the first plane Gord ever worked on as he reproduced the Royal Air Force's Fighter - Command insignia on both sides 9f the plane, , After Hoffman bought the. Warhawk from , Plumb he continued -to restore the plane and brought it to Sky Harbour where it spend three weeks in the paintshop.. John Edwards of Goderich painted the jaws •, on. the 'front. of the aircraft and Gard put the .tiger on to -finishthe job.. . After the plane was taken out of the shop,. Hoffman decided to have the panda added, to it. Gord picked up thecowlings off the front of the plane in Winasor on a Monday • and had to have ;the panda finished. by Friday so the plane could appear in. another show. Gord was not always " a painter. He did several jobs in • the Kincardine area and started sign painting as a - hobby about 20 years ago.it is now a full-time holiness and:: since he began working on his first plane about three years ago, he includes his artwork at the Goderich airport as. part of his job. . "I've always been crazy - about airplanes," he said: He; said a.. ldt of the planes owned by,rnembers of the club, "The American Warbirds" are worth about $1.00„000: He has found that he enjoys • working with the owners because of their enthusiasm., "Some of them spend more time on .their planes than at their own jobs," he said. He doesn't know of ' any collectors in this area, perhaps because of the ex- pense involved. It's •the quality of workmanship the plane owners get- in Goderich that 'prompt*. them •to bring their .planes from as far as Colorado . to have them painted, • machineto a Toronto man but doesn't know if the buyer is going to get it flying again. His business in Kincardine surething that Gord is going" keeps him busy but if he gets to take the time for work that a call from Goderich, it's a he really enjoys;.= One visitor to Sky Harbour took Pile look at this insigniaGand asked where they had found a -decal to put on Don Plumb's Spitfire. He was told to go to the other side of the plane where Gord was still painting a duplicate of his first work on an aircraft. b- "`Iyhey'revery particular," he said, "but if you satisfy them nobody else touches that airplane." Someof-these planes have been used in movies as the collectors love to show them off. . , "I remember Don (plumb' 'flying into Sky Harbour and .putting, on a show before he • would land," Gord said. One 'of the most ":famous collectors is actor Cliff Robertson, who owns a 109 Messerschmttt and. a Sp°i"tfire: • Because:. of his love "of airplanes, Gord was so im- pressed when he began Work on the planes, he wasn't. even concerned: about the bill. • ""I'd just ask them to take the up for a ride," he said,- but few collectors are willing to take up passengers. "'Unless you're working on it, nobody lays a finger on it," Since Gord began working on the vintage ..planes, he bought himself a ' 'i X33. jet which has.b0en sitting at the lfincardine • airport. Unfctr- tunately the machineidoesn't nin and Chard says he can't afford.to Make it operable.. Iris . recently 8014.. ttte The panda bear wa8 an afterthought of Max Hoffman's and was painted by Gprd Harris from a sketch done by a Michigan artist. The post was added by Gord so the panda would 'have something to lean against. Travelogue starts with free show • --The special introductory travelogue 'program ,..being offered by, the Goderich Rotary. Club,gets underway this Friday evening at the Goderich ` and District Collegiate Institute beginipg at 8:00 p.m. The evening's entertainment is free of charge and all previous subscribers should, by now, have received their • com- plimentary passes. If ndt, • passes are •still available from Campbells of Goderich on The Square. Friday evening's -program will be "Adventure Across o South America" by balloonist. and travel" -artist Rudi Thurau. The presentation is in full color and is narrated in person by Mr. Thurau. The final blitz for season ticket sales for the regular six part Rotary Travelogue 'will get underway at Ftiday evening's show and -continue up till show time on October 26. Rotary Club membersare hoping for strong public. support as funds raised by the annual venture will. this year go toward the • club; s corn- mitrnentto the arena hoof fund. October -,26 Clay, Franciso will present "Israel - Then' and Now", November 16 it will be Gary Peterson with "Scotland: Kilts and, Castles", Say GYerkey. _ will present "Greenland: .An Odyssey' on December 7 and Bob Ditta will bring "Byways of France .on February 22, March 15 it will be Ken. Wolfgang with "In Search of Singapore" and the season will wind up March 29 "with James 1Vletcalf and his • •a • "Washington: ,•titre.. Magnificent Capital." Tickets will be awailabla from Campbell's of'Goderich,, • Remington't. IGA,, ,Finchers, Ormandy's Jewellry, the. Clinton News -Record and from all Rotarians. • Married recently • Mr. .and Mrs. Norman Hamilton of Goderich .'are^° pleased to announce the marriage' of 'their daughter, Norma Joan to Rene Charles: Lafrornboise son of Mr. and .- Mrs. Ernie Lafrombaise of Sault Ste, Marie. The' wed- -ding was celebrated on Friday, October 8, 1976 in Sud- bury, The couple is residing in Sudbury. Harbor Report BY RON GRAHAM October 5 the E. 13. Barber arrived light from Thorold for • salt. October 5 the Soodoc cleared -harbor light for' thunder Bay.. - October 5 the E.13. Barber cleared harbor for Minstee, Michigan with salt. October. 6 the . Canadoc. .cleared• harbor for, Baie Comeau with grain. . October 8 the Algorail arrived light from Sault Ste. Marie for salt... October 9 the Algorail' cleared harbor for Port Huron with salt. October 10 the Soodoc arrived from Thunder Bay with grain, October 10 the Algorail arrived light from Port Huron. for -salt. „ October 11—the Soodoc cleared harbor light" for Thunder"Bay.° ' October ' 1.1 the Algorail cleared harbor for Prescott with salt. ° WATCH FOR .OUR .,:;,, GRAND OPENING SUUJVAN'sSULLIVAN'S- RESTAURANT KINOSBRIDGL NORTH OP GOpERlcH, r N HW „71. This- five-foot long tiger was easily recognizable by both sides during the war as the sign of ,,the Flying Tigers squadron during World War II. All of the drawings are done to scale as they had to be duplicated on both sides of the . plane. The skill and attention to detail offered by. Gdderich Sky Harbor paintshop, and Kincardine "sign -painter" Gord Harris is recognized further and further afield. This P -40E Warhawk, bearing the authentic paint job and fine art work of Sky Harbor paintshop and Mr. Harris, recently the grand championship in Oshkosh Wisconsin, where •a large airshow is held- every year. The fighter plane, ' built sometime in 1936 or 1937 is one of only seven of its kind still r . flying. (staff photo) • .WHITE SLICED • 2 BAR PACK r WHILE SUPPLY LASTS ' Sale Prices Effective From Thurs., Oct. 14th to bion. Oct. -lath WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES OPEN SUNDAYS II A.M. TO 8 P M. MONDAY TO SATURDAY 0 A.M. TO 9 P.M.