Warbird Information Exchange

Spitfire PR.XI PL983 had its first air test today at Duxford, following repairs since its landing accident back on August 22, 2019 (when the left landing gear failed to lock). It has now been added back into the list of active flyers.

This is the current Spitfire/Seafire list as I have it. Any recommendations for changes welcomed. Note that at present there are no Seafires currently flying, despite there having been as many as four separate ones flying in modern years. The last to fly was PP972, but it hasn't flown since 2017 and it sounds like its present owner doesn't intend for it to fly anytime soon. It is likely that Seafire SX336 will be flying again this year, following completion of a major overhaul.

There are about 64 Spitfires flying in the world:
Australia: 3 (MV239, TB863, TE392)
Belgium: 1 (SL721)
Canada: 1 (TE294)
Germany: 2 (MV154, TP280)
Israel: 1 (TE554)
Netherlands: 2 (MK732, TB885)
New Zealand: 3 (MH367, PV270, NH799)
Sweden: 1 (RW386)
United Kingdom: 38 (AB910, AR213, AR501, BM597, EE602, EP120, JG891, MH434, MJ271, MJ627, MJ755, MJ772, MK356, ML407, MT818, MV293, N3200, NH341, P7350, PL344, PL965, PL983, PM631, PS853, PS915, PT462, PV202, RN201, RR232, RW382, SM520, SM845, TA805, TD248, TD314, TE184, TE311, X4650)
United States: 12 (AR614, BL628, BR601, EP122, MJ730, MK959, ML417, NH749, P9374, SL633, SM832, SM969)

-----Purposely Not included: Seafires PP972, PR503, SX336 and VP441 - all four have not been flown in a few years or more.


There are quite a number of more Spitfire restorations very close to flying this year or next, including:

- Mk.XIX PS890 (in UK, for French owner)
- Mk.XVI TB252 (in NZ, destined for the US)
- Mk.IX MH415 (completed in Australia, but now shipped to the UK for first flight)
- Mk.IX MH603 (Australia)
- Tr.9 TE308 (UK)
- Tr.9 BS410 (UK)
- Mk.IX LZ842 (UK)
- Mk.IX PT879 (UK)
- Seafire SX336 (UK)

There are a good number more than this also under restoration at this time, but are at least two or more years out from completion.

The F8F (G-58A) Bearcat N3025 at Fighter Rebuilders/Planes of Fame made its first post-restoration test flight at Chino on May 8th with Steve Hinton at the controls. This is the 12th currently flying Bearcat in the world that I know of (the Dakota Territory Air Museum Bearcat N4752Y not included, as I don't know of its current status).

There are 12 F8F Bearcats flying in the world:
United Kingdom: 1 (G-RUMM)
United States: 11 (N1DF, N14WB, N2209, N3025, N58204, N68RW, N747NF, N7825C, N800H, N8TF, N9G)

-----"Rare Bear"/N777L, which hasn't flown in a few years, is currently receiving attention at Ezell Aviation.

I have made a minor update to the P-51 list - the TF-51D D-FTSI in Germany, formerly known as "Dream Girl", has been completely refinished and is now shining in polished bare metal and the 353rd FG markings of "Double Trouble Two". This makes it the third currently flying P-51 painted in those markings, each one with its unique attributes (the other two being the Jerry Yagen and Dan Friedkin examples based in Virginia and Texas).

Photo credit Julian Heinrich, posted to the MeierMotors Facebook page:








Dan Friedkin's P-51D "Double Trouble Two" has also been refinished as of this year, and now features a polished bare metal fuselage too (where as before it was fully painted silver).

https://flickr.com/photos/racketrx/49609674598/
https://flickr.com/photos/racketrx/49609674098/

Another Mustang change of paint/markings... the Duxford-based P-51D G-SHWN, which went by "Shark Mouth" or "Sharkie" due to its RAF 112 Squadron markings, has now been stripped to bare metal and refinished in the paint scheme of Col. Don Blakeslee's 4th Fighter Group P-51D-5-NA 44-13779 (this happens to be one of my favorite paints schemes - the summer '44 4th FG markings, no nose art, all business - Blakeslee made it a point of not adding any personal markings).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64209520@ ... ateposted/

New markings have been unveiled for the P-51D 44-84615 (N55JL), which had previously been known as "Blood Brother" (and "Cloud Dancer" when owned by Jimmy Leeward). The aircraft is now painted in the markings of the P-51B "Patty Ann II" flown by Capt. John F. Thornell. https://lmtribune.com/northwest/the-air ... xzslVfcJ-E

It sounds like the owner is not aware that it has been the plan, for several years now, that the P-51B undergoing restoration by Brent Hisey is to be painted in those markings.

Looks like DC3 HK-2820 was repaired after last years runway excursion.

Fun video posted today, the masked cargo handlers at the end of video seem to corroborate the timing of being recent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSP4OcYVLcM

Thank you Mick, I appreciate you posting that! Good to add it back onto the list of flyers.

The CAF Sierra Hotel A-26 is almost ready to go
https://kfor.com/news/great-state/built ... fly-again/

Thank you for the heads up, Thomas! It is fantastic to see how far they've come with that aircraft and what an incredible achievement from what they started with.

Reportedly Christophe Jacquard's Spitfire Mk.XIX PS890 (F-AZJS) had its first post-restoration engine run yesterday at Duxford. This aircraft has been undergoing rebuild with ARCo since its takeoff accident in 2017. A first flight is likely not too far off.

On the WIX Facebook page, Jacob McKenney has reported that the DC-3 N130Q, at Greenville Municipal Airport (K3B1), is back on its EDO floats again, the world's only DC-3 on floats, and is going to be made airworthy for a new owner in Alaska.

Photo by Jacob McKenney:

_________________
A man's got to know his limitations.

[quote="JohnTerrell"]On the WIX Facebook page, Jacob McKenney has reported that the DC-3 N130Q, at Greenville Municipal Airport (K3B1), is back on its EDO floats again, the world's only DC-3 on floats, and is going to be made airworthy for a new owner in Alaska.

One has to wonder how much payload this old girl can actual handle with those floats installed. They must take away a lot, I would think?

Yeah, in a couple follow-up posts by Jacob McKenney, he states that because of the floats, the aircraft has a load-carrying capacity of 3,500 lbs, down from what the DC-3/C-47 can traditionally carry (up to 6,000 lbs), and that the cruise speed is 15-20 mph slower due to the floats.

But the cool factor went up by 10...
Does anybody know when she's leaving Maine ?

Phil

_________________
A man's got to know his limitations.