Vought OS2U Kingfisher survivors

[bilwor]

How many Vought OS2U "Kingfishers" are still aroung? Are any flyable?
bill word

[Elroy13]

As far as I know,...there arent any flyable Kingfishers. I think there is one at the Garber facility and one at Pensacola and another one down in a museum in Chile...

(edit)...And one on the USS North Carolina

[Jeff Funk]

The Garber bird is probably at Udvar Hazy now. I took pictures of one there a few months after the Museum opened up.

[Richard W.]

Udvar-Hazy Kingfisher-

Not a great shot, I'm afraid. I didn't do so well with the lighting there.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Aren't there ones on the Battleships Alabama BB60 and North Carolina BB55?

[k5083]

Yes, although the one on Alabama is no longer on board the ship.



I think the print editions of Coggan's Warbird Index/Directory have the definitive answer to this question.

Richard, dude -- Photoshop can take care of those lighting issues!



August

[gregv]

aren't there at least a few being restored in Australia?

I seem to recall some pics floating around a while back.

cheers

greg v.

[mustangdriver]

I know of one in the restoration shop of Yesterday's Air Force out in Chino, along with a Helldiver. They used to sit sid by side.

[mustangdriver]

There is also one in Bob Pond's collection of aircraft. It is on loan from the Air and Space Museum as well as an SBD. Both are fully restored. So the Air and Space Museum actually as two, one in their museum, and one in Plam Springs.

[Richard W.]

...Richard, dude -- Photoshop can take care of those lighting issues!



August

That looks much better. Thanks

[dors]

I remember seeing a picture of one in a museum in Cuba. I believe it was an article in air classics (early 90's?)

[tom d. friedman]

great post!!! my favorite waterbird!! the most famous os2u is nicknamed the "bug". it rescued ww 1 ace eddie rickenbacker who was on a fact finding mission with a b-17 crew that ditched in the pacific early in ww 2, they were floating near 3 weeks in a raft in the ultimate survival situation. when the kingfisher crew found them, they taxied the bird with the survivors on the wings in rough seas to a navy ship some distance away. after the rescue, the kingfisher was so beat up by then that the navy ship shot her up till it sunk. rickenbacker received accolades for his heroics, but harsh commentary about his crappy attitude toward the b-17 crew.

[Matt Gunsch]

NASM has 1 Kingfisher, the one on display in DC and the one in Palm Springs are the same plane. It was on loan to Palm Springs

[k5083]

So according to WD 3d ed. (last one I have) we've pretty much covered it:

3073 on USS N. Carolina
5909 NASM
5926 Pensacola
???? with USS Alabama

Individual examples displayed in Chile, Australia, Cuba.

And three or four hulks here and there.

August

[Bill Kistler]

A few more shots of the NASM bird,





Bill