Category: WW2 Era (1939-45)

Posted on by

Museum to Display Full-Scale Spitfire Sculpture During RW388 Restoration

The original Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe based at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley, Staffordshire has been dismantled ahead of a major, off-site restoration that will see it returned to its former glory.

The museum closed on January 22nd in order to remove the aircraft (RW388) from the popular Spitfire gallery, where it has been on display since 1985. When the facility reopens on February 10th, the gallery will reportedly contain a temporary replacement in the form of a full-scale Spitfire sculpture crafted by apprentices at KMF Group Ltd.

As previously reported, RW388 was originally built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. in 1945 and served in a training role during WW2. Following the war it was used as a gate guard at RAF Benson and RAF Andover before being officially presented to the city of Stoke-on-Trent by the Royal Air Force in 1972. After arriving at the museum, it was given a place of honor in the Spitfire gallery, which is dedicated to the type’s locally-born designer, Reginald Mitchell.

In 2019, the restored Spitfire is slated to return to the museum for display in a new, £6 million glass-fronted extension that will also include a new cafe and city square.

Click below to check out a time-lapse of RW388 being dismantled as well as photos of the replacement sculpture.

Continue reading Museum to Display Full-Scale Spitfire Sculpture During RW388 Restoration

Posted on by

Group Planning Another Search for Pittsburgh’s Legendary “Ghost Bomber”

The B-25 Recovery Group believes it has narrowed down the possible location of Pittsburgh’s famous “ghost bomber” and are reportedly considering another search.

The aircraft, TB-25N S/N 44-29125 (similar to the type seen above), was on a training flight from Nevada to Harrisburg when it ran out of fuel and ditched in Monongahela River near Homestead, Pennsylvania on January 31, 1956. While four crew members managed to make it to shore, two tragically perished in the freezing waters.

Subsequent searches for the aircraft were fruitless, and its whereabouts have become one of the area’s most enduring mysteries. Since 1995, the B-25 Recovery Group has been conducting research and mapping the riverbed with sonar in search of the missing bomber. Their investigation suggests that the machine came to rest in a submerged gravel pit and was eventually buried by silt. The team is focusing on a 50 x 200′ location off the Glenwood Bridge and may return this October to conduct another search.

After obtaining permits, the group hopes to drill in a grid-like pattern every 7.5′ – a method that they believe will locate the aircraft no matter what condition it may be in.

(via TribLIVE Additional Information via B-25 Recovery Group)

Posted on by

Watch D-Day Lead Aircraft “That’s All, Brother” Perform Its First Post-Restoration Flight [Video]

Today, the C-47 that led the paratroop drop during the D-Day invasion returns to the air for its first post-restoration flight in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The aircraft (S/N 42-92847), which was given the name “That’s All, Brother” in order to send a personal message to Hitler, was discovered by a researcher in 2015 as it was waiting to be converted into a modern BT-67 turboprop. After its historic significance was uncovered, the Texas-based Commemorative Air Force (CAF) stepped in to negotiate for acquisition of this extremely important part of world history.

The restoration has sought to return the historic machine to airworthy condition in its exact D-Day configuration. Once flight tests are complete, it will be assigned to the CAF Central Texas Wing in San Marcos, where volunteers will be responsible for its care and maintenance. Work will also be carried out to finish the interior and detail work and restore the machine’s exterior to its 1944 appearance. Over coming years, the CAF plans to offer aircraft tours, attend aviation events and conduct educational programs before flying “That’s All, Brother” back to Normandy to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in 2019.

Click below to check out video of the first flight.

Continue reading Watch D-Day Lead Aircraft “That’s All, Brother” Perform Its First Post-Restoration Flight [Video]

Posted on by

Stranded PBY Catalina Nearly Ready for Return to Flight

Following an emergency landing and three-month grounding, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society’s (HARS) PBY-6A Catalina (A24-362/VH-PBZ) is nearly ready to return to the air.

The machine was en route to the Rathmines Catalina Festival back in October when it developed engine trouble and landed at Maitland Airport in New South Wales, where it has remained ever since. Major progress toward a return to flight was made earlier this week when a rebuilt Pratt & Whitney R1830 engine was delivered to the site from the machine’s home base at Ablion Park.

The engine has since been installed and test runs are planned for Wednesday. If all goes well, a test flight will follow and the team will return on a weekend to fly it home. Continue reading Stranded PBY Catalina Nearly Ready for Return to Flight

Posted on by

Possible B-24 Liberator Wreck Discovered in Himalayas

A team of locals searching for aircraft wrecks in northeastern India may have discovered the remains of a US WW2 aircraft.

India’s NorthEast Today magazine reports that the types and locations of the parts suggest that it is was used in WW2 and went down while attempting to cross over the Himalayan range of Arunachal Pradesh, referred to as the “hump” by US airmen.

A lack of equipment prevented a thorough examination of the site, although it has been marked for future exploration. As for the newly discovered parts, positive identification is still needed, but based on the examination of photos, experts at HistoryNet believe it’s possible that they came from a B-24 Liberator or a C-87 Liberator Express.

