Warbird Information Exchange

Something strange seems to be going on.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

And what of the Swoose. When will restoration begin on this plane?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Well, the fact sheet says the USAAF only used six...not exactly a major type.
IIRC, didn't they also have a Lysander at one time? I'm other words, they have done it before.

Don't get me wrong I like the type. But with a fairly rare, type, I would not mind it going to a private owner or collection where it could be better appreciated and not hung from the ceiling and lost among all the other star attractions of a larger museum like the NMUSAF.

They indicate it was flown to the Museum in 1989, so I'd guess it's potentially airworthy.

If it is not airworthy, perhaps some of its parts could be used to help repair the one damaged at Abbotsford last year, and then the rest of the airframe could be restored to static display condition.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

The Lysander was on loan from NASM, and is now at Udvar Hazy.

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Kevin McCartney

The USAFM and the other big museums have a lot on their respective plates, not only restoring aircraft like the Swoose, but in maintaining and re-restoring the current display inventory. Without a major increase in funding, they probably cannot afford to keep the obscure examples in display condition. At that point, do you put them in a warehouse to rot, or do you allow them to move into private hands?

Me? I'm all for getting these airplanes into private hands if the they aren't a priority for the USAFM.

Where/Who did the A-25 go ? OOPS ! Never mind, Found the thread ! Bummer !

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WWI & WWII Warbird Fan.

This airframe wasn't even one of the airframes that the USAAF actually flew. Doesn't seem too controversial for them to want to trade it away for something more significant.

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The six aircraft that were flown, was the De Havilland DH-84 Dragon and not the DH-89 Dragon Rapide , same manufacturer but different aircraft. See ADF Serials, Series Two, they have pictures of these aircraft next to each other. I could of course be wrong as the Dragon Rapide was called Dominie in military service and U.S.A.A.F. used other nations aircraft when supply of a particular type was not available at that time, reverse lend lease or local initiative depending in what country they operated in. Just a reason of why they do not need this aircraft now

Maybe it will return to the air in the near future. It probably has better engines and newer rebuilds than any of the DH 82A Tiger Moths I’ve looked at the last year or two.

If you're in the market, I know of one <Tiger Moth> in Calhoun, GA that is/was pretty nice when I flew it ~5 years ago. The owner has lost interest and is ready to sell.

I’ve talked to, emailed or went to look at every DH82A for sale in North America plus the one in Hawaii. I had wanted to buy two airplanes. The first one, a LAKE LA-4-200 was easy. The airplane had logbooks slightly better than he told me. The interior wasn’t mentioned as it was hard and stiff. We worked on it and now the leather is supple and looks new. The engine and prop were not only overhauled within the last 100 hours, but also in the 21st century. Electrical and other systems adequately updated for flying in this highly regulated 21st century. I brought my checkbook and wrote a check. It was easy.
I’ve spent a lot of time the last 18 months looking at tiger moths for myself and L-5’s , Fleets, C-170B’s, etc. for friends. Amazing how many planes are listed as “perfect condition, new this and that, ready to fly away” . In fact, they are out of annual, missing parts, need an engine or prop overhaul, or can’t be flown for whatever reason.
Lying to get someone to come look at your airplane is not the same as collecting a check and moving it on.

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re the DH-89. As one Secretary of the Air Force said about the SR-71, "It doesn't carry gun, it doesn't drop a bomb, I don't want it."