Category: Modern Era (1945-Present)

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Brickmania Releases Limited Edition X-15 LEGO Model Kit

The latest release from Brickmania is this 1/35 model kit of the famous X-15, an experimental hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft developed in the 1950s which flew to the edge of space and reached a speed of Mach 6.72, the fastest speed ever recorded in a manned, powered aircraft.

The new, limited edition kit reportedly consists of 467 genuine new-condition LEGO & BrickArms elements and includes deployable airbrakes, retractable landing gear, opening canopy, towing equipment, printed elements and a high-quality sticker sheet.

Click below to check out additional images.

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World’s Only Privately Owned F-4 Phantom Capable of Flight 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 1959 McDonnell F4H-1F Phantom II touted as the world’s only privately owned F-4 capable of flight has hit the market.

The machine S/N 150310 (N815WF) was delivered to the Navy in 1959 as the 11th pre-production example of the type. In 1961 it demonstrated its capabilities by carrying 22 Mk83 500lb bombs which were dropped at a range at Fort Bragg, North Carolina – a feat that is said to have been the deciding factor in the USAF’s decision to order the aircraft. In 1961 it became one of three F-4’s to commemorate the 50th anniversary of U.S. Naval Aviation. It was retired in 1964 after 461 hrs of service.

150310 has been under restoration for the past decade by Aircraft Restoration Services, LLC located at the French Valley Airport in California and the process is said to be 80-85% complete. The airframe has reportedly undergone a complete IRAN per U.S. Navy standards and has also been completely rewired. Additional work has included overhauling components to 0 time condition, rebuilding the fuel system with new fuel cells, rebuilding all hydraulics with stainless steel lines, installing new wheels and brakes and overhauling all three hydraulic systems as well as two pneumatic systems.

The4 Phantom is being offered “as is” and “where is” for $3,950,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(Photo: Wingtipvortex via Wikimedia Commons)

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HpH Announces Development of B-52H Stratofortress Model Kit in Massive 1/48 Scale

Following the release of their massive 1/48 B-36 Peacemaker, HpH Models has announced a new addition to their “extreme” model line in the form of a B-52H Stratofortress.

The kit will reportedly include fiberglass main assemblies, vacuum cast resin details and clear parts made of transparent resin. Also said to be included are photo-etched and metal parts, a wet transfer decal sheet and painting masks.

The kit (HPH 48052L) will contain a complete interior, undercarriage, open bomb bay and bomb racks with a basic armament fit. Extra accessories will also be released as separate sets that include a complete maximum payload of “steel bombs” (including their appropriate racks), ALCM cruise missiles (including the internal rotary launcher and external racks) and a huge landing flaps kit (it is necessary to order this kit simultaneously with the B-52 kit in order to prepare the basic wing parts for the flaps installation).

The kit is currently priced at 775 Euro (or about US$962) incl. VAT and is available for pre-order with an expected release in March 2019. A 40% cash advance (310 Euro) is required to get on the list of BUFF buyers, as this allows reportedly allows work on the kit to be accelerated.

Click below to check out additional images.

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F-4 Phantom Arrives At New Home Following Community Effort

Following a community effort begun by two USAF veterans, F-4E-48-MC Phantom II 71-0247 has arrived at its new home in Grove, Oklahoma.

The aircraft performed its maiden flight in 1972 and went on to serve with the 4th, 52nd and 37th Tactical Fighter Wings, operating in North Carolina, Germany and California, respectively. The machine was retired from service in 1990 and was parked for a time in Arizona before being transferred to Holloman AFB in New Mexico, where it saw use as a ground trainer.

By 2017, the Phantom was awaiting donation through the GSAXcess SASP system, which prompted “Friends of the F-4 Phantom” and the Grove, Oklahoma city council to request the aircraft for use as a memorial for current and past members of the military.

The request was granted in April 2016 and last month Worldwide Aircraft Recovery began the process of relocating the Phantom to its new home. The move was completed on Wednesday, and the aircraft is now positioned on property donated by Ferra Aviation and located adjacent from its facility at Grove Municipal Airport.

Click below to check out photos of the relocation and display at the new site.

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World’s Only Hispano HA-1112-M4L 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.

After performing its first post restoration flight at Sywell Aerodrome in November, Hispano HA-1112-M4L S/N 40/2 (G-AWHC) has hit the market.

As previously reported, the aircraft is the only remaining example of the two-seat, dual control aircraft built by Hispano Aviación. Constructed in 1954, it served with the Spanish Air Force until the type was retired in 1965. Soon thereafter it became one of 27 Buchóns gathered by Hamish Mahaddie for use in the 1967 film The Battle Of Britain.

