Warbird Information Exchange

Quite amazing that for several decades the CAF Helldiver was the only example flying. To now have three flying is right up there with the mosquitos. Something one really couldn’t imagine would ever happen. Amazing accomplishments.

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

Hear, Hear!
In addition to the SB2C and Mosquitos, there is a third Lancaster in the works in the UK.
And don't forget we now have Doc, a second airworthy B-29 was unlikely back in the "Good old days".

Now if we could only reverse the trend of groups parking their B-17s....
Hopefully a couple of the long time projects will come.to fruition soon.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

We would not have had even 1 flying Helldiver if it had not been for a little shop in Breckenridge TX. In 1985 the SB2C suffered a engine failure on take off, the plane hit hard on the belly, rebounded into the air, the engine then separated from the airframe and went under plane, which then came down on top of the engine basically trying to stuff the engine in the bomb bay and in the process breaking the fuselage into 2 pieces. The rebuilding of the Helldiver was one of the projects that put Ezell Aviation on the map for being able to do the next to impossible. That is when it gained the Hamilton Standard prop in place of the Curtiss Electric.

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Congratulations to the team at Fagen Fighters for completing the second airworthy Helldiver! It certainly is a beautiful restoration.

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Tom

After 55 years of reading that the Yanks Air Museum was restoring theirs to flying condition it's rewarding to see another put in the air in my lifetime. Many types have gone extinct (in the air) in this period of time including the Columbine Superduck, Martin Mauler, Curtiss Falcon, Fairchild C-82 Packet , Douglas B-18 and B-23, Curtiss O-52 Owl, B-26 Marauder, etc.
Seen at Oshkosh this year was the resurrected, last of thirteen built St. Louis Streetcar Co. YPT-15 . It was parked next to the prototype 1933 Stearman Kaydet. They were flown in from Oregon. They were parked near the 50 new metal P-51D's with invasion stripes.

After 55 years of reading that the Yanks Air Museum was restoring theirs to flying condition it's rewarding to see another put in the air in my lifetime. Many types have gone extinct (in the air) in this period of time including the Columbine Superduck, Martin Mauler, Curtiss Falcon, Fairchild C-82 Packet , Douglas B-18 and B-23, Curtiss O-52 Owl, B-26 Marauder, etc.
Seen at Oshkosh this year was the resurrected, last of thirteen built St. Louis Streetcar Co. YPT-15 . It was parked next to the prototype 1933 Stearman Kaydet. They were flown in from Oregon. They were parked near the 50 new metal P-51D's with invasion stripes.

Any photos of the Streetcar? that used to be owned by Bob DeFord. He sold it and the new owner ground looped it, that was in the early 80s.

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Marine Air
I think your list is too pessimistic, there is an airworthy B-23. There are YouTube videos of it flying out of Grant County/Moses Lake/Larson AFB.A few years back I was exploring the field and found it getting serviced in a hangar filled with King Airs, so it's still around.

An addition: The Stearman prototype, and the St. Louis YPT-15 you mentioned flew in "from Oregon", are owned and flown by the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum out of Hood River.
https://www.waaamuseum.org/
They have lots of rare stuff, much of it is airworthy.
They are terribly unknown, so they deserve a mention.
(If you are in the region, their antique fly-in is in early September).I'll be there with a Goose (not mine), stop by and say hi.

And a correction..it the Columbia XJL-1, not "Columbine".
And "Super Duck"may be descriptive (though you'd be hard pressed to find any Duck parts in it...considering it's a tricycle gear monoplane) but it is not an official name. Yes, it's a shame one isn't flying, but since there were just two prototypes, that's hardly unexpected.

To add to the extinct flyers list...C-119 (I think).
The DC-4, 6 and 7 numbers are pretty low so should be on the endangered species list. Heck, so are early jetliners and bizjets.

But again, look at the bright side...the F-82 is back as is the Mosquito (if you don't mind new builds)

Give Yanks credit, they may not have gotten their SB2C flying to suit your timeframe, but they have restored a lot of other stuff and saved who knows what from the scrappers. In short, they have done more than the people who complain about the state of the warbird world.

Yeah, we know some folks here don't like new build warbirds, but a new build Mustang is better than no Mustang at all.
As I have said here many times before, in my years volunteering at a museum with a data plate restoration, I never had anyone complain about it not being " real".
Remember, if you're outside a town with a good museum or collection, the only Mustang people will see are cars.

People & kids won't learn (or even think) about WWII, if
In the absence of those new build warbirds, the wealthy guys are flying around in PC-12s or Citations.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

I'm surprised nobody has yet to upload pictures of the Helldiver. Well, here it is. It is a stunning restoration with every detail fulfilled. I'm thankful of the Fagans for all the hard work and effort to produce this. It really needs to be seen in person to appreciate all of it.

You just never know!
The Fagen Fighters SB2C-5 Helldiver arrived at Oshkosh a few days ago, with a little help from me!
Not taking any credit for this, but one of the four Curtiss Electric propeller blades it is flying with came from my garage back in 2018! I had bought it at a local flea market in Connecticut when I was in high school in the Summer of 1974. I knew it was a Curtiss blade, just couldn’t figure out what it went to. Looked like a B-50 blade, but not long enough. Maybe a P-47, but it just wasn’t looking right. I dragged that prop from home to my dorm at UCONN, and back home. It always stood in the corner of my room with notes stuck on it with magnets.

I got married in 1990 and it went in the back of the garage. In 2018, thinking of the power of the internet, I took it out, took pics and posted them on WIX Facebook page. Within 15 minutes it was identified as a Helldiver prop and I had several offers right away. I wasn’t thinking of selling it, just wanted an ID on it.
As I thought about it, I decided it would be best to sell it to someone who was going to use it and Fagen Fighters was the choice. I was not sure it was, or could be made airworthy, but off it went!

My friend, Bill Foraker sent me photos of each blade today and lo and behold, Serial No. 58776, is on the Big Tailed Beast!!

I am pleased as punch that the blade I found 50 years ago, is once again pulling a fabulous aircraft behind it!
Cheers to the entire crew at Fagen Fighters for saving another rare beast!

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

One of best warbird stories I’ve read. Thx

That's awesome, Jerry! Thank you for sharing that story.

Here's a great little video of the Helldiver's departure from Oshkosh early Saturday morning. Such a gorgeous restoration, and the R-2600 sounds fantastic.

I thought those two aircraft were very interesting and got several pics of both. Kudos to WAAAM for bringing them all the way to Wisconsin. I've always been interested in visiting them, but even more so now.

Even though they were clearly marked with signs, I think a lot of people walked by both the YPT-15 and Model 70 several times without ever realizing they were not PT-17s.

August

I was talking with a museum board member the other day, the Oshkosh trip was meant to increase visibility of the museum.

As I mentioned above, WAAAM is well worth seeing, a real "must see" if you appreciate 20-30s civil types and the warbird variants they spawned.
A bonus us many of the aircraft fly.

And even if they're not warbirds, you have to admire an airworthy Ford tri-motor and the oldest flying Boeing, the only airworthy 40.

And you are certainly correct, even at Oshkosh, I'd wager 95% of the people passed by the two aircraft thinking..."Another Stearman ".

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

The fifth one would be… the Greek one?

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Defending Stearmans on WIX since Jeff started badmouthing them back in 2005.