Warbird Information Exchange

Hello, I am doing research and hoped to find out information about some of the new build warbirds that have been produced over the last decade. I would like to find out how many (approximately) labor hours it took to produce the following amazing projects, and what the current market price (or projected) that they are getting in US dollars.
1. Supermarine Aviation New Yak-3M Fighters
2. Supermarine Aviation New A6M3 Model 22 "Zero" Fighter
3. Texas Airplane Factory/Herb Tischler New F3F-2 "Barrel" Fighter
4. Texas Airplane Factory/ME 262 Project New ME 262 "Stormbird" Fighter
5. Texas Airplane Factory/Gosshawk Aviation New Ki-43 "Oscar" Fighter
6. Blayd Corp./Tri-State Aviation New A6M2 "Zero" Fighter
7. Flug Werk GmbH New Fw190A-8/Ns Fighter
8. Sanders Aircraft New CA-13 "Boomerang" Fighter
9. Golden Age Aeroplane Works New P-26 "Peashooter" Fighter
10. Pacific Fighters/Max Chapman New TP-51B "Mustang" Fighter

Let's put it this way, for easy numbers and simple aircraft, assuming that you already have a fully equiped sheet metal and machine shop, you will be looking at somewhere around 10,000 manhours for the first aircraft with the hours diminishing as the fabricators' skills base improves and the increasing quantity of aircraft produced.

Now you have to determine what you are going to pay your people and how many you will need. You will have to pay above premium rates these days to get fabricators that know what they are doing, do quality work and will stay with the job to completetion.
On top of that add, all the other costs associated with having employees and keeping the shop doors open. Once you can estimate those costs, add a fudge factor of at least 50% through the delivery of the first aircraft and you will have a pretty good idea of the expenses involved.

I'm sure Helldiver can jump in here and add in anything that I've overlooked. It's not an easy task to start a shop doing this type work these days and with the way the GA industry in general is in decline, it's going to be tougher and tougher without already having an enormous bank account. Heck even TAF has had some problems because not everything goes as planned in this business.

This one was made mostly from T-6 parts and some original Boomerang parts. There was a great deal of fabrication, but it was far from scratch built in my opinion. I think it also had some fiberglass parts on it.

I agree with cvairwerks. Aviation is in decline and your going to pay premium for guys that know what their doing. The guy that rebuilt the grumman duck had 4 guys working 7 1/2 years rebuilding it. Imagine if you did it alone it would be 30 years! For one guy it sounds like a prison sentence. Bang 30 years!

If I ever get sent to prison, I hope my job will be in the warbird rebuilding shop of the State Penn.

Some points

1) Which Sanders Boomerang are we talking about - the one he built that is in Aus or the one still in the US - totally different aircraft - even the Aus one has a lot of departures from a true Boomerang (Fuselage cladding, centre section etc) The US one is really nothing like a Boomerang - just looks similar.

2) Most shops aren't really going to tell you the real costs of a rebuild.
3) Sadly some shops DONT'T KNOW the real costs of a rebuild
4) Depends on which country a rebuild is being done in Labour costss in aus or new Zealand are much lower in the UK much higher
Good luck with this it is a real interesting point but a good indication of the truth is that a lot of US collectors/operators are going to Aus/NZ not because we are any better but because we will do scale projects and a lot cheaper because of labour casts and lower exchange rates.

My opinions only

Regards
John p

_________________
Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

Take the hourly shop rate x 3 x hours as a wag.

You know, that wouldn't be so bad! 3 squares and a bed and whole tool room and a warbird and nothing to bother you,

It probably wouldn't be that bad except for:

1) New boyfriend named Bubba

2) They might make you work on pointy-nosed airplanes

_________________
It was a good idea, it just didn't work.