Worldwide Numbers of Warbirds Flying by Type

[Rajay]

I thought it would be interesting to share here some complete/full lists (at least hoping so) tallying the number of currently active or "ready-to-fly-when-desired" examples of various/particular warbird types and where they are located around the world - the hope is to be as accurate and comprehensive as possible for any given warbird type. My stipulations for these lists are to only include examples which are known to have flown within the past 5 years, and could, at the present time, be taken out and flown. These lists only cover certain types, and does not attempt to cover all - especially those such as the AT-6 and Stearman, of which there are an extremely large number flying today. Feel free to post any corrections you may see fit and/or lists of flying examples of other types.

There are at least 33 flying examples of the Grumman Goose in the world:
Australia: 2 (VH-GWH,VH-MBA)
Canada: 5 (C-FIOL, C-FUAZ, C-FMXW, C-GDDJ, C-GYVG)
United States: 26 (N9KL, N42GL, N70AL, N77AQ, N119AA, N401SJ, N600ZE, N640, N642, N703, N789, N985R, N1019N, N22932, N48550, N68157, N95467, N39FG, N159F, N121SR, N9074U, N69263, N7211, N778, N87U, N6DF)

I didn't see such a caveat anywhere, so I have to take exception to the characterization of "flying" at least in regards to the type for which I have some expertise - and wonder if the same "mistake" has been made or applies to any or all of the other types listed here. "Registered" does not mean "flying" and in several cases I know that the Gooses listed are barely extant and probably not even complete, much less flyable or airworthy.

The word I have is that s/n 1164 VH-MBA has been stored in Australia for many years because of corrosion.

Serial no. B-9, r/n N9KL, last I heard (and saw in a photo shared with me) is still disassembled and waiting to be restored in Missouri.

N119AA and N121SR are one and the same (s/n 1084) but it has been undergoing required work in FL over the past couple of years to return it to airworthy status.

Restoration of N48550 (s/n 1061) was abandoned several years ago after, as I heard it, the wings were rebuilt by Sealand Aviation in BC without the use of a proper jig and apparently ruined in the process. I was directly consulted by representatives of the current owner and they told me that the decision had been made to relegate it to static display in a museum, but I don't know where.

N9074U (s/n B-142) is, like B-9 N9KL, in pieces, maybe not even complete, and not even on the stove, much less the back burner.

And to be picky about it, N70AL, N77AQ, N642, and N640 are technically (i.e. "officially") speaking no longer "Grumman" aircraft at all. They were all at some point rebuilt or converted under the auspices of the McKinnon type certificate (albeit only the first two done "correctly" and actually by McKinnon) such that they are now officially "McKinnon" aircraft. Furthermore, N70AL has been undergoing a major restoration for the past 5 years or so during which time it had its entire wing rebuilt (correctly so in a jig by West Coast Wings in Ukiah, CA) the entire airframe repainted, avionics updated, and the engines only just recently overhauled and re-installed, but it has not yet flown again AFAIK.

AND... in a recent video posted by Wilderness Seaplanes on Facebook, N39FG can be seen parked in Port Hardy, BC with almost all of its empennage removed - rudder, horizontal stabs, and elevators all off and apparently being repaired, re-covered, or whatever. SO, at least for the time being, not "flying."

Finally, given the questionable track record of their operations in Croatia, I would bet that C-FMXW (s/n B-101) may not exactly being flying any more with European Coastal Airlines either. I'd have to check with my contact in BC who helps to maintain it to learn its exact current status.

Last edited by Rajay on Mon May 03, 2021 1:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Rajay]

double post

[JohnTerrell]

Thank you for the input, Rajay. The 'Goose list' is the only one I didn't do myself, and I just assumed when it was provided here that it had been well researched and gone over with a critical eye, as I had done with all of the lists I made. In looking closer at those, I don't think VH-GWH has flown in a while either.

Edit: After looking it through, I've whittled the Goose list down to this:

There are perhaps as many as 19 flying examples of the Grumman Goose (original and modified) in the world:
Canada: 4 (C-FIOL, C-FUAZ, C-GDDJ, C-GYVG)
United States: 15 (N42GL, N77AQ, N401SJ, N600ZE, N640, N642, N703, N789, N985R, N22932, N68157, N95467, N159F, N69263, N7211)

-----Purposely not included: VH-GWH, VH-MBA, C-FMXW, N9KL, N121SR, N48550, N9074U, N70AL, N39FG, N1019N, N778, N87U, N6DF


If anyone has information to contradict this/to add any of those not included back into the list, just let me know. I changed the list title to reflect the few that are quite significantly modified - similar to the DC-3/C-47 list, which includes all of the turbo and otherwise-modified examples as well.

