Two chunks of a huge silver plane fill the middle space of a hangar at the BC Aviation Museum.

Boxes and bins line shelves along the walls, filled with bits and bobs 害羞草研究所� some that the restoration team isn害羞草研究所檛 sure where they belong, and others sorted to where they figure the parts belong.

It害羞草研究所檚 presumably all the parts to the 1944 Avro Lancaster Mark 10 shipped to the North Saanich site by the City of Toronto in 2018.

害羞草研究所淲e got a kit,害羞草研究所� explained project lead Gary Powe, joking about the puzzle volunteers have been putting together for years now.

Leaning on existing knowledge, the other remaining 16 around the world, old schematics, math and educated guesses, they害羞草研究所檙e sorting it all out to get a good static display.

READ ALSO:

Built in 1944, at Victory Aircraft Limited in Toronto, the FM104 was sent to the UK in early 1945 but didn害羞草研究所檛 ever see combat. It had been mounted on a concrete slab in a city park for more than three decades.

害羞草研究所淚 have photos of us having picnics under it,害羞草研究所� said Cheryl Thorpe, seated metres away from the nose of the aircraft she once played under.

The FM104 is part of her childhood as a picnic site, and the Lancaster in general, serves as a reminder of the war trauma her father endured 害羞草研究所� first serving on a Lancaster as a mid-upper gunner then as a pilot.

害羞草研究所淚t was a miracle he came back because he did 38 missions,害羞草研究所� Thorpe said.

She害羞草研究所檚 been cleaning bits and bobs of the engine for about five years now 害羞草研究所� starting around the time the plane landed at the museum.

Her son Chris Thorpe does similar detailing duty nearby, tackling one of four Merlin engines nearby 害羞草研究所� and knows how it works inside and out.

Several of the volunteers buzzing about the room have personal connections to that aspect of the plane害羞草研究所檚 working life.

Bryan George害羞草研究所檚 grandfather worked on them in the UK. While this one was made in Canada, it still offers that connection to the past.

At the museum, the shop manager害羞草研究所檚 father worked in them, and Powe害羞草研究所檚 own father flew in them.

A woman visited recently who worked riveted wings on Lancasters in the 1940s.

害羞草研究所淚t could well have been on this aircraft,害羞草研究所� Powe said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a lot of family connections with this particular aircraft.害羞草研究所�

READ ALSO:

While FM104 didn害羞草研究所檛 ever see combat 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淒uring the war it never had guns in it,害羞草研究所� Powe said 害羞草研究所� it did full a full career changing lives. It returned to Canada in June 1945 and was retrofit to become a coastal surveillance and search and rescue plane, amassing 7,000 flying hours until it was retired in 1964.

There were notes in the nose where crew indicated who or what they were searching for, typically in the Arctic, Powe says.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a history angle of it, but I guess also an engineering history of it 害羞草研究所� ideas that are still viable or workable today,害羞草研究所� Powe said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e all old geezers, but to get younger people interested in engineering and manufacturing techniques there害羞草研究所檚 a real value there.害羞草研究所�

This Lancaster won害羞草研究所檛 likely ever fly again, but that害羞草研究所檚 not the goal. The idea is to get it looking like it flew a week ago.

Powe hopes to have the floor and pilot seat in place as well as the front instrument panel installed and partially populated by the time the BC Aviation Museum 害羞草研究所� packed literally to the rafters with aircraft 害羞草研究所� hosts its annual open house in August.

READ ALSO: