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.
Warbird you regret the most that there isn't a single surving example of?
- Thread starter pinehilljoe
- Start date
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.
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.
wuzak
Captain
Imagine the insurance premium on that!
Dive bombing in an 80 year old air frame would seem to be quite risky.
There is at least one Allison powered P-51A still flying. I believe its titled Miss Virginia. I saw it in 2017 at the Reno Air Races. It participated in a couple of the early heats.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
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 in saying that, those who don't understand the most basic differences between the sub-types of the early Allison engiined Mustangs, it is like saying "we have a Spitfire Mk.V and a Spitfire Mk.IX, so we don't need a Spitfire Mk.I or a Spitfire Mk.II because we have a Mk.V and a Mk.IX". There are no extant examples of the first three Mustangs variants manufactured, being the NA-73, NA-83 and NA-91, being quite different to the P-51A and A-36 in relation to such things as armament, radiator and cooling system configuration - having the earlier moveable radiator intake ramp, plus being built to RAF specifications not USAAF specifications. The XP-51 was noted as being extant, but again, it is an XP - a prototype, a test type, and as such is not representative of the production variants of the earliest Allison Mustangs that were for the first two sub-types (NA-73, NA-83) primarily used by the RAF, and for the third sub variant (NA-91), largely used by the RAF, but also the first Mustang to be used in operational service by the USAAF in the MTO.
There's a bunch of airframes that would be interesting from a "what were the designers thinking", not for any particular historical significance;
P-43
CW-21
P-66
Vought V-143
HE-100
Vickers Venom
Miles M20
The Martin-Baker MB-3 and MB-5
Arado 440
BV-141
EDIT: Not from a "WTF what were you thinking". These aircraft were mostly all in a transitional era and the designers were coping with either new design technologies or new operational concepts.
P-43
CW-21
P-66
Vought V-143
HE-100
Vickers Venom
Miles M20
The Martin-Baker MB-3 and MB-5
Arado 440
BV-141
EDIT: Not from a "WTF what were you thinking". These aircraft were mostly all in a transitional era and the designers were coping with either new design technologies or new operational concepts.
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And here's another Tigercat. Photo taken in 2016 at the Historic Flight Foundation in Everett, WA.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The P-43 Lancer was actually an aircraft that raised the bar...it was also the predecessor of the P-47...
Skyediamonds
Staff Sergeant
- 1,366
- May 26, 2018
How about a Heinkel He-119? Now there's a unique aircraft worth saving. An aircraft featuring a clear-nose canopy with the propeller drive shaft right through the middle, seats 3 "volunteers."
Yes, good altitude performance and range, but sod-all armour. Made an OK recce aircraft for its time.
In hindsight more development would have sorted it out, but it was only an interim type pending the P47.
I'd love to see one given that the RAAF had eight of them at one stage as recce aircraft - the P43 was never accepted for frontline service by the USAAF.
BTW, there's a hunt for P43 parts going on in Australia but I don't know of current status:
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The P-43 evolved from the P-35, which was a mid-30's fighter design.
The adoption of pilot armor and self-sealing tanks would be a few years in the future.
The adoption of pilot armor and self-sealing tanks would be a few years in the future.
CEFORNIGLIA
Airman
- 12
- Apr 5, 2006
Cant Z. 1007Bis "Alcione" (Kingfisher) Italian Medium Bomber
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Brewster Buffalo.
buffnut453
Captain
There is one. It's in Finland but a sole survivor does exist.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
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.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
How about that. I thought the one in Finland "didn't count" as it has parts that look original but non functional. The one in the waters off Midway is still, well, in the waters off Midway.
Thanks GrauGeist for the info. Anyone have pictures of the others?
Thanks GrauGeist for the info. Anyone have pictures of the others?
