Warbird Information Exchange

In addition to the Soaring by the Sea Foundation's newly-acquired AD-4N Skyraider N5716, the Pacific Northwest has another new AD....

Since photos have emerged on the web of it being transported by road from the port, I'm not really breaking a confidence....

The ex-UK-based Skyraider (G-RADR, IIRC), arrived in the U.S. via Seattle in June.

It is currently being prepared for flight, I understand with a fresh 3350.

It's new owner hopes to fly it by the fall.
I don't have a registration yet.

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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.

Thank you, John. I was just recently wondering about the status of that Skyraider, and will look forward to hopefully seeing/reading about its return to flight, in the Pacific Northwest.

This evening, I've finally gotten around to adding to the list the recently-completed Yak-3UPW OO-JBE, which was just test flown for the first time, at Brasschaat, Belgium, a few days ago. This is a completely new-on-the-scene Avioane Craiova- built Yak-3, that has been in the works at FAST Aero in Belgium for a number of years now. The detail and quality of work that FAST put into the restoration/build is phenomenal. It's fitted with a P&W R-1830, and is on the market: https://www.controller.com/listing/for- ... y-aircraft

C-47 Dakota ZA947 of the RAF BBMF flew again on 29th August after a 3 year overhaul at Duxford and has now returned to it's RAF Coningsby base.

Has anyone heard anything about the red Sea Fury in Germany ? I haven't seen anything about it in a long time and last photos I seen it's looking beautiful...

An ownership and location change for the DC-3, N877MG.
Flies in Pan American colors, participated in the 2019 70th anniversary of D-Day transatlantic flight while with John Sessions' Historic Flight Foundation out of Paine Field and later, Felts Field, Spokane.
Now based in Lewiston Idaho with the Hangar 180 group founded by Gary Peters.

Hangar 180 began with primarily civil types of the '30s, but also includes a P-64 replica, P-40N and P-51D.

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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.

Unfortunate DC-3 news is an accident to Florida Air Cargo's N271SE which swung off the runway on take off from West End Airport in The Bahamas on Monday 15th September. No injuries and fingers crossed that the old Warrior is only lightly scarred.

She was better known to British enthusiasts as G-APBC until the early 1980s and I do remember seeing her at Gatwick on several occasions with Skyways or Air Freight or some such outfit.

The Planes of Fame Air Museum's P-47G Thunderbolt, 42-25234 (N3395G), returned to flight on September 13th, following an engine overhaul, as well as a lot of other work performed firewall-forward, which began during the summer of 2024. Last year, the P-47's landing gear, landing gear doors, brakes and wheel wells were also completely overhauled.

The Planes of Fame Air Museum's F4U-1A Corsair, BuNo.17799 (N83782), returned to flight on September 23rd, following a two-year in-depth overhaul/restoration and new paint, by California Aerofab.

The American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum A-26B N9682C suffered a nose wheel collapse at Ponca City OK yesterday, trust the damage is relatively light.

Unfortunately, as is the case with nose gear failures in the A-26, the props came into contact with the runway, which of course will have also affected the engines. Its been said that the aircraft experienced a nose wheel shimmy on the takeoff roll and the takeoff was aborted. The aircraft veered off the runway into the grass. The nose gear apparently collapsed forward, rather than aft as in normal travel.

What is the status of B-25J s/n 44-30210, N9455Z is she stored or being returned to airworthy.

Answered in another thread ... thanks

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shuck

This photo on JEM Aviation's Facebook says ZK-YKB. The Māori translates as Red Star Plane.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=14 ... 4364288678

Thank you, Errol! I have updated the Yak listing accordingly.

Spitfire T.IX BS548, registered in the UK as G-CMOD, made its first test flights today, January 28, 2026, following restoration at the Duxford-based Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC). The test flights, performed at Duxford, were flown by Martin Overall. The Spitfire is owned by Australian Ross Pay and, following completion of test flying, it will soon be disassembled and shipped to Australia where it will be based at Scone. It is hoped that the aircraft will arrive in-time to take part in Warbirds Over Scone, March 28-29, as one of five Spitfires expected to take part in the airshow.

Also, today, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire Mk.V AB910 returned to the sky for the first time since 2023. The aircraft had been undergoing maintenance work at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.

N3N update..
Here is a recent photo of the previously mentioned N3N, MSN/BuNo 1953, N45136.
Here, it is in its winter guise (on wheels), summer it operates off its center and wing tip floats.
Surplussed in 1945/6, it was disassembled for transport and storage. For the next 75+ years, itassed between multiple civil owners, never being reassembled. Acquired by Pemberton and Sons Aviation in late 2023, it was in very good condition. Basically the fuselage needed cleaning, painting, new cables and wires, and new fabric. Remember the type is all metal, no wood wings and formats like an N2S Stearman 75.
Pemberton reports having flown it more than 200 hours since restoration.
Photo was taken two weeks ago prior to a flight to Idaho.
I found the aircraft to be very stable, very solid.
Addison's Jay, who has flown Stearmans since his teens and who owns a T-6 is well equipped to assess its flight characteristics, reports that it's easier to land than a Stearman... "the Stearman rudder has aerodynamic blanking on the landing rollout and the N3N rudder is more effective at all speeds and flight phases.
While the Stearman is more directionally squirrelly it is also more correctable from directional deviations; the N3N once you start to lose control is harder to get back, so in that regard is more like the heavier T-6..".

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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.