Warbird you regret the most that there isn't a single surving example of?

[ktank]

Well, partly true. The ex-Spartan Air Services aircraft hulk had been stored on a farm near me for many years. Thank the farmer for not burning it.

Sea Hornet Resurrection – de Havilland's Finest Fighter Set for Rebirth

WOW! My top choice of extinct WW2 aircraft (even if it was right at the end).

Better still, it's being restored/rebuilt in flying condition!

Others for me:

Stirling
B-32
Whitley
He177

 

[Crimea_River]

Okay, gotcha.

So the farmer who made money selling the parts ....and others no doubt, made up a more valuable part than the company in NZ who are spending the money, searching and paying for more parts, going through the frustrations and tribulations of getting what was a non-existent aircraft flying again are just a small part of the ''wish'' .....and are the people who are actually doing the ''rescuing.''.....................

Got your logic. Nice.

Don't bend my words. I didn't say they were "more valuable". My post was meant to point out that there were many individuals involved in getting to this point, and that it's not the entire country of New Zealand which is "rescuing" the aircraft. The companies involved do nice work and I look forward to the day this machine takes to the air.

 

[Navalwarrior]

The thing I find staggering is that there is only one prototype, you would think companies would keep them for P/R or teaching reasons.

Resp:
Agree. I know of one Allison Mustang (A-36A ?) that survived due to being retained at a school for teaching. Several fuselages of the Dauntless survived for decades at a movie prop storage area.

 

[AMCKen]

NZ to the ''rescue.''

Sea Hornet TT193

See also:
Sea Hornet Resurrection – de Havilland's Finest Fighter Set for Rebirth

 

[Glider]

There's two Hampdens being restored, one each in Canada and the UK.

Thanks for this. It's one of those cases where I am more than happy to be wrong.
Thanks again
David

 

[Artful69]

Do.17z

Rog

 

[Crimea_River]

See also:
Sea Hornet Resurrection – de Havilland's Finest Fighter Set for Rebirth

Ummm...check post 75.

 

[nuuumannn]

Unfortunately it's in the Camden Museum of Aviation near Sydney which has been closed to the public for some years

Yes, dammit. I contacted one of the guys involved asking for a wee look around during a visit to Sydney a couple of years ago and he refused me. Bit of a downer. The museum also has a war weary Beaufighter, as well as other interesting bits including large sections of a Lincoln.

 

[Graeme]

The museum also has a war weary Beaufighter, as well as other interesting bits

Dunno the story behind it Grant - but I spotted this at HARS last week...

HARS - Historical Aircraft Restoration Society

 

[nuuumannn]

Hm, that's interesting. Is that 'Beau-Guns Ville'? That bodes well. It would be nice to see them do the same with the Vengeance. I was there the last time I was in Sydney, that hadn't arrived, but its nice to see. HARS is great.

 

[nuuumannn]

The Sea Hornet section at the de Havilland museum.

Sea Hornet fuselage

 

[Graeme]

Hm, that's interesting. Is that 'Beau-Guns Ville'? That bodes well. It would be nice to see them do the same with the Vengeance. I was there the last time I was in Sydney, that hadn't arrived, but its nice to see. HARS is great.

I'm not sure Grant - by this time the tour guide was tired of me asking questions and wanted to go home.

 

[chipieal]

I find the Tigercat to be an outstanding performer and damn sleek looking to boot. Are any extant?

 

[wuzak]

I find the Tigercat to be an outstanding performer and damn sleek looking to boot. Are any extant?

Yes.

 

[Koopernic]

Actually guys there are three complete original Ju 87 Stukas. One in Chicago, one in London, and one in Seattle (that is being restored to airworthy status).

I have seen two, the ones in London and Chicago. See my pics below.

Chicago

View attachment 571246

View attachment 571247

London

View attachment 571248

View attachment 571249

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.

 

[Sturgis90]

There is at least one Stuka. Can't remember where but ive seen pictures of it.
Its in pieces but I think I read the are plans to re build it though.

 

[Sturgis90]

There is one at the Paul Allen Flying Heritage Collection in Everett Washington being restored to flying condition. Almost all planes in that museum fly during summer months.

 

[pinehilljoe]

The Sea Hornet section at the de Havilland museum.

View attachment 572431Sea Hornet fuselage

its looks like a forklift fork went through the fuselage.

 

[TKB]

Too many to even list.
Yeah, hindsight is 20/20, but it would have been nice if, even now, more foresight was used, like with the B-26 "Flak Bait." Think of all the true "time capsules" there could have been. You always read about "saved" aircraft that were later scraped, because of storage space. I'm sure places like Davis-Monthan could have easily handled tucking away a lot of crated aircraft at an out of the way area without infringing on base activities in the least.
Even without any preservation measures, simply disassembled, crated aircraft, stored for decades, would be far better then "wreck recovery." I'm not saying these wrecks shouldn't be recovered, nor am I trying to take anything away from those dedicated individuals that rebuild them. I'd just find a 100% original aircraft in it's just uncrated from storage state far more historically interesting then a 5% mix and match of original parts attached to 95% new build parts, pristene replica at an air show. As meticulous as a rebuild/restoration may be, its individual historical significance is lost.
Just my 2¢ worth.

 

[pinehilljoe]

The thing I find staggering is that there is only one prototype, you would think companies would keep them for P/R or teaching reasons.

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.