Dec 15 2014
Today, December 15th, 2014, World Warbird News has reached 1,000 “likes” on Facebook. Thanks for your continued support! It’s often a challenge to keep the blog up to date due to professional and personal constraints, but we’re trying to keep it up! Next stop: 2,000 “likes”! 😉
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/15/1000-facebook-likes/
Dec 15 2014
Charles M. Daniels Collection / San Diego Air & Space Museum
A Travel Air 5000 was restored to static condition by Cowtown Aerocrafters near Justin, Texas, earlier this year and has been moved to a museum in Fort Worth for display. Visit the Cowtown Aerocrafters Facebook page or the Another Time blog for pictures and more information.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/15/travel-air-5000-restored/
Dec 14 2014
Flight Lieutenant Bill Green, who has died aged 97, was twice shot down: first flying a Hurricane during the Battle of Britain; five years later he was taken prisoner after again being shot down whilst flying a Tempest over Germany.
Read his obituary from The Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/14/flight-lieutenant-bill-green-%e2%9c%9d/
Dec 13 2014
(Photo Farwestern (CC BY 3.0))
Statement from the Curator Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum:
Evergreen Vintage Aircraft Inc., whose museum features historic planes including Howard Hughes’s gigantic wooden “Spruce Goose,” has filed for bankruptcy.
The McMinnville, Oregon-based company listed more than $50 million in assets and more than $100 million in liabilities in Chapter 11 papers yesterday in Portland, without giving a reason for the filing.
The museum also displays a large number of historically significant military and civilian aircraft: Continue reading
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/13/evergreen-aviation-museum-files-bankruptcy/
Dec 02 2014
© Collings Foundation
A 1940 Waco UPF-7 has been donated to the Collings Foundation’s flying history collection.
This new aircraft will be available for flight experiences during the Collings Foundation 2015 Open House events in June, July and October.
Source: Collings Foundation Newsletter
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/12/02/upf-7-waco-for-the-collings-foundation/
Nov 24 2014
The Blenheim at Duxford in 2002 (Photo I Wish I was Flying (CC BY-ND 2.0))
After a restoration that took over a decade, Bristol Blenheim L6739 flew a 20 minutes maiden flight at Duxford on November 20 with John Romain and John Gilmore at the controls.
The aircraft was restored in 1987 but crashed a month after its maiden flight. Following this, it was repaired and flew again 5 years later, wearing the colours of a RAF Blenheim Mk IV. After ten years of flight operations, it was severely damaged in a landing accident at Duxford and was thought to be a write-off. Nevertheless, it was patiently rebuilt, this time with a Blenheim Mk I “short nose”.
Get more information and pictures of the first flight from Global Aviation Ressource.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/11/24/bristol-blenheim-l6379-flies-again/
Nov 16 2014
A few months ago, Connie Edwards’ fantastic collection of warbirds was put up for sale on Platinum Fighters. The collection included six Hispano Buchóns (license-built Spanish Me 109G powered by Merlin engines), two Mustangs and a Spitfire Mk XVI.
The Swiss company Boschung Global Ltd will be restoring the Messerchmitts, in collaboration with B63 Switzerland, and will put them up for sale once they are completed.
The aircraft were painted in German Luftwaffe colours for the filming of the blockbuster The Battle of Britain, and have been untouched since. The aircraft were stored in a hangar, and after a quick check and oil change, “White 5” was started easily!
The rare twin-seater version will be operated by the Swiss company 46 Aviation SA.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/11/16/connie-edwards-buchons-to-be-restored-in-switzerland/
Nov 11 2014
A Harrier T.8 (ZD990) bearing FAA colours. (Photo I wish I was Flying (CC BY-ND 2.0))
Art Nalls, owner of the world’s only civilian Harrier jump jet, will soon be importing a twin-seat Harrier T.8 from the UK. This will allow him to offer joy rides and flight training on the Harrier, which is known as a difficult aircraft to master.
The aircraft is ZD993, A T.8 airframe in very good shape bearing the colours of the British Fleet Air Arm’s 899 Squadron. ZD993 flew with the RAF and the FAA during its military career and will likely be participating in airshows in 2015.
Read the full story on Warbirds News
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/11/11/art-nalls-to-import-twin-seat-harrier-from-the-uk/
Oct 29 2014
(Video still from NTNU AUR-LAB via WarbirdsNews.com)
A research team from the Marine Technology Center at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway has discovered the sunken wreck of an RAF Handley Page Halifax under roughly 180m of water on the bottom of a nearby fjord.
