B-24 “Diamond Lil” slightly damaged in landing mishap

B-24 Liberator "Diamond Lil" (Photo D. Miller (CC BY 2.0))

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil” was slightly damaged in an incident at Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina last Saturday. The aircraft, which is operated by the Commemorative Air Force, was being used for tours and was carrying 16 people.

At the end of one of the tours, the crew decided to abort the landing when they realized the landing gear was not deploying properly. After an extra hour of flying, the gear was manually deployed, and the bomber went in for an emergency landing. During the landing run, the nose wheel collapsed and the aircraft ended its run on its nose. Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/28/b-24-diamond-lil-slightly-damaged-in-landing-mishap/

Video: first flight of Memorial Flight’s Sopwith 1B2 1½ Strutter

Memorial Flight has posted a video of the first flight of its  Sopwith 1B2 1½ Strutter, which flew on April 30. More information is available on Memorial Flight’s website.

Comme promis, l’équipe de Mémorial Flight vient de diffuser une vidéo plus étoffée du premier vol de son Sopwith 1B2 1½ Strutter, qui a eu lieu à la Ferté-Alais le 30 avril dernier. Plus d’infos sur le site de <a href=”http://www.memorial-flight.com” target=”_blank”>Memorial Flight.
</a> <iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/psbzeOmw-wY” frameborder=”0″ width=”640″ height=”360″></iframe>

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/22/video-first-flight-of-memorial-flights-sopwith-1b2-1%c2%bd-strutter/

Reno Air Racing Association receives conditional approval to hold races in 2012

Photo Reno Tahoe (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The Reno Air Racing Association has received a conditional approval to hold its annual races, provided it obtains insurance coverage of at least $100 million.The races should be held from September 12 to 16.

The RARA will also respond to seven security recommendations made last month by the NTSB. An in-house panel of aviation experts was also created to investigate the incident and come up with more recommendations to improve the safety of the event.

These increased safety measures are the result of the tragic accident of September 16, 2011, that cost the life of Jimmy Leeward and eleven spectators, while injuring another 69.

Source: EAA

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/19/reno-air-racing-association-receives-conditional-approval-to-hold-races-in-2012/

Avro Anson Mk I to fly again in New Zealand

An Avro Anson in flight at Duxford (Photo Feggy Art (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

A 1936 Avro Anson Mk I should fly again in the near future in New Zealand, after a 10-year restoration by Bill and Robyn Reid.

Read more about the project on stuff.co.nz (includes a video of engine testing).

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/10/avro-anson-mk-i-to-fly-again-in-new-zealand/

Saved Supermarine Swift to be restored

A Supermarine Swift F. Mk 1 in 1953. (Photo RuthAS (CC BY-SA 3.0))

The Supermarine Swift F.4 WK275, which is the only complete surviving Swift F.4 today, has been saved and will be restored by Jet Art Aviation in Yorkshire.

The aircraft was kept at the entrance of a salvage yard and exposed to weather for nearly 40 years until it ws put up for auction on eBay last November.

Read the full story on Aeroplane Monthly.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/09/saved-supermarine-swift-to-be-restored/

Restored Sopwith 1B2 1½ Strutter flies in France

The Sopwith 1B2 1½ Strutter restored by the French association Memorial Flight made its first flights on Monday, April 30, according to the association’s blog, where several pictures of the flights can be seen

The two first flights were made with a crew of one then two members and lasted 25 minutes.

The aircraft was painted in the colours of an aircraft of the French Escadrille Sop 66, and wears an unusual but historically accurate paint scheme. It is currently the fourth preserved 1B2 in the world, and the only airworthy one.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/05/02/restored-sopwith-1b2-1%c2%bd-strutter-flies-in-france/

A French association plans to build a 1/4,41 scale Latécoère 631

A Latécoère 631 in Biscarosse in 1945. (Photo Simone Villette-Choquet - Daniel Duteis)

Found on Piloter Mag’s blog:

In 2010, a French Association decided to design and build a replica of the huge Latécoère 631 flying boat. Instead of a 57.43m wingspan, the replica would have a 13 m wingspan, and its wing area would only be 19.93 m² instead of 350 m². This would make the aircraft a 1/4,41-scale replica, allowing it to carry two people and 30 kg of luggage...

