Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1920
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
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One subject I have repeatedly found confusing is separating information about the wartime - either factory built or field modification - two seat fighter conversions from the modern reproductions. Frequently, no distinction is made between, say Warbird Adventures' postwar TP-40N and Fantasy of Flight's wartime TP-40N. To solve that, similar to the Warbirds Exported from Russia thread, I decided to make a list of as many examples as I was aware of: Factory Built or Field Modification- A6M
- A6M2, 31870, field modification[1]
- Bf 109
- Bf 109 G-12, Unknown (Multiple Examples)[2]
- Fw 190
- Fw 190 F-8/U1, 584219, field modification[3]
- Fw 190 S-5, Unknown (Multiple Examples)[4]
- Fw 190 S-8, Unknown (Multiple Examples)[4]
- HA-1112
- HA-1112 M4L, C.4K-112[5]
- HA-1112 M4L, C.4K-169[6][2]
- Hurricane
- Hurricane, 2-31, factory built[7]
- Hurricane, Unknown, factory built[8]
- P-38
- P-38J, 42-67762, test modification[9]
- P-38L, 44-25237, factory built[10]
- P-39
- TP-39Q, 42-19597[11]
- TP-39Q, 42-20024[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3879[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3885[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3886[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3887[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3889[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3895[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3897[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3905[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3906[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3908[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3917[12]
- TP-39Q, 44-3918[12]
- P-40
- TP-40K, 42-10181, field modification[13]
- TP-40N, 42-105927, factory built[14]
- TP-40M, 43-5487[15]
- TP-40N, 44-47923, factory built[16]
- P-47
- P-47D, 42-8634, field modification[13]
- P-47D, 42-75276, field modification[17]
- TP-47G, 42-25266, factory built[18]
- TP-47G, 42-25267, factory built[18]
- P-51
- P-51B, 42-106703, field modification[19]
- P-51B, 42-106894, field modification[20]
- P-51B, 43-6593, field modification[21]
- P-51B, 43-6688, field modification[15]
- P-51B, 43-6787, field modification[22]
- P-51B, 43-6865, field modification[23]
- P-51B, 43-6877, field modification[24]
- P-51B, 43-6928, field modification[25]
- P-51B, 43-12193, field modification[26]
- P-51B, 43-12478, field modification[27]
- P-51D, 44-13885, field modification[19]
- P-51D, 44-72210, field modification[28]
- TP-51D, 44-63472, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84610, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84611, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11443, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11444, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11445, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11446, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11447, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11448, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11449, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 45-11450, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84654, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84655, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84656, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84657, factory built[29]
- TP-51D, 44-84658, factory built[29]
- P-59
- YP-59, 42-108777, test modification[30]
- P-63
- P-63A, 42-69304, field modification[9]
- P-63A, 42-70503, field modification[9]
- P-63C, 43-11334, field modification[15]
- P-63E, 43-11728, test modification[30][31]
- P-63E, 43-11734, test modification[32][33]
- Spitfire
- Spitfire V, ES127, factory built[34]
- Spitfire VIII, MT818, factory built[34]
- Spitfire T.9, MJ627, factory built[35]
- Spitfire T.9, ML407, factory built[36]
Modern ReproductionsA few notes: - Further distinctions can be made between:
- Aircraft with dual controls and those with only a single set.
- Aircraft originally built as two seaters and those rebuilt/remanufactured later.
- Of the latter category above, aircraft rebuilt by the original manufacturer and those rebuilt by a different company.
- Aircraft built/rebuilt during wartime and aircraft built/rebuilt postwar by the original manufacturer (e.g. MT818).
- There are a few examples I have elected not to list above as they would make the list excessively long, they are somewhat different in origin, or I have not had sufficient time to research them:
- The P-38M was created by adding a second seat for a radar observer.[45]
- P-38 droop snoot conversions
- A third "test modification" category was used for aircraft that were converted for used in experimental testing, as they did not leave the factory in that configuration, but also did not seem to fit the "field modification" category as they did not serve with operational or training units.
- I have my suspicions that Cavalier's original name, "Trans Florida Aviation", was intended to allow them to claim that "TF" was just an abbreviation. This would be similar to FlugWerk reportedly naming themselves as such to be able to build "FW"-190s. (Source: B. “Putt” Riddle, “Building New Fw-190s,” Warbirds, March 2005, 17.)
- The 1947 conversion from "P" for pursuit to "F" for fighter, is a further source of confusion. The fact that manuals with this designation exist proves that it was official, but further use to refer to civilian examples makes the situation murky.[46]
- Similarly, it is unclear whether some of the World War II American "TP" designations (e.g. TP-39) were official or just assumptions made years later.
- TF-51D, 44-84655 is described as being written off as a "hulk" in 1968. However, I don't want to get into the whole "data plate restoration" debate here.
- The Soviets did some conversions of Spitfires, P-39s and likely others. However, given there is essentially no information on aircraft identities, I've elected to just ignore these.
- Lastly, a short history of the two seat P-51s pulled from FlyPast:
Leslie Hicks wrote: During World War Two there wasn’t a trainer version of the Mustang at all; however, after the war, the Air Force decided to modify a number of the P-51s it had, to use them as trainers. The justification for this move, Lee Lauderback tells me, probably stemmed from the fact that the United States lost more Mustangs in training than it did in combat. The trainers were meant to augment the instruction that the T-6 Texan offered and not replace it. Certainly the airworthiness of the aircraft and the design had stood the test of time and the 1,400 hp Merlin engine would offer new challenges and experiences for the student pilots. The programme was one of those good ideas that ran out of time and into the jet age. Nevertheless, before the project was abandoned, nine or ten P-51s had been converted from ‘D’ model fuselages right off the production line.
Those aircraft were so successful that the Air Force contracted for 15 additional trainers from the LTV Corporation. Of these, about ten were built. The latter group comprise what were called TEMCO conversions and of the total of P-51s converted, only one TEMCO aircraft remains. It is still operational and is owned by John McGuire of El Paso, Texas. (44-84658/N51TF Friendly Ghost))
The Cavalier Aircraft Corporation got into the conversion business too and made a full TF-51 modification for Bolivia and at least two additional aircraft for the Dominican Republic. However, there were also any number of field conversions carried out in Europe during World War Two and after which were anything but standard, most of these were two-seat rather than dual control[.] A few pictures remain[,] but the aircraft no longer exist.
(Source: Leslie Hicks, “Crazy Horse,” FlyPast, November 1997, 79–80.)
I'm sure I missed some or made some mistakes, so please feel free to make suggestions. _________________ Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant Warbird Philosophy Webmaster
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