Historic WW2 bombers preserved, why not many fighters?

We have two historic B-29's, a B-26, a few B-17's, why not any historic fighters? Like, Gabreski's P-47, Bongs P-38, McCampbell's F6F and many others I can't possibly list? I would assume that a P-38 that scored 40 kills would be saved after the war. I'm sure many historic fighters were destroyed in accidents or even shot down, but anyone know where some of these "historic" fighters went?

And what fighters would you think were some of the most historic of the war that would have been nice to have preserved?

Mark

[Matt Gunsch]

other than Flak Bait and Strawberry Bitch, I can't think of any other bombers that were set aside for preservation at the end of the war. Enola Gay, and Bocks Car was all saved later, as was Memphis Belle, and the Swoose,

[Dan K]

Like, Gabreski's P-47, Bongs P-38...anyone know where some of these "historic" fighters went?

Mark

Gabreski crash landed and became a POW. I'm guessing the Germans turned the Jug into ingots.

Bong's 42-103993, the only P-38 he flew in combat with both Marge's picture and name painted on it, was lost on a recon flight on 3/24/44 with Capt. Tom Malone flying.

I'm tired. Anybody care to explain to Mark what happened to Gentile's "Shangri-La" ?

[bdk]

Didn't he fly it into the ground?

[Steve Nelson]

Yep..Getile "pranged his kite" during a low pass photo-op at Debden in April, 1944.



My guess is that not many (if any) fighter aces' mounts actually survived the war.

SN

[The Inspector]

...B-17 '5 GRAND' went on to become lawn furniture and soup pots.........

[Enemy Ace]

I think somebody needs to get with it and paint up their 109 in bubi Hartmannn's black tulip markings. My understanding is the Luftwaffe didn't plane -hop as often as the allies, having pretty much dedicated planes and crew chiefs.

[Jack Cook]

I think somebody needs to get with it and paint up their 109 in bubi Hartmannn's black tulip markings. My understanding is the Luftwaffe didn't plane -hop as often as the allies, having pretty much dedicated planes and crew chiefs.

EVG's is

[k5083]

I'm not buying your premise.

There are several combat-flown bombers around and several combat-flown fighters. Some of the bombers flew a lot of missions, some of the fighters flew a lot of missions. But nobody counts missions with fighters or makes a big deal out of it. That doesn't make the airplane less historic.

Several German and British ace-flown fighters exist, as well as restorations that contain pieces of US ace-flown aircraft.

It is not my understanding that Bong scored all 40 kills in one airframe. McGuire went through, what, 5 or 6 P-38s to reach 38?

Would you count a P-40B that survived Pearl Harbor as historic? The Spitfire that scored the first kill over the beaches on D-day? A Hawk 75 flown in combat during the Battle of France? These survive.

The XP-51 is as historic as any preserved WWII aircraft, viewed from a technical and impact-on-war perspective rather than a war-hero-worship perspective.

So there are as many, or more, historic fighters around as bombers.

August

[Steve Nelson]

You're correct, there are a fair number of restored/preserved combat vet fighters around, and they are certainly historic. But there aren't many "personal mounts" of aces that I'm aware of. The only one that immediately leaps to mind is the B-239 Buffalo recently returned to Finland.

As a modeler, I've actually tended to avoid building aces' planes. Everybody always likes to pick apart the accuracy of the markings (and everybody considers themselves an "expert." Besides, for every ace, there were hundreds of pilots/crewmen who served with just as much honor, bravery and scrifice.

SN

[DaveM2]

Would you count a P-40B that survived Pearl Harbor as historic?

August

No. The data plate is historic! Nice though it is

Carganico's 109F at Ottawa would count though as perhaps Heinz Arnolds 262 at the NASM. One of Giller's P-51s survives in South America.
A couple of Russian ace aircraft survive, the 'loaned' Yak-3 at Santa Monica, and the earlier Yak-1 at Saratov, also the La-7 in Moscow.
These being 'ace' aircraft

Dave

[hang the expense]

What combat surviving P-40B and p-36?

[JägerMarty]

I think somebody needs to get with it and paint up their 109 in Hartmannn's black tulip markings. My understanding is the Luftwaffe didn't plane -hop as often as the allies, having pretty much dedicated planes and crew chiefs.

Here here, Black2 in Germany would look great in a late Hartmann scheme

[Tulio]

One of Giller's P-51s survives in South America.

Dave

Hi, Dave!

At this late hour, I can't remember any other F-51 in South America, other than the Guatemalan Air Force's "336" (actually 360 during its service life) and the Dominican AF's Mustang in San Isidro.

So . . . which one is it?

Saludos,


Tulio

[DaveM2]

Tulio

Ya got me, should have read 'Central America' (Dominican Rep. to be exact)

Dave

One of Giller's P-51s survives in South America.

Dave

Hi, Dave!

At this late hour, I can't remember any other F-51 in South America, other than the Guatemalan Air Force's "336" (actually 360 during its service life) and the Dominican AF's Mustang in San Isidro.

So . . . which one is it?

Saludos,


Tulio