What surprises me is that there wasn't a foresighted bureaucrat who said "weve paid for all these, lets make a museum of the significant ones" same on the UK side. What happened to the first Mustangs fitted with Merlin engines for example.
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What surprises me is that there wasn't a foresighted bureaucrat who said "weve paid for all these, lets make a museum of the significant ones" same on the UK side. What happened to the first Mustangs fitted with Merlin engines for example.the paper work may have been enourmous in the US. When a prototype was built on contract with US government funds it was invariably government property. After delivery and testing, it was government property. It probably remained a hangar queen until a bureaucrat officer said get it out of here and scrapped.
A Stuka undertaking dive bombing at air shows would be amazing. if I was a tech billionaire I'd fund dive bombing hell divers, Stukas, Vals etc.
Original, production specification NA-73 Mustang Mk.I, NA-83 Mustang Mk.I and NA-91 P-51/Mustang Mk.IA. No examples of the production and in service specification early Allison engined Mustangs remain. The XP-51 at Oshkosh doesn't count as it is different in detail to the NA-73, and the NA-83 and NA-91 have further significant changes. No recorded wrecks or major components of NA-73, NA-83 or NA-91.
For the Bristol Beaufighter, two major projects underway, one with HARS in Australia the other at Duxford in the UK, to return two Beaufighters to airworthy status. Sourcing of a large collection of Bristol Hercules engines and components has moved things along in recent times as lack of suitable engines was the key issue for the two projects. Airframes in both cases are composites, including major components from a number of identifed airframes. Camden Beaufighter is still as it was. There is also a Beaufighter at Australian National Aviation Museum in Moorabbin, Melbourne, that they had in good enough condition to do the occasional engine run, but I believe it has been a couple of years since they last ran the engines.
First Mustangs fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlins in the UK - modified Mustang Mk.I airframes, were all scrapped.
Several early types remain.Original, production specification NA-73 Mustang Mk.I, NA-83 Mustang Mk.I and NA-91 P-51/Mustang Mk.IA. No examples of the production and in service specification early Allison engined Mustangs remain. The XP-51 at Oshkosh doesn't count as it is different in detail to the NA-73, and the NA-83 and NA-91 have further significant changes. No recorded wrecks or major components of NA-73, NA-83 or NA-91.
Several early types remain.
An XP-51 is at the Airventure museum in Oshkosh which should count, as it was the start of quite a legacy.
A P-51A is at Yanks Air museum in Chino and one at Fantasy of Flight in Florida.
Also, three A-36As remain (all airworthy).
And here's another Tigercat. Photo taken in 2016 at the Historic Flight Foundation in Everett, WA.Yes.
The P-43 Lancer was actually an aircraft that raised the bar...it was also the predecessor of the P-47...
Cant Z. 1007Bis "Alcione" (Kingfisher) Italian Medium BomberTB-3
Brewster Buffalo.
There are a few export examples that survive in museums and there is one known USN F2A off the coast of Midway island which may be recovered.Brewster Buffalo.
There are a few export examples that survive in museums and there is one known USN F2A off the coast of Midway island which may be recovered.