Warbird Research - Newbie question

[Doc]

A sponsor just bought a warbird for restoration. Aircraft paperwork goes back to 1955, but the data plate shows manufacture in '45. How do we start to trace the service record on this bird? Tried Google but got 53 bazillion returns and don't know where to start. Any ideas?

[Obergrafeter]

What kind of plane. You can find service records for most all aircraft on line by serial number (air force) or bureau number (navy).
You can link to this thru warbird alley, and probably this site I just haven't had the occassion to try it here.

[Doc]

C-47. Been to various C-47 and DC-3 sites and can find a more or less current history of the aircraft, but the first 9 years are a mystery. Does the Air Force have a data base of serial numbers/units of assignment?

[global111]

Doc,

Simple ia it USAF bird then contact Maxwell AFB with the Serial # and they will send you the panes complete history if its a USN bird contact the Naval History Center Airplane divisiion with the Bu# and they will do the same.

RER

Wish the RAF/RN did that over here Too much secrecy about UK warbirds and their history

[Obergrafeter]

OK Just to make this easy don't contact anyone, simply search (usaf serial numbers). Everything from the Wright Bros military plane one on is listed by year of manufacture, assuming it is a C-47 not an R4D
Or you can give us the serial and we can look it up. I have found aircraft on here where they were based etc. on stuff that no one ever heard of.
FYI the final count on planes at Hondo was 745

[Doc]

Thanks for all the advice folks. Turns out the airplane went direct to the RAF in June 1945, then to the RCAF post-war.

FYI, Bill Walker in Canada maintains an excellent research site at

http://www.ody.ca/~bwalker/

He is quick to answer inquiries and is great guy, too. Still have some mysteries to uncover, but now know where to dig.

Obergrafeter, the Plane-Girls were at Hondo on Saturday afternoon. Hope you were one of the guys we met. Great show.

[Paul Krumrei]

Post your informtion here and they will provide the data to you. Depending how much information they have it may take 3-6 weeks.


http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/contactusemail.asp

[Raven]

Thanks for all the advice folks. Turns out the airplane went direct to the RAF in June 1945...

The RAF Museum holds RAF Record cards. Sounds like it was with the RAF only briefly, but if you want to find out about that bit, try: http://www.rafmuseum.co.uk/london/research/enquiries.cfm