Warbird Registry
Aerial Visuals
Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3. Construction #: 3669.
Cisco Aircraft Inc, Lancaster, CA #– N8398H 1963
Aerial Applicators, Salt Lake City, UT, #D20 N8398H 1964-1969.
Hicks & Lawrence Ltd., St. Thomas, ON
#20 CF-ZYC 1971-1975
Aerial spray program – NB
1975 – Pilot Koerfgen. Crashed 20 May 1975 (p.m.). H&L #20 FZYC piloted by Hans Koerfgen and contracted from Hicks and Lawrence Ltd. developed engine trouble while on on a test flight and crashed in a large swampy area approximately ¾ mile north of Juniper Airstrip. The aircraft a was complete write-off and the wreck was abandoned; the pilot was not hurt. This occurred on the same day as the crash of FBEF. FZYC had been experiencing some spray system problems, and with a partial load of water was doing a systems check prior to the evening spray session. The aircraft spent 21.5 years in the swamp being subject to continuous vandalism until it was salvaged. The Department of Transport accident cards are shortly to be phased out, so this one does not give very much information.
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum Newsletters
All newsletter references to the Avenger Project in the ACAM newsletters describing the recovery of CF-ZYC and its restoration to a copy of C-GFPL, Forest Protection Limited’s TBM Avenger #24, were compiled and the file presented to ACAM. ACAM is located in Enfield, on Highway 102 opposite the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Crash images posted by Jamie Dyer
Crash and recovery images have been posted to The Sevogle Times site by J. Dyer. Two are included below.
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, ENFIELD, NS
On site at FPL, Fredericton, NB
1997 – The aircraft was recovered from the crash site in 1997. 1997-2001 – Under restoration to water bomber configuration, Fredericton, NB, 1997-2001. Volunteers included Don Henry, who has contributed a great deal to this history of Avengers. Parts from FBEF were used in the ACAM restoration. The right wing incorporated parts from 4 aircraft, including the right wing of #17 GFPN and the right wingtip from #14 GLEK. 2005 – FZYC is shipped to ACAM in Bedford, NS.
Three images from 2014 can be seen at Aerial Visuals.
- All relevant discussions of the restoration of CF-ZYC are collected in this 41-page Scribd document compiled from the ACAM Newsletters.
- Don Henry’s 78-page file of personal images, drawings and account of the restoration are located in a second Scribd page.
The Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum is located across highway 102 from Halifax Airport, not in Bedford. Bedford is our mailing address.