Oldest Bomber Flying

[Glen]

Greetings
I was wodering what is the Oldest Bomber that is Or could still fly ? For that matter how about fighters ? Always learn so much for all the responces that I get .

[retroaviation]

B24A/LB30, Ol' 927. Delivered May 7, 1941. Oldest W.W. II bomber flying anyway.

Gary

Last edited by retroaviation on Thu May 15, 2008 3:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[k5083]

Bomber. Shuttleworth's Hawker Hind is the oldest I can think of.

Fighter. Must be one of the several WWI fighters still flying. Shuttleworth's Sopwith Pup would be a possibility, but I think it was originally built as a Dove (non-fighter). Maybe one of the flying S.E.5s or Brisfits is the oldest true fighter still active.

August

[retroaviation]

Interesting August. Anymore details on the Shuttleworth Hawker? I'm just too lazy to look it up myself.

Gary

[k5083]

http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttlewort ... .asp?ID=28

August

[ALAN.L]

Gary, here is a link to its histroy page.
Delivered new to the Royal Afghan airforce in 1938....
http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttlewort ... .asp?ID=28

[Mike]

[retroaviation]

Duh!!! I've seen pictures of that airplane before. Beautiful machine!!!!! But that is the first time I've even thought of it as a bomber. I thought it was a fighter, or fighter/bomber, or similar.....kinda like the P-47, P-51, or whatever...only older.

WIX is a teachin' machine! Thanks y'all.

Gary

[old iron]

Hel;lo all,

The German LVG CVI 7198/18 was flying with the Shuttleworth Collection until 2003.

Kevin

[k5083]

B24A/LB30, Ol' 927. Delivered May 7, 1940. Oldest W.W. II bomber flying anyway.

I thought it was May 7, 1941? That would make it a little younger than B-25 40-2168 "Miss Hap" and possibly Kermit's B-26 40-1464.

August

[retroaviation]

AM927 was built in the fall of 1940, delivered on May 7, 1941. It was the 25th B-24 built, so maybe that will help determine the exact date of manufacture?

It's blowing my mind just how bad my knowledge of this stuff has been all this time. Just when I thought I knew a little bit of history about these old airplanes, I see that I've got a lot more learning to do yet. Maybe some day...Maybe some day..........

Gary

[k5083]

Not sure we can pin down the exact date of manufacture for any of the three! (PS sorry Gary for editing my post while you were replying, I hoped to correct it before you'd seen it.) Anyway, I'm content to call it a tie; the pool of flyable US bombers built before 12/7/41 is a pretty rare and exclusive one.

August

[k5083]

Hel;lo all,

The German LVG CVI 7198/18 was flying with the Shuttleworth Collection until 2003.

Kevin

I think that was a recon aircraft though.

August

[PinecastleAAF]

The B-26 belonging to Mr. Weeks should be in the top 5 of bombers I'd think. I'd mention the Swoose but it will never fly again.

Did I mention the Swoose?

.

[Chris Brame]

Do any B-23s have an earlier build date than Ol' 927? There's one or two potential flyers left, as well as (dare we hope) the Hawaii B-18.