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Almost 5 years ago the Norwegian Aviation Museum received LN-KKW as a gift from Norwegian. It was a bigger gift than the museum was ready to handle, but at the same time they could not say “No thanks”. The plane was and is still in good condition and was flown up to Bodø.
The engines were removed for continued use in other aircrafts. LN-KKW was temporarily located outside Hangar 9 at Bodø Airbase. From day one, it was agreed that this location should be temporary. Well, there are at least two versions of "temporary", one short and one long. In the case of LN-KKW, it was the long temporary.
During the almost 4 years that have passed, the museum had to take both criticism and false allegations, so called "Fake News".
When LN-KKW came, the museum was in a period of two large projects that cost millions of kroner. A great deal of the needed capital came through loans and fundraising.
1.The exhibition was totally redesigned. It consumed both time, human resources and money.
- A Norseman was purchased from Sweden to be used as a flying ambassador for the museum at various Air Shows. It is based in Kjeller, not far from Oslo.
The platform that LN-KKW was to be displayed on had to be made, together with about 100 meters of new road up to the platform. Parts of the road along the security fence and to the museum, was according to the experts both long with sharp bends, narrow and for transportation of such a big object, almost useless. As the different alternatives for the move were discussed, it became more and more complicated and more and more expensive.
Then Sparebank1 NordNorge, Bodø Hovedflystasjon, Forsvarsbygg, AVINOR, Aviator and Widerøe Flyselskap merged their resources. The money needed, the technical equipment and "Know How" were at hand. Then things started literally to move.
On Friday 13 November at 1100, the towing started on the useless roads, past the obstacles like the light poles with landing lights that had been laid down, and along the fence that no longer stood in the way because it had been laid flat for the occasion.
In some places on the route, the outer wheels on the main landing gear were on the outside of the asphalt and rolled on the edge of the ditch, but the road held.
The operation had been given a 90-minute window by AVINOR. Within that frame of time, the work had to be done. They did it brilliantly and with time to spare.
This is an example of how things can be done when professionals are allowed to decide and are set are to have the job done.
Congratulations to everyone involved.