Warbird Information Exchange

Hi all

I think there was a thread about this lying around but I can't find it... someone help me?

- the aircraft still in military service with the longest service life

- the aircraft that had the longuest military career

(meaning type but if you know some particular interesting A/C please shoot away)

many thanks!

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rreis

If you want pictures, see rreis@flickr

The contest for the longest military service career would have to be a toss-up between the C-130 and the B-52. In checking, the B-52 entered service in 1955, while the C-130 was in 1956.

If you're talking about total service career, military and civilian, it's probably the C-47.

Walt

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If God had intended airplane engines to have horizontally-opposed cylinders, Pratt & Whitney would have built them that way.

Total service, with the military.

I lined up this contenders (the one's you mention are interesting also)

- T6 (1935 - 1995 (SAAF)
- C47
- Antonov 2 (1947- ?) (this news boletim reports them still used with the Romenian Air Force? http://www.islandcrisis.net/2010/07/mil ... h-romania/ )

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rreis

If you want pictures, see rreis@flickr

The MC-130E Combat Talon 1's flying with the 711th SOS, 919th SOW at Duke Field are pretty dang old, they have 1 ea 62 model, and 9 ea 64 models. Thay have finally retired their 63 model and 3 ea 64 model aircraft.

Apparently the last B-52 the roll off the assembly line was B-52H 61-040 on 22 June 1962.

The B-52 has been in active service with the USAF since 1955

The C-130 has been in active service with the USAF since 1956.

From Wikipedia: The family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. In 2007, the C-130 became the fifth aircraft—after the English Electric Canberra, B-52 Stratofortress, Tupolev Tu-95, and KC-135 Stratotanker—to mark 50 years of continuous use with its original primary customer, in this case, the United States Air Force. The C-130 is also the only military aircraft to remain in continuous production for 50 years with its original customer, as the updated C-130J Super Hercules.

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Mike in Florida
TSgt USAF Retired
Jan 86 - Sept 08
Aircrew Life Support
"Your Life Is Our Business"
(122X0, 1T1X1, 1P0X1)
NRA Life Member

An Herculean feat, I would say

But I would also say the An-2 still leads... 1947- ...

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rreis

If you want pictures, see rreis@flickr

..If this includes the Basler (and other) conversions, the crown goes to the C-47...

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Bob

sorry, don't know about that, can you explain?

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rreis

If you want pictures, see rreis@flickr

A Basler (turbo prop C-47) conversion was still operating with the USAF special ops a couple of years ago. Still may be?

There was a Turbo C-47 at Hurlbert when we were there about a year and a half ago.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Operational or museum piece?

Very, very operational. It was flying when I saw it. It had modern low vis markings on it. The only museum piece I saw was an AC-47 in the air park.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

If still operational, that would put the C-47 way ahead of the pack with 70 some odd years! Not likely to be beaten (maybe the Buff sometime in the future)

Mustangdriver - Any photos? I'd love to see what a modern paint job looks like on a 47.

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Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions

Here's a link to the USAF AFSOC BT-67 (AKA Basler Turbo C-47) at Hurlburt. While the plane might be old, I must state IMO that the C-47 hasn't flown continuously since birth with the US Military. I might be wrong and welcome the chance to proven wrong. No sarcasm intended there.

http://www2.afsoc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123025005

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Mike in Florida
TSgt USAF Retired
Jan 86 - Sept 08
Aircrew Life Support
"Your Life Is Our Business"
(122X0, 1T1X1, 1P0X1)
NRA Life Member

Mustang, I don't think it's relevant for the initial question... I think the C47 is a winner... which, on the grand scheme of life, seems appropiate...

Only a DC3 to replace a DC3

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rreis

If you want pictures, see rreis@flickr