A team from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency had previously conducted search and rescue operations in the area, locating the remains of airmen lost in the crash of a B-24J in 1944.

(NorthEast Today via AirForceTimes via Fox News)

Posted on by

EAA Meets Fundraising Goal For Airworthy Restoration of B-25

The EAA’s $400,000 fundraising initiative to restore their B-25H to airworthy condition has been successful.

The aircraft (S/N 43-4432) was originally delivered to the USAAF in 1943 and went on to serve as an administrative aircraft at several bases around the US. Following the war, it passed through the hands of several owners, including Tallmantz Aviation, who used the machine in the 1970 film Catch-22.

The B-25 was donated to the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1972 where it was restored to flying status as “The City of Burlington.” However, it was damaged in a landing accident in the 1980s, which resulted in cosmetic repairs and static display at the museum. Continue reading EAA Meets Fundraising Goal For Airworthy Restoration of B-25

Posted on by

Spitfire RW388 Begins Journey Toward Restoration

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley, Staffordshire temporarily closed its Spitfire gallery on Wednesday as part of an extensive project that will see Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe RW388 “reborn.”

The aircraft, which was built by Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd. in 1945, served in a training role during WW2 and also towed targets for Navy ships. Following the war it was used as a gate guard at RAF Benson and RAF Andover before being officially presented to the city of Stoke-on-Trent by the Royal Air Force in 1972. It was installed at the museum in 1985 and has taken a place of honor in their Spitfire gallery, which is dedicated to the type’s locally-born designer, Reginald Mitchell.

The museum closed the gallery in order to begin the process of disassembling the aircraft so it can be removed from the museum for restoration “to its former glory.” The full museum will be closed beginning on January 22nd so relocation can be carried out, with reopening scheduled for February 10th. Continue reading Spitfire RW388 Begins Journey Toward Restoration

Posted on by

Extremely Rare, Airworthy Lysander 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.

National Steel Car Corp. (Westland) Lysander 3A C-FVZZ, one of only three airworthy examples of the type in the world, has hit the market.

The machine’s fuselage reportedly came from S/N 1206 (RCAF 2365), built by the National Steel Car Corp., while the wings were sourced from another unconfirmed ex-RCAF airframe. It was initially restored to airworthy condition by Harry Whereatt and later restored again by Vintage Wings of Canada before returning to the air in June 2010.

The Lysander’s airframe reportedly has a total time of 990.9 hrs since new. Since its rebuild, the airframe and Mercury XX engine (S/N 57337) have amassed 74.7 hrs. The livery represents National Steel Car Lysander 416, the first built by the company in 1939.

The Lysander is currently being offered for US$950,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(via Platinum Fighter Sales Additional Information via Vintage Wings of Canada Photo: Jean-Guy Pitre via Wikimedia Commons)

Posted on by

B-25 “Old Glory” 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.

B-25 “Old Glory” has hit the market.

The aircraft (S/N 44-28938) was originally delivered in 1944 and served with the 12th Air Force in Italy before returning to the US in 1945. After initially being stored in Texas, the machine was put back into service in 1947, operating in an administrative role at McClellan Field, California.

After a decade at McClellan, the machine was declared surplus and sold. The following years saw it pass through the hands of numerous owners, spending time as a fire bomber before being restored to its military configuration and wearing the names “Dream Lover” and “Spirit of Tulsa” before being renamed “Old Glory” in 1995.

Pricing on the aircraft has not been reported. The full listing and contact details can be found here.

(via Barnstormers.com Photo: BrokenSphere via Wikimedia Commons Additional Information via B-25 History Project and Warbird Registry)

Posted on by

Unanimous Decision Secures New Home for C-53 “Beach City Baby”

Commissioners in Venango County, Pennsylvania have reportedly approved a “memorandum of understanding” with Vintage Wings, Inc. that will see their newly restored C-53 Skytrooper housed at the Franklin Venango Regional Airport.

The unanimous decision paves the way for the Skytrooper to be flown from its current location in Ohio to its new home – an event that is expected to take place this summer.

The aircraft (S/N 41-20095) was constructed by Douglas and was on the factory floor when the Pearl Harbor attack occurred in December 1941. It was delivered to the USAAC in January 1942 and was soon flown to Africa to participate in Operation Torch. The machine also saw service transporting troops and VIPs during the war and completed its service with FEA, Cairo Division.

Following civilian service with Danish Airlines/SAS and a stint as “Buckeye One,” the official state aircraft for the governor of Ohio, the Skytrooper was retired and flown to the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio where it remained until 1990, when it was acquired by Ohio University of Athens and stripped of its engines. Eventually Ken Joseph stepped in and returned it to an airworthy state, obtaining a ferry permit and flying it to Beach City, Ohio in 1992. Continue reading Unanimous Decision Secures New Home for C-53 “Beach City Baby”