Given the choice and the resources...flyable bird or restore

[Dan Johnson II]

The comments in the DC3 from Tennessee thread got me wondering.


You win the lottery and have the funds to either buy a flyable bird or chase that restoration you've always dreamed of. I'm not talking about fantasy recoveries by the way, but birds you know are out there.

What do you do?

For me it would be saving a bird and getting it back to flight.

Not in any particular order.

Spitfire XVI TB382

The P51D at Volk Field that used to be a MN ANG bird

B17G Preston's Pride

B25B at Aero Traders

[lestweforget]

I would see if Mr. Weeks would part with his Sunderland. I would love to see one fly. Had a thing for the Sunderland since I was was knee high to a grasshopper.

[muddyboots]

I think I would track down an old Brewster Buffalo. It was the first airplane I ever made a model of. And why the hell, if I had teh resour es, would I go for "display?" If I had taht kind of money you could be damned sure I would have a license and all the brick a brac taht goes with it so I could fly the thing myself.

[Taylor Stevenson]

I would restore a TBM, P-47, F4U, or AT-9 to complete original Milspec (preferablt the F4U )... I've already got one accurate restoration under my belt... !

[Obergrafeter]

Come on Taylor go one more for an AT-10. Much rarer but out there.

[Taylor Stevenson]

Actually I'd do an AT-21 before an AT-9 or AT-10!!

[Obergrafeter]

Now thats easy, Craig has got one just across town............don't even have to leave the area code.

[Taylor Stevenson]

yeah I know! how complete is it?

[Obergrafeter]

He's on here sometimes, come on Craig ; how complete? Last time I saw him he was down here chasing an engine. Think that is the easiest thing to find, while rare not many uses for it.

[BigGrey]

The answer is simple. Buy your dream project. But you will need something to tool around in while your project gets done. So buy a Mustang or Corsair or Skyraider or..............

Les

[O.P.]

I heard theres a couple three SBD's out there. I want to fully restore one of those and do practice dive bombing runs, Beer runs, Salt Lick BBQ runs, Vegas runs, Man, the sky is the limit if you had a totally bitchin ride like that...

I think Steve Hinton and crew restored/built wings for one of the MGM wind machines out there that is now flying. I heard there is another MGM machine out east, and I heard that the Tallichet collection has a couple three SBD's, and I heard MarK Clark has one somewhere. My day will come one of these decades, and that is first.

Millionare money, smoke money, I don't give a cr@p, 20 years and a Home Depot job will cover it just before I bite the big one. Maybe I'll get to fly it with the canopy back, and that sh1t eating grin on my face for the big pic.........

[muddyboots]

WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!

*cries*

[K5DH]

I'm a restorer by nature (classic cars and antique radios, plus I do a li'l bit o' work on some ol' B-17 bomber over in Cowtown). Yep, I'd have to seek out a project and "go for it". Any rich guy can just plunk down a bunch of money and buy someone else's handiwork!

My first choice? Well, there's a Martin AM-1 Mauler sitting out in the weeds at this dusty ol' airport in west Texas, being held onto by "The Air Force You've Never Heard Of". . .

My second choice, if those meanies wouldn't part with the Mauler? How about a Grumman AF-2 Guardian? There are a small number of former air attack ships moldering away in the American west.

I do have a thing for non-run-of-the-mill airplanes. . .

Dean the unusual

[mustangdriver]

I'd buy either the B-25B at Aero trader and restore it as Ted Lawson's "Ruptured Duck", or buy Marine's Dream.

[O.P.]

WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!

*cries*

Me? Really?


I got a limp and weird colored pee, but I didn't think it was that bad. It must have been the wheeze, gotta cut down on the Marlboro's.