Longest Serivce?

[Elvis]

Which aircraft had been in service, the longest, at the end of the war?

Ground rules:

1) The end of the war is "VJ" day. A plane's service life after that day does not count.
2) The beginning of the plane's service CAN pre-date the war.
3) I'm looking for CONTINUOUS service, not something that was pulled out at some point, then reintated at the last minute.
4) Design mods are acceptable, as long as it remains "the plane".
5) There may actually be several answers to this question, so if you find that more than one airplane applies, go ahead and list them all.
6) Axis or Allied, I don't care. Whichever will apply is what I'm asking about.


Ok, there ya' go. Let's see what all you scholar's come up with, and good luck.




Elvis

 

[imalko]

Well, for Meserschmitt Bf 109 that would be some 10 years from first prototype until VE Day. Rule #1 states post war service doesn't count, but only as a side note this would be, I believe, well into the sixties (1967 if I'm not mistaken) in Spain and as for other countries that would be sometime in the fifties (as in Yugoslavia, Romania and Finland for example).

 

[Hop]

Longest I can think of was the Tiger Moth, entered service in Feb 1932 according to Wikipedia.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Soviet Po-2 started in 1928 and stayed in service long enough to receive the NATO reporting name of "Mule" It was still being built as late as 1954 in Poland.

It's probably going to be a trainer or liason.

 

[davebender]

Junkers Ju 52 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Entered service in 1932

The Swiss Air Force also operated the Ju 52 from 1939 to 1982 when three machines remained in operation, probably the last and longest service in any air force

The U.S. DC3 transport also served in excess of 40 years.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

C-47

 

[pbfoot]

T6 Texan,Harvard,early 35 til now

 

[river]

Hi,

I'd agree to the C47. It's had a long career.

The Catalina has had fairly long caree.

Also the Dornier Do-24, which entered service in 1934 and was used by the Spanish Air Force until 1970.

river

 

[vikingBerserker]

Fighter wise, the P-51 served until 1984 with the Dominican Air Force.

 

[river]

Hi,

Really? Until 1984!!!! Crikey, that's a long service. They must of had plenty of spare Merlin bits about.

Wasn't there a turboprop version of the P51 made? It was called the Cavalier Mustang (IIRC) and was powered by a Rolls Royce Dart engine(?), which was all done to extend the service career of the P51.

Maybe the Dominican Air Force used these... assuming the Cavalier was produced in quantity?

river

ninja edit: P48 Enforcer??? Maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I had to look, it shows P-51D's. 44 which were purchased from Swedan in 1948.

I don't know about a turbo prop version, but then again I am far from being a Mustang expert.

 

[Vincenzo]

1) The end of the war is "VJ" day. A plane's service life after that day does not count.

 

[Njaco]

I was going to say Ju 52 but there may have been some British aircraft that were active before '32.

 

[river]

Hi,

1) The end of the war is "VJ" day. A plane's service life after that day does not count.

Ahhh gotcha.

Tigermoth was in service from 1932 and was in service through the war as a trainer to VJ Day.
Ju52 was around 1934 onwards.. though they stopped service on VE Day, according to the rules of the question.

river

 

[davebender]

I doubt the Chinese people would agree...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

If we can not use post war years, here is another one with a long lifespan.

The Luftwaffe used the Junkers W 34 from 1926 to 1945.

That makes 19 years of service.

 

[Elvis]

Hey, great responses people! Thank you all very much for chiming in.
Please keep the ground rules in mind (I see we got a little side-tracked for a bit. Thanks to Vincenzo for restating that rule) and it looks like DerAdler has posted the oldest plane so far.

Was there one that was older than that?



Elvis

 

[Wildcat]

Another long serving a/c was the Westland Wapiti. First flying in 1927 and still in use up to 1944 with the RAAF.

 

[Tzaw1]

Potez XXV from 1924 to 1942 (in Switzerland). Maybe in other countries longer.

 

[Waynos]

In a book I have at home which was published in 1955, it gives all operational types in the world. In this book it shows a Dewoitine Parasol fighter that had been in service initially since 1924 and was still flying as a trainer and target tug with a South American air force. Sorry for the vagueness but I am away on holiday but I do know that other members have the same book as silhouettes from it have been posted on the ID thead. It is William Greens 'Aircraft of the World. Maybe someone could have a look? The age of some of the still in service types in there is astounding. I recall that the Naval Aircraft Factory N3 trainer is still in in service in 1955 with the USN!

Adler, not doubting the venerability of the W.34 at all, but how could it have been operated by the Luftwaffe since 1926