Category: Modern Era (1945-Present)

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World’s Oldest Original Flying Jet to Return to the Air, Oshkosh Debut on Schedule

Glostor Meteor T7 “Queenie,” touted as the world’s oldest original flying jet, has reportedly completed all registration, inspection and final certification requirements following its arrival in the US, and is slated to return to the air.

As previously reported, the aircraft (WA591/G-BWMF) was delivered to the RAF in 1949 and served as a training machine at a number of bases before becoming a gate guard at RAF Woodvale. In 1995 Meteor Flight began restoring the aircraft and it returned to the air at Kemble in 2011. In recent years it operated with Classic Air Force at Coventry, which closed down in 2016 following the retirement of its founder. Last year, it was acquired by Detroit, Michigan-based World Heritage Air Museum (WHAM).

The museum has reported that the Meteor’s return to flight is expected to take place on June 18 out of Hampton Roads. Its debut at Oshkosh reportedly remains on schedule, and will appear along with the collection’s Vampire and Venom.

(via World Heritage Air Museum and Ultimate Aviation Photo: By Paul Nelhams via Wikimedia Commons)

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Bell UH-1H/205 Huey Project Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

A Bell UH-1H/205 Huey project described as “great for restoration” has hit the market.

The offering (S/N 71-20220) is said to consist of the airframe only (cabin, skids, pilot seats and tail boom) and lacks an engine, transmission, rotor, data plate and maintenance records.

The helicopter is currently located in Tampa, Florida and is being offered for $10,900. Click here to check out the complete listing on eBay.

Please Note: This post contains an eBay affiliate link. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Watch Newly Restored B-52 “Midnight Express” Arrive at New Home [Video]

On Sunday, the newly restored B-52G Stratofortress “Midnight Express” arrived at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The Welcome Home ceremony saw the machine’s restored fuselage transported from Paine Field in Everett to Raisbeck Aviation High School, traveling down East Marginal Way South.

As previously reported, the bomber (S/N 59-2584) had been parked outdoors at the museum’s Paine Field facility for the past 26 years. A $2.2 million effort was launched to restore the machine for use as the centerpiece of a new Vietnam Air War Memorial Park, which will pay tribute to the aircraft of the Vietnam War and honor the service members who flew and supported them.

The fuselage was the largest and final piece of the restored aircraft to arrive the museum, where it will eventually be reassembled for display in the new park, which is set to open on November 11.

Click below to check out photos and video of the event.

Continue reading Watch Newly Restored B-52 “Midnight Express” Arrive at New Home [Video]

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Cold War Era CT-114 Tutor Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

A CT-114 Tutor jet trainer has hit the market.

The aircraft is described as a complete airframe with “ejection seats, instruments, less engine and motor mounts.” All logs and tech manuals are also said to be included.

The seller states that the aircraft is available as flying example or gate guardian, noting that they can offer service and parts location. Engineering, prints, mount construction, full painting and on-site installation is also said to be available for those interested in gate guard display.

The machine is located in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada, and is being offered for US$35,000. Two examples of the type are said to be available with worldwide shipping. Click here to check out the complete listing on eBay.

Please Note: This post contains an eBay affiliate link. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Museum of Flight to Hold Welcome Ceremony for Newly Restored B-52 “Midnight Express”

The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington has announced a Welcome Ceremony for their newly restored B-52 Stratofortress “Midnight Express.”

As previously reported, the bomber (S/N 59-2584) had been parked outdoors at the museum’s Paine Field facility in Everett for the past 26 years. A $2.2 million effort was launched to restore the machine for use as the centerpiece of a new Vietnam Air War Memorial Park, which will pay tribute to the aircraft of the Vietnam War and honor the service members who flew and supported them.

The fuselage will be the largest and final piece of the restored aircraft to arrive the museum. It is currently scheduled to depart Paine Field in the early hours of the morning on Sunday, June 3, travelling south on I-405 to I-5, then towards the museum on East Marginal Way South. The public is invited to watch its arrival at Raisbeck Aviation High School parking lot, where it will eventually be reassembled for display in the new memorial park, which will reportedly begin construction this fall. Continue reading Museum of Flight to Hold Welcome Ceremony for Newly Restored B-52 “Midnight Express”

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XP-82 Twin Mustang Nears Completion, AirVenture 2018 Debut Planned

The decade-long restoration of the XP-82 Twin Mustang prototype (S/N 44-83887, seen above) is nearing completion, and the team behind the project is hoping that it will be ready in time for a planned debut at AirVenture 2018.