The aircraft is very likely Halifax Mk II W7656 of No 35 Squadron, lost on 26 April 1942 while attacking the German battleship Tirpitz. Two crewmen, Sgt.Columbine (navigator) and Sgt. Evans (W/Op & Gunner), perished in the crash.
Read the full story on Warbirds News
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/10/29/handley-page-halifax-discovered-in-norwegian-fjord/
Oct 03 2014
Wing Commander Bob Bray, who has died aged 93, was a bomber pilot with the RAF who lit up targets in the Ruhr and during the lead-up to D-Day. He flew 94 missions over Europe and was twice awarded the DFC.
Read his obituary on The Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/10/03/wing-commander-bob-bray-%e2%80%a0/
Sep 26 2014
The Folland Gnats of the Gnat Display Team during a demonstration. (Photo Paul Lucas (CC BY 2.0))
The former Indian air force Folland Gnat F.1 E296 is now under restoration with the Heritage Aircraft Trust/Gnat Display Team at North Weald. It is a genuine British-built Gnat, not a Hindustan Ajeet, and should become the only single-seat Gnat to fly in the UK.
More information from Aeroplane Monthly.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/09/26/folland-gnat-f-1-to-be-restored/
Sep 22 2014
Jimmy Dodds, one of the Royal Air Force’s most successful fighter pilots, has passed away aged 92. Flying outclassed Hurricane fighters in North Africa in 1941 and 1942, he shot down many Italian and German fighters.
Read his obituary on The Telegraph.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/09/22/jimmy-dodds-%e2%80%a0/
Aug 23 2014
The commandant Jean Sauvage, who fought with the famous Normandie-Niémen fighter group on the Eastern Front, recently passed away aged 97.
Flying Morane-Saulnier MS. 406 fighters with GC III/3 during the Battle of France, he was credited with three shared aerial victories. He was sent to North Africa after the armistice and joined the Allied forces after the North Afircan landings in late 1942. He was credited with another shared victory during this period.
He volunteered for the “Normandie” fighter group, which he rejoined in January 1944. On October 27, 1944, he was credited with his only Easter Front victory when he shot down a Focke-Wulf Fw 190, making him an ace. (French standards for ‘acedom’ included shared victories).
He left the air force shortly after the war and became a captain with Air France.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/23/jean-sauvage-normandie-niemen-fighter-pilot-and-ace-%e2%80%a0/
Aug 10 2014
Wing Commander Bob Foster, who has died aged 94, was a Battle of Britain fighter pilot who went on to become an ace flying Spitfires in defence of Australia.
In 2004, Bob Foster was reunited with Hawker Hurricane R4118, which he flew during the Battle of Britain.
After the war Foster worked for Shell-Mex and BP as a marketing executive until his retirement in 1975. He published his autobiography, “Tally Ho!”, in 2009.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/10/wing-commander-bob-foster-%e2%80%a0/
Aug 06 2014
The Hawker Sea Fury T.20 VX281 operated by the Royal Navy Historical Flight was damaged in an emergency landing during an airshow at RNAS Culdrose on Friday July 31st. The pilot was able to land the aircraft but the main landing gear failed and the aircraft exited the runway and ended its landing run on its belly.
The causes of the accident are not yet known and an investigation has been launched.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2014/08/06/rnhf-sea-fury-damaged-in-emergency-accident/
“The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum has filed for bankruptcy. It has not. Evergreen Vintage Aircraft Inc., a for-profit corporation has filed for bankruptcy, not the non-profit museum, which is a separate entity. Evergreen Vintage owns 25 of the 133 aircraft on display in the museum, and loans them to the museum for public display. The rest of the 108 aircraft on display, including the Hughes H-4 Flying Boat (aka the “Spruce Goose”) belong to the museum, or are on loan from governmental museums such as the National Museum of the USAF, the National Museum of Naval Aviation, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum or private individuals.
The museum is not closing, and remains open 7 days a week, 9 am to 5 pm; except for Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. It continues to pursue its mission to “Inspire & Educate, To Preserve Aviation & Space History, and to Honor the Patriotic Service of our Veterans,” with or without the aircraft on loan from Evergreen Vintage.
Sincerely,
Stewart W. Bailey
Curator
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum”