The Lafayette Foundation -today

StephenLawson · 5 December 2007, 11:14 AM

Greetings all;

Here is a bit of fun concerning the organization I volunteer for.

Lafayette Foundation

Most of you will be familar with us but if your not we have a whole section online dedicated to our history and beginnings. If I can help you with any questions feel free to contact me here by PM or on this thread. We have recently purchased a large collection of the second world war materials as well.

We now have three hangars with a fourth being planned.

StephenLawson · 22 December 2007, 04:32 AM

It looks like the next steps will be finishing a fourth hangar and digitizing all of the Foundations historical files and images. Big project.

StephenLawson · 10 February 2008, 08:18 PM

The Fokker E.V / D.VIII has gotten her final coat of paint. The curing room is sealed and Andy our President just pulled up with a complete Sopwith Camel in the trailer.

At this rate it will be two more years before the new Fok. Dr.I replica gets finished.

womenfly2 · 11 February 2008, 05:50 AM

Thanks for the post, nice museum. Any pictures of the E.V/D.VIII progress?

Question: How well does the eX-Ryder Albatross fly, the scaled down black one? Heard it was a dog in the air, true or fiction?

This the the same museum featured on the directors collection of "FlyBoys" the DVD.

WF2

StephenLawson · 16 February 2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by womenfly2

Thanks for the post, nice museum. Any pictures of the E.V/D.VIII progress?

Question: How well does the eX-Ryder Albatross fly, the scaled down black one? Heard it was a dog in the air, true or fiction?

This the the same museum featured on the directors collection of "FlyBoys" the DVD.

WF2

Greetings WF2:

Yes the Petrojoele (sp?) Albatros was there when we visted Ryder Foundation in 1999. It had then the El Tigre engine which tended to crack /fracture at the cylinders I was told. Then you could buy them all day long for 1500 USD each. At sea level it flew acceptable but even at 7/8 scale was a bit underpowered. Not a stunt aircraft for sure. We did not purchase it.

Yes, the Collectors edition of the Flyboys DVD has our museum featured. Please forgive Andy for the misquote on the Indian head. I wasn't there to speak up an he had Iroqoise on the brain. The Lucas people did not give him much of a chance to prepare either. The models in the clear acrylic boxes are mine.

StephenLawson · 2 March 2008, 06:53 PM

Our next fly-in is May 17, 2008.

Kilian · 3 March 2008, 02:43 AM

Hi StephenLawson.

A fine homepage you guys have. About the WWI-collection pagees. Do you have material from all these pilots in the museum or were these short profiles more created on a random/special knowledge basis?

regards
Kilian

StephenLawson · 5 March 2008, 01:33 AM

Greetings Killian;

We have more on some than others. But each person represented has sold or donated their personal items to us. For instance Dr. Parks new Alfred Gerstenberg personally and treated him for his throat cancer in his last days. He Knew Jacobs personally and was one of three collectors allowed to bid on his personal items after his death. We have war & post war correspondence of Meineke. Some very interesting items there. Bormann we have less on than I would like ( he flew with the Turks). Mauser and Leffers items and docs of course were rec'd from their families.

StephenLawson · 24 May 2008, 08:16 PM

Just bringing this up for a Drome member.