Waiting to be found

[MONDARIZ]

It kinda bugs me, that people have to travel to far off places like Siberia, to retrive a WWII wreck, when many fine aircraft are rotting away in the states and europe.

I have been scolded for mentioning specific aircraft, where the owner see their "effort" as historic preservation. These aircraft are rotting away in gardens

The truth is, that i have seen collections of WWII aircraft stored in what can only be termed a "museum" by the owner, to anyone else its a scrapyard.

And we are not just talking about a few T-6's, but truely rare warbirds (think Twin Mustang).

I know about people who have tried to buy some of these aircraft, only to find that the owner wont sell, as he is working on them. Leaving historic aircraft in a pile IS NOT PRESERVATION!

In the mean time, recovery work takes place in Sibiria, or even from the waters of the pacific.

Here is a Tempest (unrelated to my rant above, but still in need of TLC):
(Borrowed from another forum, sorry to Ian Wilkinson for using it without expressed permission)

 

[MONDARIZ]

Here is another:

 

[Screaming Eagle]

I totally agree! It just makes me sad the evntual fate of these airplanes.

 

[MONDARIZ]

What really gets me, is that when those aircraft are finally sold (the owner dies), they are no better than those recovered from Sibiria and other places.

People can do what they want with their private property, restore it, let it rot, but its just a shame when the latter happens.

I knew a guy who had his house full of vintage motorcycles. None of them were whole, but he had quite a few rare bikes. When he died, the family sold the wole "collection" to a scrapyard, in order to clear the house for sale. I also knew people who were looking to buy some of the collection, but that never happened. I'm pretty sure that also happens with warbird relics.

 

[A4K]

We have the same in NZ, they are still finding Mosquito, Hudson, and Oxford remains (to name a few) on private farms, the owners buying them for wheels and firewood ( ). when I was last in NZ ('96) I saw a decrepit Vampire freshly recovered from a farm - it's cockpit was stripped of anything movable, and full of chicken sh-t, as for the fueslage and wings, Phillip Treweek also photographed it, and you can see it on Kiwi Aircraft Images

There's also a very reclusive man (no names) who has a Mozzie, Oxford, and many other RNZAF aircraft in original service condition, ie, bought, locked up in a garage, and left to gather dust for his private viewing pleasure. He very rarely lets people see them, and even then begrudgingly. I think there are a few museums waiting for him to kick the bucket, but I don't know in whose hands they'll be when that happens.

 

[MONDARIZ]

I have heard about NZ warbirds popping up on farms. I was happy to see the Oxford finally got some TLC. For a small country, they are doing great work for preservation.

There are (there must be) many around the world, just waiting their turn.

Here is one from China:

 

[MONDARIZ]

Bird dogs in Thailand:

 

[MONDARIZ]

I know I'm rambling on here, but I just know there are warbirds out there, just waiting......

The Afghan air force flew Avro Anson untill 1972, could be a few around somewhere. They also flew Hawker Hart, Hawker Hind and Junkers G 24.

I would be very surpriced if a few didn't show up soon.

 

[A4K]

was that a Sturmovik, Mondariz?!

 

[MONDARIZ]

I think its a Sturmovic, or a Chinese copy of one.

 

[Krabat42]

It's a Il-10, the late ww2 and korean war sturmovik:

Ilyushin Il-10 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[A4K]

Danke Krabat! Ich soll's gewüsst habe, dass Du, Graeme oder Thunderbolt es gekennt wurde!

 

[A4K]

...gekAnnt...

 

[Njaco]

That B-25 is here in the states, Ohio I think. The guy who took that pic had a thread here about it a few months ago.

 

[DBII]

The people that have these birds wasting away in their "muesums" have no hope of ever restoring them. They either don't want anyone else to have them or they want to much money for them.

DBII

 

[Krabat42]

Danke Krabat! Ich soll's gewüsst habe, dass Du, Graeme oder Thunderbolt es gekennt wurde!

It's flyable in Il-2 Sturmovik 1946. Yesterday, p47thunderbolt crashed one into a tower, I was his gunner for this (very short) mission.

 

[Bucksnort101]

I've driven past that Avenger Hulk at the Blaine airport several times. There used to be a Museum named Polar Aviation up there as well, had an A-26 sitting behind the hanger that as the story goes flew in for an airshow, had engine troubles and was parked. Sat for many years. They also had a F-82 in the hanger that was being restored. Polar closed several years ago, never knew what happened to the dozen or so aircraft they had on hand?

 

[Njaco]

I remember as a kid there was playground near me that had a Sabre jet from the Korean war to play on. A couple years ago I went back and it was gone. Nobody knew where it went. Shame.

 

[Konigstiger205]

I remember as a kid there was playground near me that had a Sabre jet from the Korean war to play on. A couple years ago I went back and it was gone. Nobody knew where it went. Shame.

Wish I had a warbird to play on when I was a kid...its a sad thing to see a warbird rotting in some guys garden...

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Bird dogs in Thailand:

I'VE BEEN THERE!!!!

That's at the Thai Army Airbase at Lopari - about 60 miles north of Bangkok. I was there in 2001. A major on the base told me that they were still US property and "I could have them." The problem was getting them out of the country and getting State Department approval. They really weren't in bad shape and I know there were a few restorable airframes.