Warbird Information Exchange

For a series of magazine articles that I'm working on, I'd like to come up with a list of FLYING aircraft that represent the last of their type--the B-29 Fifi being an obvious example. They can be either the ultimate last-of-a-type, like Fifi, or last of a mark, like Wes Stricker's Seafire that is the only Mk XV flying.

Any suggestions? I'd really like to find civil types too, not just WWII warbirds. Last Lockheed Vega. Last GeeBee. Last Boeing 247...

Replicas don't count, and I'll probably ultimately eliminate from the list re-engined examples--Zeros with P&W engines, Yaks with Allisons, etc.

And for anybody concerned about it, the articles I'll be doing will have nothing to do with the dispute over whether or not last-of-a-type aircraft should be flown. I'm only interested in the airplanes, I'll let somebody else argue about whether they should be flown.

Just out of curiosity, is there a minimum number to count as production?

_________________
Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

To name just a couple by your criteria ...

CAF SB2C
FHC 190

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

Addison Pemberton's Boeing 40C

_________________
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.

That's a tough one, but I suppose it devolves from the importance of the aircraft. If there was only one Cessna 150 Aerobat produced and that one survives, it has a certain amount of importance but is certainly infinitely less important than would be one surviving and flying Bell X-1 out of a production run of one (assuming there were such a thing).

As an example, a number of people are bothered by the damage to the CAF Bell P-63 a week or so ago, which I think was a P-63K (?) that was one of only two prototypes produced. I may have my facts and numbers wrong, but the basic point is that it is the last of a tiny number (2?) of an important P-63 variant. So in that case, there's really no minimum number to count.

How about Jerry Yagen's deHavilland Mosquito? I believe it's currently the only one flying, although others are under restoration to eventually fly.

How about FHC's IL-2 Sturmovik? Isn't that currently the only flyer? (OOPS... not original engine, sorry!)

I believe there's only one F-86A flying (in the UK, as I recall).

Isn't there only one B-57 still flying, in Australia? (I mean "combat" type, not the NASA weather ships).

How about GGA's B-26K Counter Invader? Not flying at the moment, but will be in a few months (and it was flown into VFM for restoration, so it was a flyer).

_________________
Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Canadian Warplane Heritage Fleet Fort.

Andy Scott

A few favorites of mine that are the only types still flying today:

Boeing P-26 - "POF"
Seversky AT-12 - "POF"
Hamilton Metalplane - "Pole Pass Airways"
Sikorsky S-39 - "FOF"
Stinson L-1 - "FOF"
Hawker Fury, Hind, and Demon biplanes - only one flying of each, all based in England
Lockheed Hudson - Temora Aviation Museum
Seafire Mk.47 - James Smith
Ilyushin Il-2 - "FHC" (though re-engined)

It's nice to think that within 5 years or so(?), FIFI will no longer be the 'last flying B-29', that "Glacier Girl" won't be the only F-model P-38 flying, and that the CAF's Helldiver won't be 'the only remaining Helldiver flying', etc. We will, or at least could be, also treated to the sights/fact of existence in the 'only flying' A-20, Tony, Kingfisher, Stuka, B-17E, etc.

Easy - NC13347 at the Museum of Flight (last one flyable but hasn't flown lately).

Add to that list P-59, P-61 and F-82. Any guesses to which will fly first? My money would be on the P-59.
Then there's the plane with probably the largest survivors-to-flyers ratio of at least six-dozen-to-zero (Let's see if you can guess that one ).

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Might you consider our PBJ-1J? We will be flying in a few months and as far as we know we are the only one flying or static in existence.

_________________
Check out our new website.
CAF SoCal Wing http://www.cafsocal.com/

If the airframe is orignal why would you negate the plane just because of the engine type?

Because according to the guys criteria he's looking for specific one-of-a kind currently FLYING original types. (of which I get completely) This criteria negates the FHC IL-2 and any Zeros with P&W engines, Yaks with Allisons, along with any that are currently not flying. (soon doesn't count) Which makes one wonder if the CAF B-29 would have to be omitted because of it's engines. His magazine article, his rules. Unless of course he eases up on his criteria, then that would open up the door for a bunch of em ...

Again by his criteria I'm thinking the FHC 190 is as close as you'll get ... for one that I can think of anyway.

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

No, I would say that Fifi is safe. It'd be hard to say that just a different dash number of the original engines is a disqualifier.

As well as their Fairey Firefly (for now I suppose?)

The CAF's P-63F is one of only two built with the taller, different shaped vertical tail. I'm sure it will fly again.

Randy