[Mick G]

I think Basler C-FKAL can be removed from the Canadian fliers as it has not been repaired to my knowledge since the 2019 crash into the trees.

[JohnTerrell]

I don't see it on the list (it hasn't been since the 2019 crash).

[Mick G]

Weird, I could have swore I saw it earlier today. Are you pulling my leg? Maybe I got it confused with FKGL

[JohnB]

John

About your Goose list...
Why don't you list N9750Z, as seen in page 19?

It is spending this summer (2021) at Spokane's Felts Field.
I saw if fly recently.
It is parked outside the hangar that houses N95467....it really does exist and fly.

[JohnTerrell]

Thank you, John, It is there now. As I mention in my response to your PM, it simply was not on my radar and wasn't on the original list that I was provided.

[JohnB]

happy to help, just trying to help builder a accurate census.
It's fun seeing two Geese in the area.
There are also a couple of Mallards in the area, so we are well stocked with Grumman waterfowl.

[JohnTerrell]

I've just added Spitfire Mk.IX LZ842 (G-CGZU) to 'the list'. It had its first post-restoration test flight performed yesterday morning, from the historic Biggin Hill Airport in the UK, with Pete Kynsey at the controls.

This early Mk.IX Spitfire had been, intermittently, under restoration at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar since November 2012, when the restored fuselage first arrived. In the years since, it spent some periods of time as only a back-burner project. I am a huge fan of of the North African/Mediterranean Theatre color scheme, so I have been really looking forward to seeing it completed/flying ever since the first photos emerged of the painted fuselage back in 2014. The aircraft has been accurately restored to its early marque design, including early upper engine cowl and small carburetor intake (among other details).

LZ842 served in Malta and Sicily with RAF No 93 Squadron and No 232 Squadron. It later was reassigned to RAF No 327 (free French) Squadron in October 1944. With No 327 Sqdn., LZ842 was damaged in a forced landing at Mourmelon-le-Grand in northeastern France when it hit a bomb crater which put it out of action for the rest of the war. After the end of WWII, it was one of 136 Spitfires supplied to South Africa, with LZ842 arriving by ship at Cape Town on April 28, 1948. Only serving until 1952, the aircraft wound up being sent to a scrapyard, where what remained of the airframe was eventually recovered in 1989. Peter Monk acquired the project in 2003, and later sold it to the aircraft's current owner, Mark Bennett, in 2005. LZ842 has been restored in the markings/color scheme of No 232 Squadron.

Here is video of an engine run performed a couple weeks back: https://www.facebook.com/TheTwoSeatSpit ... 1704315900

[phil65]

Nice....

Phil

[JohnTerrell]

One of the Colombian-based C-47's, HK-2820 (ex-USAAF 43-15705), operated by Aliansa, crashed shortly after taking off from the Vanguardia de Villavicencio Airport on July 8th, on what was a post-maintenance test flight. All three people onboard were killed. The crash site was found near the Guatiquia River, close to the village of Salinas de Cumaral, Restrepo, Meta, Colombia.

Last edited by JohnTerrell on Thu Jul 15, 2021 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JohnTerrell]

I've added a list for the Canberra bombers which remain flying today - the one English Electric Canberra, flying in Australia, and the three modified WB-57F Canberras flying for NASA in the US.

There are 4 Canberra bombers flying in the world:
Australia: 1 (English Electric Canberra TT.18 VH-ZSQ)
United States: 3 (Martin WB-57F Canberras N926NA, N927NA, N928NA)

[CAPFlyer]

I've added a list for the Canberra bombers which remain flying today - the one English Electric Canberra, flying in Australia, and the three modified WB-57F Canberras flying for NASA in the US.

There are 4 Canberra bombers flying in the world:
Australia: 1 (English Electric Canberra TT.18 VH-ZSQ)
United States: 3 (Martin WB-57F Canberras N926NA, N927NA, N928NA)

While I would agree that in name, the R/WB-57Fs are Canberras, I would disagree that they are actually Canberras. They have been so extensively modified as to have little if any similarity to any actual Canberra, including that the wings were designed independently by General Dynamics for the larger engines, higher altitude requirements and longevity (after the RB-57D suffered a wing failure and major fatigue issues due to the "ad hoc" nature of the original long wing).

[JohnTerrell]

That is a very valid point, CAP. My perspective was that if I didn't include them, someone would be jumping in to point out that they aren't listed.