The stripping of Bearcat 1, N700HL, has been completed and, as these words are being written, repainting of the aircraft is underway. A new paint scheme has been decided upon, and would have been described here if the TFC photocopier at Duxford had been working.

As it is you, and I, will have to wait until a copy of the plans can be organised and posted on to me! The opportunity has been taken to carry out a little extra maintainance on the aeroplane while it is in pieces, all the fabric control surfaces are being re-covered after evidence of patches of rotting material was found, and the prop is being resealed in an attempt to cure the persistent oil leaks which have been coming from that area.

At the same time that the Bearcat is receiving attention in the workshop, it and the second Bearcat in the collection are also receiving attention in the office. Both machines will hopefully be migrating to the UK register during the course of the year, and that means a great deal of work in getting the paperwork up to a standard acceptable to the UK CAA. It has long been an aim of TFC to have its fleet UK registered, although the paperwork involved in making the transition is far from straightforward.