Warbird Information Exchange

There was a puff piece posted on the BBC website recently on 'Marvellous Early Flying Machines' which was mostly a slide show of well known images all over again.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/slideshow/201 ... g-machines

However it was posted under "travel", and it got me to thinking - what would be the ten aircraft that would be worth travelling to see? There's a huge number of historic aircraft preserved around the world, and some are of universal interest, while others are going to have, perhaps, a very personal connection.

So to throw it open: List up to TEN surviving, preserved historic aircraft you think are worth travelling to see. To make it more interesting, half of your choices have to to from another country to your own - ie of ten, if you are in the USA, five have to be preserved somewhere other than the US.

Some choices will be obvious, but if they aren't, because there's a personal connection, or if you want to say something about the choices, please do - that makes it much more interesting for the rest of us. I'll probably run a summary and some of the best comments and choices on my blog, so there's a kind of very minor fame on offer - and you've been warned. I'll post the idea elsewhere too, and depending how things pan out we may end up with a poll for the most popular five or so - we'll see.

So anyway - your choices (no more than ten, remember!) would be? And why?

(Now, what would my ten be? Hmmmmm...)

Regards,

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

I like your way of thinking James!
Here's my stab at it:
1: Louis Bleriot's Cross-Channel Monoplane
2: Lancaster "S-for Sugar"
3: Alcock and Brown's Vimy
4: Shuttleworth's DH-88
5: Hughes HK-4 Hercules (I refuse to call it the "Spruce Goose!)
6: Mitsubishi Zero, Planes of Fame
7: Gee BEE QED in Mexico
8: F2G Racer "74"
9: Fokker C-1, Owl's head, Maine
10: Niihau Mitsubishi Zero, Pearl Harbor

Jerry

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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."

Grand! But I'm still not paying your expenses for the trip, sorry. Didn't I put that at the start?

Some good choices there, and at least a couple I agree with (and one rather large 'boat still on my 'to do' list...)

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Could I just take my 1 man domed tent and sleeping bag (no! not that one! I'm divorced!) and just camp @ Monino for a week?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Why, sure you can! Just make sure it's not winter.

But it's not going to help with this quiz. Have another go.

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Interesting game! I think I’d lean more towards the rare ones:

1.) P-61 Black Widow Mid-Atlantic Air Museam
2.) IL-2 Sturmovik Wherever it goes!
3.) SM.79 Sparviero Italian Air Museum
4.) SB2U Vindicator National Naval Air Museum
5.) SB2A Buccaneer National Naval Air Museum
6.) Memphis Belle National Museum of the Air Force
7.) Swoose Goose National Museum of the Air Force
8.) Lady Be Good Wherever!
9.) JU-88 National Museum of the Air Force
10.) JU-87 Stuka Imperial War Museum

There are so many more that I would love to see and experience – I need to start planning my own Grand Tour!

Excellent game James – thanks for getting the old brain cells stirring this morning!

Mike

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"So there I was, knee deep in a river I couldn't pronounce..."

I guess I didn't explain my rational for these picks.
They are simply aircraft I have yet to actually see or see fly, that I have always had an interest in since I was younger. I've seen a lot so far in my life, so they fill in some of the gaps for me.
They won't be on everyone's list, but they are mine!
Jerry

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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."

Hey, that's a good list, Jerry. As is Junkyard's, although I think he's going to have to trade a US B-17 for something overseas, if the fingers on my hands can count right...

So, any other offers?

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

n/m

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Muzeul Militar National "Regele Ferdinand I" in Bucharest For the IAR.80 replica, the 1910 Coanda and the other exhibits.
Muzej na Aviatsyata i VVS in Plovdiv For the Ar196
Museo Nacional de Aerónautica in individual of questionable judgement outside Buenos Aires For the Horton and Pulquis
Museu Aeroespacial in Rio de Janeiro For the Fw 58, Curtiss Fledgling and lots of other stuff
Museo Storico dell' Aeronautica Militare Italiana For the the M.C. racers, the M.C. racers and the M.C. racers

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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.

1. Hughes H-1 - NASM (this whole list could be aircraft in that building)
2. XB-70 - NMUSAF (another list)
3. Hughes HK-4 - Oregon
4. P-61 - China
5. Tu-4 - Moscow
6. Zero - Pearl Harbor
7. Vulcan XH558 (flying) - UK
8. Rear Bear - Reno
9. DC-3 Buffalo Airways - Canada
10. F-14 (flying) Iran

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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Would that be the Mk.I n/m or the Mk.II?

Good answers folks, like those.

Points for getting place name 'M0rón' nanny filtered too.

Zane; I quite agree. In terms of historic original aircraft of global importance, the NASAM is an unarguable No.1. I'd put the Science Museum, London, as an often surprising answer as No.2, particularly back when they had the Wright Flyer.

Keep 'em coming folks!

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James K

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

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Taking James' advice and switching:

Memphis Belle (NMUSAF)

for

D4Y1 Suisei (Yasukuni Jinja Yūshūkan)



Mike

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"So there I was, knee deep in a river I couldn't pronounce..."

Great thread! Here's my list, in no particular order:

1) The unrestored P-38 and 2) P-61 at Stephen F. Udvar Hazy Center- I'm a sucker for unrestored aircraft and these two always stick out when I look at photos from NASM.

2) B-17F "Memphis Belle"- NMUSAF- Probably the most famous surviving US aircraft from WWII.

3) The airworthy Avro Vulcan in the UK- Unless a B-58 flies in the US someday, this is the most spectacular airworthy vintage jet in the world. It would be incredible to see in the air.

4) FHC P-40B- Always been a fan of early P-40s and even though its current paint scheme doesn't reflect the airframe's particular history, it is an historic airframe.

5) Flyable Martin Mars- anywhere- Seems like it would be the equivalent of seeing a skyscraper fly.

6) Brewster Buffalo BW-372 in Finland- Again, I'm a sucker for unrestored aircraft, it's the only survivor, and it's located in the nation in which it made its history.

7) Spitfire MK II P7350- Battle of Britain Memorial Flight- In my opinion, the most historic Spitfire still airworthy.

Messerchmitt Bf110 at RAF Hendon- I'm just amazed that a 110 survives.

9) Halifax at RCAF Trenton- Epic restoration and it's displayed in a great place.

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Matt

I would reconsider a few. I forgot about XH588 and the Mars!
I'd like to see them too...in the air.
Jerry

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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."