Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Tue Mar 19, 2024 2:43 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: C54 / DC4 still flying
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:10 am 
Offline

Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 5:39 pm
Posts: 211
What is the current count at? Both working air-frames and airworthy museum examples.

I believe there are 2 or 3 in South Africa and at least one with Brooks in Alaska. Buffalo retired there fleet a few years back, so there must only be a handful still airworthy.

Would be interesting to know which ones remain active.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 2:28 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am
Posts: 843
One C-54G in the UK at North Weald being restored to airworthy. One C-54 in Australia airworthy in HARS museum..


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 4:46 pm 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am
Posts: 3321
Invader26 wrote:
One C-54G in the UK at North Weald being restored to airworthy.

Not being actively restored at present. More an idea than an ongoing project, a massive undertaking that will require a lot of funding for a type that has little or no resonance with the U.K. public.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 9:41 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:02 pm
Posts: 284
The Berlin Airlift Memorial has a flying C-54 based in the USA. I saw it fly into the little Geneseo strip about 8-9 years ago- very impressive.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 1:16 am 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5223
Location: Eastern Washington
Mike wrote:
... for a type that has little or no resonance with the U.K. public.


That's a shame. After all,Churchill used one as his personal transport late in the war.
Especially since the UK doesn't seem to have an airworthy indigenous prop airliner larger than a Rapide or Dove) you"d think they'd appreciate the type, after all Red Bull flies a DC-6.
Sometimes the UK enthusiast community can be very parochial
or nationalistic.

In the TV series The Crown, they used one with various CGI'd paint schemes. In one shot however, I believe I saw South African registration under the wing. I believe the ground shots were done at Duxford with the other old airliners in the background.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 4:27 am 
Offline
3000+ Post Club
3000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am
Posts: 3321
JohnB wrote:
Sometimes the UK enthusiast community can be very parochial or nationalistic. :drink3:

Try a fundraiser to restore a Viscount to flight in the US and see how far you get, especially in a country where every example of probably its most famous airliner (the Constellation) is either grounded or has been sold abroad due to a widespread lack of interest (aka apathy).

The sad fact is that, if it doesn't have stars and bars or roundels, people in general just aren't interested.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:37 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!

Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm
Posts: 1375
JohnB wrote:
Mike wrote:
... for a type that has little or no resonance with the U.K. public.


Sometimes the UK enthusiast community can be very parochial or nationalistic.


I'd have to disagree: UK public maybe, but the enthusiasts not a jot: just look at how dewy-eyed they get over the loss of F7Fs and F8Fs back across the pond: neither have any real link with the UK but both are extremely popular with show-goers.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:17 am 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:27 am
Posts: 5223
Location: Eastern Washington
Mike wrote:
JohnB wrote:
Sometimes the UK enthusiast community can be very parochial or nationalistic. :drink3:

Try a fundraiser to restore a Viscount to flight in the US and see how far you get, especially in a country where every example of probably its most famous airliner (the Constellation) is either grounded or has been sold abroad due to a widespread lack of interest (aka apathy).

The sad fact is that, if it doesn't have stars and bars or roundels, people in general just aren't interested.


You're certainly correct in the last point...If it's not military, few seem to care.
I believe that is certainly the case in the UK, and they don't have a Viscount flying...their most successful airliner of all time. But neither do they have a flying B-25, despite its wartime sevice with the RAF. I may have been a bit harsh about UK aviation buffs and warbird operators, but the do seem obsessed with fighters.

The U.S. isn't much better if you count the Connies, large DCs and early jets.
But I would point out that compared to those, a C-54 is almost practical enough to keep as a toy.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:42 am 
Offline

Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am
Posts: 843
Quote:
Not being actively restored at present. More an idea than an ongoing project, a massive undertaking that will require a lot of funding for a type that has little or no resonance with the U.K. public.


It's a bit beyond an idea and a fair bit is happening behind the scenes to get it airborne I can tell you. The Viscount is a quaint airliner bit like the HP Herald. The RAAF flew them as VIP aircraft but looking after big aircraft is another world compared to lesser sizes..


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:50 pm 
Offline

Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:20 am
Posts: 681
Location: Belgium
JohnB wrote:
Mike wrote:
JohnB wrote:
I may have been a bit harsh about UK aviation buffs and warbird operators, but the do seem obsessed with fighters.


Hum, I think is also a more pratical point: maintening a MEP was, one time, the reason for one of the "key warbid owner" in the UK to sold his twin engined planes and just keeping the single engined ones. (It was the reason the last UK based B-25 was departing to the state.)

_________________
Sorry for my bad English:-(


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:12 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!

Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm
Posts: 1019
I got a look at the one in Douglas GA a couple of weeks ago it didn't look too bad. I was told it is getting new engines and will be flown out.

_________________
Always looking for WW2 Half-Tracks and Parts.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 5:46 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!

Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:43 pm
Posts: 1168
Location: Marietta, GA
PinecastleAAF wrote:
I got a look at the one in Douglas GA a couple of weeks ago it didn't look too bad. I was told it is getting new engines and will be flown out.


That's a pretty one. Glad it is being resurrected. Is it getting 4 engines? When it landed there it had one bad engine. Sitting ain't good.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:30 am 
Offline

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:50 am
Posts: 402
Location: Perth Western Australia
The DC-4/C-54 at Hars at Albian park is undergoing restoration to fly at the moment. Probably another 12 months off I think. I saw her come down from Queendsland many years ago.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2018 8:52 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club

Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm
Posts: 2514
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquir ... 4&PageNo=1

https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquir ... 4&PageNo=1


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:46 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:01 pm
Posts: 735
44-9144 "Spirit of Freedom" is still being flown regularly to events around the US and has been doing so since 1995.

http://www.spiritoffreedom.org

_________________
Kevin Kearney
Vice President
Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation


C-54D "Spirit of Freedom" 43-17228
C-97 "Angel of Deliverance" 52-2718 (painted as YC-97A 45-59595)
C-54E/R5D-4 "Spirit of Freedom" 44-9144 BuNo 90414 (wfu April/2020)
http://www.spiritoffreedom.org


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group