As previously reported, the F-82 long-range escort fighter was designed late in WW2 and became the last propeller-driven fighter produced in quantity for the U.S. Air Force. Tom Reilly of Douglas, Georgia acquired the XP-82 prototype from Walter and Margaret Soplata in 2008 and restoration to airworthy condition began that July at Douglas Municipal Airport. Additional F-82 parts were sourced from Alaska and Colorado and a rare, left-hand turning Allison V-12 was located in Mexico. Additional components, including full second cockpit controls and a second canopy (one that “is completely different from any P-51 type”) were sourced from San Francisco and Tampa, respectively.

Interest in the restoration of this exceedingly rare machine has been high, and Reilly states that “There is no better place than Oshkosh to make the first public flights of this aircraft, which is why it is our intent to complete the restoration and testing so we can be a part of AirVenture 2018.”

The AirVenture fly-in is scheduled to take place at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin from July 23-29.

(via EAA)

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T-28C Trojan “Top Banana” Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Julie Clark’s “Top Banana” T-28C Trojan N128JC (S/N 140549) has hit the market.

The aircraft reportedly received a ground up restoration in 1992 and has had the same owner for 19 years. The airframe is said to have amassed a total time of 9,847 hours, while the Wright Cyclone R-1820-86B has 589 hrs SMOH by by Air Power.

The machine reportedly includes an avionics package as well as a lengthy list of additional equipment, including custom aluminum storage bins in aft fuselage, Oregon Aero custom seat cushions and a Hooker harness in both cockpits.

The aircraft is currently located in Cameron Park, CA and is currently being offered for $249,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(Photo: Bill Larkins via Wikimedia Commons)

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Mississippi F-86L Sabre Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow [Video]

On Tuesday, Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana welcomed a new arrival in the form of an F-86L Sabre.

The aircraft (S/N 53-01061) is said to have been acquired from a base in Crystal Springs, Mississippi by a local doctor many years back. He transported it to a VFW post along I-55 near Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where it has been on outdoor display since 1968. The post closed about a decade ago and the aircraft has since suffered from vandalism and continued exposure to the elements.

The museum reportedly went through a lengthy approval process in order to receive the Sabre and also launched coordination and fundraising efforts to relocate it. The machine will now be restored on museum grounds and displayed “on certified loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.”

The restoration will be performed by volunteers and is expected to take roughly a year and a half.

Click below to check out local news coverage and photos of its arrival.

Continue reading Mississippi F-86L Sabre Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow [Video]

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RAF’s First Folland Gnat T.Mk1 Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

The airframe of Folland Gnat T.Mk1 FL.514/XM709 has hit the market.

The machine is said to be a pre-production aircraft that first flew in 1962 and went on to become the first T.Mk1 to enter service with the RAF. The machine is reportedly equipped with its wing, both seats and most instruments, although it lacks an engine. It is said to be in “decent shape” and ideal for a post guard or ad platform.

The aircraft, which is sold as parts and lacks a title, is currently located in West Palm Beach, Florida and is offered for $14,900. Click here to check out the complete listing on eBay.

A second T.Mk1 airframe described as an ex-Red Arrows machine in similar condition is also availble for $5,900. Click here to learn more.

Please Note: This post contains an eBay affiliate link. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

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Temporary Home Sought For Restored Harrier That Won 1969 Transatlantic Race

A temporary home is being sought for a newly restored Harrier with a historic past.

The aircraft (XV741) won the transatlantic race from London to New York in 1969, an event held by the Daily Mail to commemorate the original 1919 flight by Alcock and Brown. Departing from a coalfield near St. Pancras, RAF test pilot Tom Lecky-Thompson flew the machine to the Empire State Building in 6 hrs 11 mins and 57 seconds.

XV741 was recently restored by Jet Art Aviation, Ltd. in a process that included the removal of 17 layers of paint. The aircraft is reportedly being kept in a hangar just south of York, and while it does have an eventual home, the owner would like the jet to be placed on public display “in a suitable museum environment so the aircraft and restoration work can be enjoyed by the public, especially for the 50th anniversary of the race next year.”

A loan period of up to 3 years would be considered.

Click below to check out recent restoration updates.

Continue reading Temporary Home Sought For Restored Harrier That Won 1969 Transatlantic Race