Westpac owns several WWII aircraft and is involved
in with
restoration
work with warbird clients. Formerly known as "Klaers Aviation" then "Westpac Restorations" located at Rialto Airport at L67 until the late 2000's.
WestPac Restorations has restored their own aircraft plus restorations for clients. During 1994-1996 Westpac restored P-47D 45-49385 for client Ted Melsheimer. During the early 2000s restored P-51D "Upupa Epops" 44-72364 for the Flying Heritage Collection (FHC) / Paul Allen Collection.
During 1999-2003, Westpac worked with Australian "75
Squadron" to recover P-47 and P-38 wrecks from Finschafen Airfield and Morobe Province,
Papua New Guinea. At the time, the details of these recoveries, clients
and even photographs of the wrecks were not made available to the
public due to "confidentiality agreements".
During the late 2000's the company and founders relocated to Colorado Springs to a larger facility at the Colorado Springs Airport and founded the National Museum of World War II Aviation which opened to the public on October 12, 2012. Public tours include the WesPac restoration hangar.
Aircraft Collection
P-38F Lightning Serial
Number 42-12652 Nose
33 (White 33)
Written off at Finschafen, recovered in late 1999, exported to Westpac, restored 2013-2016 to flying condition
P-47D Thunderbolt Serial
Number 45-49385
Restored to flying condition
F7F-3E Tigercat Bureau Number 80375
Displayed at the museum
Restoration
Projects (Reported)
B-25J Mitchell Serial
Number 44-86715
Reportedly with WestPac Restorations
P-38J "Jandina
III" Serial
Number 42-103988
Force landed May 7, 1944 recovered in late 1999, exported to Westpac
P-47D Thunderbolt Serial
Number 42-8074
P-47D Thunderbolt Serial
Number 42-75284
P-47D Thunderbolt Serial
Number 42-22521
References
Aeroplane Monthly "Buried
Thunderbolts to Fly Again" (May 2004)
Warbirds International "Out
of the Pit" by Michael (May 2004)
Warbirds International "Westpac Defining The Future of Warbird Restoration" by Michael O'Leary May 2010, pages 24-29, 40-43
Thanks to William Klaers and Alan Wojciak for additional information