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/30/a-french-association-plans-to-build-a-1441-scale-latecoere-631/

Heinkel He 219 recovered in Denmark

The wreck of a Heinkel He 219 Uhu nightfighter was recovered off the Danish coast on Monday, April 23. The aircraft was lying under ten feet of water in the Tannis Bay. The Heinkel He 219 was solely used by the Germans in World War Two and incoporated what was then advanced technology.

Although nearly 300 were built, only one survivor is known, and is preserved at the Smithonian Air & Space Museum in Washington.

Source (in French)

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/25/heinkel-he-219-recovered-in-denmark/

Collings Foundation receives a Skyraider

Photo Adam Minter (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Thanks to a very generous supporter, an A-1E Skyraider has joined the Collings Foundation flyong collection. Read more about this on the Colling’s Foundation Newsletter for April 2012.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/24/collings-foundation-receives-a-skyraider/

RAF Tomahawk found in Egypt

A P-40E-1-CU Tomahawk flown by the RAF has been found in the desert in Egypt, near Al Wadi al Jadid. The aircraft is thought to have force-landed there in 1942 and appears to be in a very good state of conservation based on the available pictures.

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/22/raf-tomahawk-found-in-egypt/

First flight of TFC’s P-47G Thunderbolt in Duxford

The P-47G Thunderbolt restored by The Fighter Collection flew its maiden flight on Saturday April 21st in Duxford.

 Credit: The Fighter Collection

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/22/first-flight-of-tfcs-p-47g-thunderbolt-in-duxford/

Twenty Spitfire discovered buried in Burma to return to the UK

A Spitfire Mk XIV at Duxford (Photo Brian Proctor (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)).

This is such extraordinary news that one wonders if it can actually be true: the Telegraph reports that twenty Spitfire Mk XIV* that were discovered buried in Burma will be returned to the UK. David Cameron himself, having taken an interest in the case, has asked and obtained permission to recover the aircraft from the Burmese government.

The aircraft were buried at the end of World War II with some possibly being added a few months later, as they were no longer needed for operations. To avoid having them fall in the wrong hands, they were buried in their transport crates covered in waxed and greased paper, with all seals tarred. As a result, one can hope they are still in very good shape and could quickly be restored. Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/14/twenty-spitfire-discovered-buried-in-burma-to-return-to-the-uk/

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 to fly again

The last operational Gannet in 1988, serving with No 849 Squadron (Photo USAF).

The Fairy Gannet AEW.3 XL500 (G-KAEW) is to be restored to flying condition by Hunter Flying Ltd atSt Athan in the UK. Read more about the project on AeroplaneMonthly.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/10/fairey-gannet-aew-3-to-fly-again/

Sea Vixen XP924 gear collapses on landing

Sea Vixen XP924 in flight (Photo David Farquhar (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Sea Vixen D.3 XP924 (G-CVIX), the sole airworthy Sea Vixen, was damaged when its nose gear collapsed upon landing at Bournemouth, UK. The airport was closed to traffic for several hours following the incident. Nobody was hurt in the incident. The extent of damage to the aircraft is unknown.

Source

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/07/sea-vixen-xp924-gear-collapses-on-landing/

Howard Pardue killed in the crash of his F8F Bearcat

Howard Pardue's F8F Bearcat (Photo Christopher Ebdon (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0))

Howard Pardue, a valued member of the warbird community was killed in the crash of his Grumman F8F Bearcat on April 4, 2012, shortly after taking off from Breckenridge, Texas. The aircraft reportedly crashed at the end of the runway and burst in flames, leaving no chance of survival to the pilot.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/07/howard-pardue-killed-in-the-crash-of-his-f8f-bearcat/