Warbird Information Exchange

I heard six Canadian T-33s were bought by a private firm in southern CA--anyone got any info on this? These are non-overhauled airframes and separate from the 16 listed on the Lancaster Aviation website. Of the overhauled/avionics upgraded lot, a friend of mine got one (tail #599)--and will base it w/ me at Waukesha WI. Three are going to Pease Fld, MA (tail #s 452, 564, 610) The WI and MA birds won't be in the US for a couple of months pending gov't paperwork/approvals. I'm trying to track down the rest.

Well, the market goes even further down!

I hear you. Hopefully the T-33 market is flooded for the last time...unless the Bolivian AF tries to sell/market their 14 T-33s to US buyers. I don't know of any other air forces besides Bolivia still flying them. Perhaps the collective WIX brain can help out on this one.

What is the current market price for a flyable T-Bird?

Are you viewing this as a negative event? Why?

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Randy,

Hard to say since not many sell in a given year, but for a solid, regularly flying Canadair, low $100s and a comparable Lockheed, $80s to $90s. Canadair is the better of the two--better engine, more thrust, ease of operation and maintenance. I could be off on prices, but I think I'm pretty close. Jet prices in general are real soft right now so it's a buyer's market. With these last Canadian jets going to market, that may firm up prices a little since they essentially flood the market every time they have one of these auctions. Maybe just as important, it'll help sellers in the US move their jets.

Well, I have yet to see a T-33 fly...so the market can't be TOO flooded (at least not in theupper midwest).

Yeah, yeah, I know. I gotta go to Oshkosh if I want to see a T-bird fly.

Actually, if T-Birds sell for only about $100k, maybe my dream of owning one isn't that far fetched.

Flood the market, I say! The more, the merrier! (better than ending up as scrap, at least)

Didn’t some complete CT-133 from an earlier batch go for in the $50K - $60K range? I don’t know if these were AUP aircraft or not.

Seeing that DND are peeing themselves to get them out of Mountainview, there’s probably a good deal to be had. Now if Lancaster would only return calls, emails and faxes they might sell a few more!

Thanks for the update Paul.

Brian…

I've spent the past 5 summers working in Mountain View so I'm familiar with the gaggle of T-Birds, Turors, CF-5s and Kiowas that are/were stored there (not to mention a few other random components still lying around).

Most of the T-Birds are run up once a month or so. There was one in particular that was sold to a private owner in 2003 if I'm not mistaken, and the figured we were told was somewhere in the 50K range. This was for one of the last batch of recently retired birds, in flying condition.

Then again, the day he came in to fly it out the tip tanks were found to be leaking, so they had to be drained, removed and the ferry flight made with a few more stops then originally planned... at least so we were told.

I'll also add that when these birds were flown in on their "last" sortie the pilots often put on quite the show with them.

It would be nice to see as many of them survive in flying condition as possible. Perhaps one to replace the Canadiar T-33 from Duxford that crashed this summer?

Also noteworthy is that a number of them have been given to local museums as static displays recently in order to help dispose of them. Also “non-flying" airframes that were essentially gutted and with the spars cut was advertised in the local newspapers this summer for under $1000. Sold as-is and the new owner responsible for transportation.

Kind of a sad way to go, but as I said hopefully a handful will have another life in the civi market as flyers.

Cheers

Edward

Has Mexico got rid of their T-33's?

Our Canadair CT-133 is "sorta" for sale (As they say everything is for sale at the right price) at $180. But that is a high price, but it also is a pretty nice airplane.

King,

I've seen the ad for your T-Bird and I'm not suggesting you couldn't get in the range your asking especially if it's a really clean airplane with autopilot and newer avionics and other upgrades. I know some of the recent T-33s sold out of Mountainview went for less than $50,000 USD. As you know, the sale price for those jets is just the beginning of the total aquisition cost to get it to a safe, FAA approved airworthiness state. The maintainers at Mountainview will have to be paid to run and prep them for ferry flight a few months away, and paid rent for hangaring. Once the airplane is flown to the US, a thorough condition inspection can easily run $25,000-$35,000 and up for just the labor to inspect it thoroughly. For example, installing three new Gill gel batteries will cost $3600, a set of brake rotors and pucks $3700--you can see how the price can climb. If problems are discovered, then more labor and parts costs so the final tab is really an unknown. I'm confident the airplanes are a pretty good risk that way, though they've been sitting outside for a while so that account for the lower prices than the $90,000 I paid for mine (tail #579) when it was fresh out of 434 Squadron at CFB Greenwood, run and checked regularly for the few months it sat at Mountainview before I flew it to my maintenance shop (Heritage Aero) in Rockford IL. Anyway, good news that more flyable T-33s are headed to the warbird world!

Actually, you probably only need to come to Thunder on the Lakeshore at Manitowoc (June 2/3 2007).... unless Paul decides not to come this year....

www.manitowocairshow.com

Yeah, yeah, I know. I gotta go to Oshkosh if I want to see a T-bird fly.

Actually, if T-Birds sell for only about $100k, maybe my dream of owning one isn't that far fetched.

Flood the market, I say! The more, the merrier! (better than ending up as scrap, at least)[/quote]

Actually, you probably only need to come to Thunder on the Lakeshore at Manitowoc (June 2/3 2007).... unless Paul decides not to come this year....

www.manitowocairshow.com[/quote]

I'll be there Rhonda...hopefully with a wingman in a black T-33.

I've had your T33 in my Sights, well thru my sights in my T-28, maybe I'll shoot it down then you could add it to your LAKE collection....

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There I was at forty thousand feet when the autopilot jumped out with the only parachute on board and left me with nothing but a silk worm and a sewing kit