Bluebonnet Belle on her way home
CONTRIBUTED
Bluebonnet Belle underwent an engine transplant after being stuck in Oshkosh, Wis. for nearly a year.
BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH/HIGHLAND LAKES NEWSPAPERS
The famed Bluebonnet Belle, a silver C47 Skytrain, should be home at the Burnet Municipal Airport by mid-May, said Highland Lakes Squadron – Commemorative Airforce officials this week, but the squadron still needs help paying for her repair.
Officials said mechanics are repairing the engine this week, and she should be returned to her home hangar by mid-May.
The 1944-model transport plane broke down after going with the squadron to Oshkosh, Wis., where she performed several air jumps at the EAA AirVenture, an annual gathering for aviation enthusiasts. While the crew was about to make a low pass over the airfield, they noticed a strange noise coming from the aircraft's right engine. They decided to land, and discovered a crack on the exhaust side of one of the plane's engine cylinders, burn marks in and a hole in the baffle as well as metal particles in the oil.
The engine would need to be fully replaced.
Having limited financial resources, the squadron was forced to leave Belle at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
“She's still there,” said Dave Hargett, squadron member. “We're trying to come up with the money for the replacement engine and to get her back.”
To pay for the engine replacement, which will total about $35,000, the Highland Lakes Squadron is hosting two upcoming Big Band Dances, one on May 7, and a second after Belle's return on June 11.
The Big Band Dance on May 7 will take place from 7:30-10:30 p.m. at the Kingsland Community Center. The event will feature The Flashbacks a big band, in which Hargett performs.
“There's no admission – only donations. All proceeds go towards the engine fund,” he said.
The second hangar dance will take place on June 11 at the Commemorative Air Force Museum on S Water Street in Burnet as a Welcome Back Bluebonnet Belle Celebration. The free event, starting at 10 a.m. and ending with the hangar dance from 8-10 p.m., will include museum tours, tours of Belle, a silent auction, food trucks, and the sale of airplane rides.
For more information, visit the Highland Lakes Squadron Facebook page or highlandlakessquadron.com.
