Warbird Information Exchange

Following the RAF Bombers thread, can anyone help by filling any of the gaps?

PLEASE: Don't just guess - it's not helpful. If you can make an estimate or have a reliable source, great.

We are counting complete airframes, not fuselages or substantial remains, as well.

Thanks in advance!

Key:
Type.
Number built:
Number Surviving:
Number airworthy:

Avro Lancaster
7,300
17
2

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
12,800
?
?

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
18,482
?
2

Short Stirling
2,383
0
0

Handley Page Halifax
6,176
2 + 1 fsm
0

North American B-25 Mitchell
9,984
?
?

Martin B-26 Marauder
5,288
?
0

de Havilland Mosquito
7,781
30*
0

Vickers Armstrong Wellington
11,464
2
0

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
1,814
0
0

Bristol Blenheim / Bollingbroke
4,422
30*
0

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

If i'm not mistaken Kermit Weeks B-26 is airworthy, or at least has been sometime in the last 5 years or so. From what I've heard its the only airworthy one around.

Thanks, but it's not currently airworthy, IMHO:
"Last flight was 5/29/99 when we dropped the ashes of a WWII B-26 crew member."

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=23966

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

[quote="JDK"]Following the RAF Bombers thread, can anyone help by filling any of the gaps?

PLEASE: Don't just guess - it's not helpful. If you can make an estimate or have a reliable source, great.

We are counting complete airframes, not fuselages or substantial remains, as well.

Thanks in advance!

Key:
Type.
Number built:
Number Surviving:
Number airworthy: (/quote)

Here's my best numbers adjusted for known ommissios or updates since the original source document publication, as well as some additional types to the list?

Aerovintage Website

http://www.aerovintage.com/b17loc.htm

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
12,800
48 (excluding 6 partial airframes & unrecovered a/f such as swamp ghost)
18* (includes 1 in maintenance and 5 under airworthy restoration)
0.4% survival

Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(adjusted for restoration progress of 2 airframes)

Consolidated B-24 Liberator (includes LB-30 as Liberator!)
18,482
24 (excluding 3 partial airframes)
2
0.3% survival


Aero Vintage Website
http://www.aerovintage.com/b25loc.htm

North American B-25 Mitchell
9,984
123 (excludes 19 partial airframes and 9 unrecovered a/f)
43* (excludes 7 under restoration as outcome unspecified)
1.2% survival


Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(*noting unlisted substational wreck still surviving in PNG)

Martin B-26 Marauder
5,288
6 (* excluding 1 unrecovered a/f)
1* (based on Kermits airframe as the only real possibility)
0.1% survival


Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(*adding an unlisted new static fuselage project from NZ to Canada)


de Havilland Mosquito
7,781
27 (excludes 4 partial airframes)
4* (based on Kermits airframe & 3 active airworthy restorations)
0.3% survival


Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(*noting status of former RAAFM a/f and adding unlisted Hunt airframe)

Douglas Boston
7,478
9 (* excluding 5 partial airframes - note Big Nig IS included not excluded)
3* (based on Steve Searles airframe & 2 US based airworthy restorations)
0.1% survival

(excluding airworthy projects that may commence at Wangaratta, as intentions not fully known at this stage? - by me at least)




Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(*adjusted for current project developments)

Bristol Beaufort (including DAP)
1,713
6 (*excluding 4 partial airframes, but including current projects)
1* (based on Cusack project)
0.4% survival

Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(*adjusted for current project developments)

Bristol Beaufighter (including DAP)
5,929
10 (*excluding 3 partial airframes, but including current projects)
3* (based on the known 3 airworthy projects - 2 in UK, 1 in Aust)
0.2% survival

Avro Lincoln (including GAF)
624
4 (exluding 1 partial unrecovered airframe, but includes one "project")
1* - (*yes I am joking lol, unless there is a fairy godmother??)
0.6% survival

Regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

I'll have ago at another couple outstanding types?

Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition


Bristol Blenheim / Bollingbroke
4,422
21 (* excludes a further 20 partial airframes)
1 (UK under restoration)
* split between partial and total frames is very subjective,
as some Canadian collections are listing multiple partial airframe Identities,
but expected only to complete a single display airframe.
0.5% survival

Warbirds Directory 1996 3rd edition
(added recognition of Pembroke wreck, but not included in total)

Short Sunderland
749
6 (*excludes 1 possible wreck recovery, 1 partial wreck, and 2 Solents, but includes 3 Sandringhams)
1(* Kerimit Weeks example as only possible flyer)
0.8% survival

would be interesting to add the twin bombers of the axis powers to compare their survival rates, ie He111, Betty, Sally etc

Regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

-7- total B26 complete a/c I am aware of:
40-1370 Hill AFB
40-1459 MAPS
40-1464 Fantasy of Flight
40-1501 PIMA
41-31773 NASM (Flak Bait)
44-34581 NMUSAF (Shootin' In)
44-68219 MAE
...love the B26 Martin Marauder!

The Hill Project was not listed in the 1996 warbirds directory, as it wasnt recovered from the Aleutians until @2000? The Hill Museum achieved great results with their B-24 and P-38 but I dont think the B-26 is progressing under restoration yet and the remains shown from the crash site are well short of a complete hulk? I am not sure it yet qualifies as a complete example, and is probably best still considered a partial airframe until new manufactured sections are re-created or more airframe is acquired from elsewhere?

http://www.b-26marauderarchive.org/PH/HillAFB/HillAFB.htm


The source of the Hill Museum nose is not the Aleutian crash site but instead one of the 3 camper noses, it has recently been discussed on WIX


http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=23594&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=b26&start=30

I think Hill could make excellent use of the hulk of 40-1426 still sitting on Kiriwana/Trobiand Island PNG, Hill have a good cockpit section and many other components. If these were brought together with hulk of 40-1426 which has lost its own cockpit section there would certainly be a very viable project? (40-1426 is the un-recovered wreck I exclude from my count above). I would still propose to exclude the Hill remains of 40-1370 in the count but acknowledge it as a partial airframe at this point in time.

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-26/40-1426.html

I would therefore propose adjustment of my tally as:


Martin B-26 Marauder
5,288
6 (* excluding 1 unrecovered airframe -png, and 1 partial airframe - Hill)
1* (based on Kermits airframe as the only real possibility)
0.1% survival

Regards

Mark Pilkington

_________________
20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"