Project
Fokker F-28,
S.No: 11009/1969, LN-SUC, ”Olav Kyrre”
The
wing is done
July 2008
Working on the
RH wing
June 2008
The
tail section is added
Deceber 2007
The tail section is now added and the RH wing will be installed
2008.
|
Main portion
of ”Olav Kyrre” now on display!
The main, front portion of the fuselage of “Olav Kyrre” is finally displayed inside the museum. LN-SUC`s last trip from the restoration workshops and into the museum posed no problems. “Olav Kyrre” is to represent the use of jet aircraft in the Norwegian history of aviation. At about the same time the charter flights became popular and this will be the theme of a small exhibition inside in the cabin. The historical value of this airplane can be compared to the first Norwegian (civilian) Twin Otter displayed besides. Due to the relatively high cost, the complete restoration is to last another two years. The tail section will be added 2007 and the RH wing will be installed 2008.
Sometimes this year it is expected that visitors will
have access to the cockpit area through a specially
designed gangway. Later on when the charter exhibition
is done, access to the cabin area will be possible.
In the fifties and sixties, the situation in the Norwegian civil aviation was not very much different than today. SAS was the main carrier. As things developed also Braathens SAFE and Widerøes began operating as commuters. Comes 1967, two important things happened; Widerøes started operating Twin Otters between three short-field airports and finally Braathens SAFE got the go ahead to operate its west coast – route all the way up north to Tromsø. The owner of the airline, Mr. Ludvig G. Braathen became a very active lobbyist. Amongst others he declared that his company would operate modern jets up to Tromsø if he got the permission from the government. His idea was that this would result in a better service for the passengers not only inside Norway but also in the charter marked.
From 1959 to 1969, the Fokker F-27 Friendship was the main workhorse in Braathens. The company was operating the DC-6B`s on charter flights in addition to this. Then, - 1969 Braathens started to operate Boeing 737`s in concert with new Fokker F-28 Fellowships. Braathens suddenly appeared as a new, modern airline competing with the best, -and they made money!
|
“Olav Kyrre”
March 3rd. 1969, Braathens first Fokker F-28 “Olav Kyrre” made the first landing at Fornebu Airport, Oslo.
This type of airplane was designed to operate from relatively short airfields and could carry as many as 65 passengers.
In the newspapers, Braathens stated that the Fokker F-28 was tailor–made for Norway.
It was further stated that “after ten years of flying the F-27, the passengers and the Braathens knows that Fokker stands for both safety and reliability. Because of this, our choice of the new F-28 was a natural one. Now everything is, -yes, tailor-made.”
Through all its history, Braathens had a special close relationship with the KLM and the Fokker Factory. Thus, it became only natural that Braathens was one of Fokkers first F-28 customers. In fact, Braathens was the world`s first airline operating this type of aircraft on regular passenger routes.
Braathens was mainly operating the Fokker F-28 inside Norway but the type was also used on short charter flights to Mallorca and other destinations.
“Olav Kyrre” ended its active career springtime 2002, operated by the Peruvian airline Aero Continente. Funding from “Nordlandsbanken” and SND made possible the homecoming of this historical airplane. Of course, the Norwegian Aviation Museum also had to dig deep in its pockets in order to make this happen.
Why all this?
Because in this airplane, the museum have on display a special airplane representing an exciting history and a complete era in the history of flight in Norway.
Facts about the “Olav Kyrre”:
Type: Fokker F-28- 1000 Fellowship.
Serial: 11009/1969.
Register Norway: LN-SUC 03.03.69 – Braathens SAFE AS – 01.01.86.
Later registrations: I-TIAP, N37RT, OB-1636.
Norwegian history:
1969: April 1st.:First jet landing at Kirkenes Airport in the north of Norway.
1972: April 29th.: First jet from Braathens landing at Adventdalen Airport, Spitzbergen.
1974: Sept. 14th.: First airplane
landing at the new Spitzbergen Airport, Longyear.
Transport
frame
removed
March 10th 2006
Friday 10th of March the transport frame used for the
transportation of ”Olav Kyrre”, was removed from the front
fuselage. This is the first step on the way to put on a new,
original (Braathens) finish. Monday, the scaffolding necessary
to work high up on top of the fuselage was erected.
Parallel to this
we are on our way to make new jacking points welded to the two
bottom frames on which “Olav Kyrre” now is resting. In order to
put on a new makeshift main landing gear we need to raise the
fuselage up to its normal height. By doing so, this will greatly
ease the moving of the fuselage from the hangar and to the
museum.
High priority on
project Fokker F-28
December 29 2005
This year we did almost all of what was planned. Rudder,
elevators, ailerons and flaps were stripped down, repaired and
made ready for painting.
The main landing gears were also restored and are now in storage awaiting instalment.
The cockpit was in need of some repair in certain areas. This job is now well under way and is supposed to be ended sometimes 2006.
The removal of the transport frame was planned this year but was not started due to other priorities.
The coming year, 2006, “Olav Kyrre” will have highest priority. By having the front fuselage inside the museum before October we will secure an external funding of N.Kr.280 000,-.
Comes February we will start removing the transport frame and to prepare the front section for painting. This work consists of the rubbing down of old paint, corrosion removal/control and painting.
Parallel to this we will have to make a makeshift main landing gear in order to more easily move the fuselage.
If everything works out according to plans we can see “Olav Kyrre” inside in the exhibition at the end of this year.
Picture 3: The engine has arrived!