Mar 24 2013
Col. Robert J. “Shorty” Rankin, a World War II fighter ace of the 56th Fighter Group, passed away on March 14, 2013 in his winter home in Florida, aged 94. He was credited with 10 confirmed, 1 probable victories and 2 damaged e/a, and was the first P-47 Thunderbolt to achieve “ace-in-a-day” status by destroying …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/03/24/col-robert-j-shorty-rankin-%e2%80%a0/
Mar 05 2013
Thomas Griffin, who was the navigator on the ninth aircraft of the 18 April 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo , died on February 26 aged 96. With the passing of Thomas Griffin, there are now only four surviving members of this legendary mission. Its success was mostly psychologival, as America needed some positive news in …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/03/05/thomas-griffin-%e2%80%a0/
Feb 20 2013
Kenneth Allen Jernstedt, who flew with the legendary Flying Tigers, died on February 5 aged 95. Born in 1917, Jernstedt flew with the US Marine Corps before joining the American Volunteer Group in 1941 to fight the Japanese in China. By the time he left the AVG in 1942, he was credited with three confirmed …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/20/ken-jernstedt-%e2%80%a0/
Feb 18 2013
Pierre Lorillon, a fighter ace from the French Normandie-Niémen group that fought on the Russian front in World War Two, died on February 17th in Bastia (Corsica). With his death, there are now only two surviving pilots of the legendary French fighter unit: Gaël Taburet and Jean Sauvage. Pierre Lorillon was born on May 13, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/18/pierre-lorillon-%e2%80%a0/
Feb 17 2013
The Hawker Hurricane Mk IIa P3351 has been dismantled and shipped to France where it will be received by its new owner, whose identity has not been revealed. This aircraft was part of Sir Tim Wallis’ Alpine Fighter Collection in New-Zealand. Hurricane Mk IIa DR393 (registered ZK-TPK) was originally a Mk I P3351. It was …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/17/hurricane-p3351-bought-by-a-frenchman/
Feb 16 2013
The North American P-64 of the EAA AirVenture Museum was started by Paul Poberezny on February 8, this being the first time after 25 years of static display. Source: EAA
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/16/eaa-p-64-engines-runs-for-the-first-time-in-decades/
Feb 14 2013
With the ongoing debate concerning the presence of crated Spitfires deep in Burma’s soil, one of our visitors, Peter, shared a link to an article from the Myanmar Times by Derek Tonkin: Myanmar’s phantom Spitfires: how a legend was born. This article provides some useful insight on how the Burmese Spitfires legend began, and whether …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/14/myanmars-phantom-spitfires-how-a-legend-was-born/
Feb 08 2013
Squadron Leader Tom Bennett, who has died aged 93, flew as a navigator in one of the specialist crews on No 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. After the war, he remained with the RAF until 1955 and then worked at the Port of London authority. He stayed close to 617 Squadron and is the author of an …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/08/squadron-leader-tom-bennett-%e2%80%a0/
Feb 07 2013
The Miami-based Fantasy of Flight Museum recently completed the restoration of its Stinson O-49 Vigilant, damaged in 1992 by hurricane Andrew. Only four other aircraft of this type are preserved nowadays, and only one is flying. The Stinson O-49 was designed after a request from the US Army Air Corps, who was impressed by the …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/02/07/fantasy-of-flight-museum-stinson-o-49-restored/
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/26/video-fhc-f6f-hellcat-first-engine-runs/
Jan 21 2013
The Planes of Fame Museum’s Yokosuka D4Y “Judy” went through its first post-restoration engine run on December 1st in Chino, with Steve Hinton in the cockpit. The aircraft is equiped with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830, replacing the original Japanese engine. There are presently only two preserved Judys, the other one being located in Japan. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/21/video-planes-of-fame-d4y-judys-first-engine-test/
Jan 18 2013
The latest news about the great Spitfire search in Burma seems quite pessimistic. David Cundall, followed by thousands of aviation enthusiasts, was hoping to locate dozens of Spitfire buried in crates in Burma at the end of the Second World War. The research team began diggin recently but has only dug up metal sheets that …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/18/burmese-spitfires-are-they-really-there/
Jan 10 2013
On the 6th and 7th of February, an auction sale organized by Bonhams in Paris will feature the DH.60 Gipsy Moth G-AAMY, which was used during the shooting of the Oscar-winning movie « Out of Africa », starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. This aircraft, built in 1929, is still airworthy and is regularly seen on airshows, …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/10/out-of-africa-gipsy-moth-to-be-sold-by-bonhams-in-paris/
Jan 10 2013
The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Spitfire PR.XIX (PS853) was damaged on Monday when its landing gear failed upon landing at East Midlands airport. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway, which was closed for a few hours. The pilot was unharmed, and the extent of damage suffered by the aircraft is unknown. Available photos …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/10/spitfire-mk-xix-crash-lands-in-east-midlands/
Jan 04 2013
Having arrived in Texas last October, Tempest Mk II MW404 should be restored to airworthiness over the next 5 years. The restoration could take longer as the exact state of preservation of the aircraft needs to be assesed. It will be powered by a Curtiss-Wright R-3350 engine, in remplacement of the original Bristol Centaurus. MW404 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2013/01/04/tempest-mk-ii-to-be-restored-to-airworthiness-in-texas/
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