Warbird Information Exchange

Hi group,
I know I can get the scoop here. Recently in a conversation I was asked what was the most numerous AIRWORTHY piston-engine warbird fighter type after the #'s leading P-51. Would that be the Spitfire? I don't think there are too terribly many Corsairs, Bearcats aren't that common either. Only a handful hellcats flying but P-40's are coming on stong all over.

Just for the record, my personal fave is whatever airworthy example is closest in front of me. (copped out of that one didn't I?)

Canso42

That's a very good question. I would be willing to hazard a guess that it would indeed be the spitfire. I know there are quite a few in the UK, and quite a number in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Maybe I'll check out the warbird registry and try and figure this one out.

Cheers,

David

I bet on the Corsair !

Spitfire

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Don't touch my junk!!

I'd take yer money! No question whatsoever, more than twice the number of airworthy Spitfires (in the region of 40+) than Corsairs.

I wish it was the Corsair! FGs Woot!

Off the top of my head, there are significantly more airworthy P-40s in Australasia and North America than Spitfires flying. (There are currently two Spitfires flying in Aus, none in NZ - assuming the Mk.V has left for the US. There's about six P-40s across the Tasman.) The only area where Spitfires outnumber P-40s would be the UK and Europe, Europe being marginal numbers in both cases, with less than five (?) of each type currently.

So the question really is are there more flying P-40s in America than there are Spitfires in the UK?

I don't think there's any other W.W.II type in serious competition globally, although the US Spitfire population might be outnumbered by some types specifically.

Interestingly, if you took all the NAA aircraft (and derivatives) out of the flying warbird market, you'd probably have the global population of warbirds.

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

If I recall, there are around 20 Sea Furies flying in the U.S. alone. It's obvioiusly not WWII vintage (other than the prototype anyway), but it's still one heck of a "Warbird fighter type."

Gary