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TVAL Debuts New Albatros, Sopwith Pup at Hood Aerodrome

Yesterday, The Vintage Aviator, Ltd. (TVAL) debuted new Albatros D.Va and Sopwith Pup reproductions at Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, New Zealand.

The Albatros (seen above) is painted in the colors of a Jasta 11 machine flown by Ltn. Carl-August von Schoenebeck and bears the unit’s signature red on the nose, struts and undercarriage, while the pilot’s personal color, lilac, is applied to the tail surfaces. The new Le Rhone-powered Sopwith Pup wears the colors of N6185 “ANZAC” of 4(N) Squadron, RNAS, flown by FSLt C.J.Moir.

It is not yet known when the machines will make their public debut, as TVAL is not hosting any public flying weekends for the 2017/18 season.

Click below to check out a photo of the new Pup.

Continue reading TVAL Debuts New Albatros, Sopwith Pup at Hood Aerodrome

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Durafly Releases New Model Touted as “Best Scale RC Bf-109e Ever Made”

Durafly has released a new 1100mm (43.3”) Bf 109E-4 plug and fly RC model that is touted as “without doubt the best scale RC Bf-109e ever made.”

The model reportedly features scale electronic retracting landing gear, scale flaps and a powerful AeroStar 3736-770KV brushless outrunner motor with AeroStar 50A ESC spinning a three-bladed scale propeller. It is said to offer superb handling on the ground and in the air, as well as a wide flight envelope and stable and scale flight performance.

The airframe reportedly boasts high scale fidelity and detail, employing water-based, durable and authentically color matched paint, vinyl material decals with multiple scheme options and extensive use of glass and carbon fibers for low weight/high strength. Additional features include operating pre-installed navigation LED lighting and a fully functional bomb drop system complete with scale bomb.

Click below to check out a product overview.

Continue reading Durafly Releases New Model Touted as “Best Scale RC Bf-109e Ever Made”

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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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WW1 Ace’s Letters Sharing Combat Experience to Hit Auction Block

An archive of letters from WW1 American ace Lt. Edgar Taylor sharing his wartime experiences is set to hit the auction block.

Taylor was born to English parents in Rhode Island in 1897 and enlisted in the RFC in 1917, where he was assigned to 79 Squadron flying Sopwith Dolphin D3727. During the month of August 1918, he claimed four balloons and a Fokker D.VII before being killed in action on August 24.

The earliest letter in the collection is dated April 14, 1918, before he was transferred to France, while the second was written on May 23, detailing “a little adventure” which saw his guns jam while attacking an enemy aircraft, leaving Taylor “very much disappointed.” The collection records Taylor’s experiences and routines at the aerodrome, as well as harrowing details of his combat flights, one of which was revealed in a letter dated June 14, 1918: Continue reading WW1 Ace’s Letters Sharing Combat Experience to Hit Auction Block

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Rare KB-50 Superfortress Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow

The Air Mobility Command (AMC) Museum at Dover AFB in Delaware has reported the arrival of their newly acquired KB-50 Superfortress.

As previously reported, the aircraft (S/N 49-0389) was originally built by Boeing as a B-50D and delivered to the USAAF around 1949. During its service life it was converted to a KB-50 variant carrying auxiliary fuel tanks and a hose pod under the wings. In 1958 it was again modified, this time to a KB-50J refueling tanker which included the addition of two turbojet engines. In 1965 it was flown to Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, where it became part of the USAF Museum collection. It remained at the museum until 1996, when it was loaned to MacDill AFB in in Tampa, Florida.

The machine was relocated by Worldwide Aircraft Recovery of Bellevue, Nebraska with the final parts arriving on January 19th. The AMC aircraft restoration team will reportedly begin working on the aircraft shortly, although a timeframe for completion/display has not yet been announced.

Click below to check out photos of the KB-50’s arrival.

Continue reading Rare KB-50 Superfortress Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow

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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)

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Airfix to Release 1/48 Gloster Meteor FR.9 Model Kit

Airfix has announced plans to release a Gloster Meteor FR.9 model kit in 1/48 scale.

The FR.9 was based on the F.8 fighter variant and served as an armed reconnaissance machine, equipped with an elongated nose housing a Williamson F.24 camera as well as external wing and ventral fuel tanks for increased range.

As seen in the image below, the kit will reportedly offer two livery options, including WL263 of 208 Squadron and WB116/G of 2 squadron.

The Airfix FR.9 is currently slated for release in November.

Continue reading Airfix to Release 1/48 Gloster Meteor FR.9 Model Kit

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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.

Continue reading Airworthy Jet Provost Mk.4 / T.5A Trainers Offered For Sale

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Watch Artesanía Latina’s 1/16 Fokker Dr.1 Kit Come Together Through the Magic of Stop Motion

For his latest stop motion assembly video, modeler Tom Grigat tackles Artesanía Latina’s new 1/16 structure kit of the Fokker Dr.1.

The kit is said to be museum quality, boasting wood and injected metal parts, cockpit details and multimedia instructions with video tutorials and more than 600 photos. The completed model spans 17.72”W x 14.17”L x 7.24”H and includes an optional methacrylate engraved stand for display.

Tom reports that it was “relatively easy to build and well guided,” stating that his new video shows “how appr. 750 pieces of metal and wood could be combined to a beautiful aircraft model.” Click below to check it out.

Continue reading Watch Artesanía Latina’s 1/16 Fokker Dr.1 Kit Come Together Through the Magic of Stop Motion

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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