The production included input from WW2 aces Robert Stanford Tuck (RAF) and Adolf Galland (Luftwaffe) who reportedly went flying together in G-AWHC in order to “compare notes.” After filming was complete, the machine became part of Connie Edwards’ collection in Texas before being acquired by Air Leasing, Ltd. and relocated to the UK for restoration to airworthy condition.

The Merlin-powered machine is said to be “very attractive from an investment point of view” with “enormous potential as a revenue earner providing passenger flights to history and movie buffs alike (subject to authority approval).”

The HA-1112-M4L is currently available for $5,999,999. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(Top Photo via Sywell Aerodrome)

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Hawker Sea Fury WG655 Returns to the Air Following Re-Engineering

Earlier today, the Fighter Collection’s Hawker Sea Fury T-20 WG655/G-CHFP returned to the air for a series of three test flights following a period of re-engineering.

This particular machine was built by Hawker in 1951 and delivered to 781 Squadron. In 1957 it was converted to a target towing configuration and sold to the German Ministry of Defence. It was withdrawn from service in 1976 and ferried to Royal Navy Historic Flight in Yeovilton before being refinished at Royal Navy Air Yard Fleetlands. In 1990, WG655 suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff, resulting in a wheels-up forced landing and collision with a tree. In 1993, the remains were acquired by Chuck Greenhill of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Restoration was begun by Tim McCarter and his crew and finished by Sanders Aeronautics in California. The aircraft returned to the air in 2005 and was sold to the Fighter Collection at Duxford in 2008.

The recent effort included the installation of a P&W R2800 engine in place of the conventional Bristol powerplant. Future plans, including possible participation at the Flying Legends event this summer, have not yet been announced.

Click below to check out photos of today’s flights.

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Cold War KC-97G Stratofreighter to be Reborn as Restaurant/Lounge

The International Exposition (IX) Center in Cleveland, Ohio is working to add a unique eatery/lounge to the south side of the convention and exhibition hall that will be housed in a Boeing KC-97G Stratofreighter.

The IX Center’s aircraft operated as a tanker with the Ohio Air National Guard from 1963-1968 before being sent to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, where it remained for nearly four decades. It was acquired last year and work is now underway to convert it into a 50-seat restaurant and lounge by 2020.

The machine was dismantled and transported to Cleveland via flatbed truck, where it was reassembled over a 3.5 week period and positioned behind the Center. Although the refueling tanks were removed, almost all of the machine’s original equipment is said to be intact. Deterioration was also found to be minimal due to the dry desert conditions in which it was stored. Continue reading Cold War KC-97G Stratofreighter to be Reborn as Restaurant/Lounge

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Lockheed T-33A N533CB 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.

Lockheed T-33A 51-17463/N533CB is available for sale.

The airframe has reportedly amassed a total time of 4,906 hrs since new, while the Allison J-33A engine has 340 Hrs SMOH by Aero Turbine and 0 hrs since IRAN by Aero Turbine (the engine is currently ready for reinstallation).

The machine last flew in 2011 and is equipped with a nose compartment baggage modification, three battery self-start system and avionics package. The logbooks are missing, although the seller can reportedly recreate to enable a return to service.

The T-33 is currently based in Tennessee and is being offered for $49,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

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F-86F Sabre N86F4 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.

F-86F Sabre N86FR S/N 52-4959 has hit the market.

The aircraft was originally manufactured in 1952 and delivered to FA Argentina as C-109 in 1960. It was recovered and assembled in Coleman, Texas in 1989 and received its airworthiness certification a year later. The machine is currently flown as FU-201/S/N 31201.

The airframe has reportedly amassed 4417.4 total hrs, while the GE J-47-GE-2 engine has 402 hrs since major overhaul. The aircraft is equipped with two 120 gallon wing aux tanks, a smoke system, strobe lights, ELT, as well as an avionics package.

The F-86 is currently located at the Valiant Air Command Museum in Titusville, Florida and is being offered for $475,000. Click here to check out the full listing.

(Top Photo: Valder137 via Wikimedia Commons Additional Information via Warbird Registry)

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Airworthy Jet Provost Mk.4 / T.5A Trainers 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.

North Weald Heritage Aviation is offering Jet Provost Mk. 4 (G-BXLO / PAC/W 19986) and Jet Provost T.5A (G-JPTV / EEP/JP/1002) cold war-era trainers for sale.

The Mk.4 (pictured above) is described as “an increasingly rare marque of Jet Provost” and “one of the most well maintained, and visually striking jets on the UK circuit.”

The ex-military Mk T.5A is also operating on the UK circuit and is touted as one of the best examples of the type in the country in terms of looks and condition. It has reportedly been maintained to a “truly high standard” and wears a livery intended as a “respectful nod” to the Jet Provost aerobatic and display team known as “The Poachers.”

Both machines are powered by Bristol Siddeley Viper turbojet engines and are said to have benefited from indoor parking for at least the last decade. Click below for additional details.

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