Warbird Information Exchange

I just found a website that I thought might interest some of you WIXers. Kit manufacturer Loehle makes some nice looking planes. You can see lots of pictures of their customers "baby" mustangs at the link below (there's also a picture of one of their "baby" warhawks, amongst other planes):

http://www.loehle.com/Customer_Photogallery.htm

In the "aircraft kits" section of the website, there is a picture of an unfinished "baby" spitfire, sitting on its gear. It looks more graceful than the mustangs. Too bad there aren't any additional photos.

Happy Holidays!

Mike

I wonder what the aerobatic capablilities of these planes are like? or can they be built/modified to meet aerobatic standards?

I note there is one in Nevada - anyone out there know this gentleman?

Tom P.

I think that these a/c are basically classed as either ultralights or advanced ultralights. As for aerobatics they'd be extremely limited or even prohibited outright, but I could be mistaken. I remember seeing some photo's a couple years ago of a chap who'd clad his Loehle 5151 in a light, thin plywood veneer and fiberglass and it looked rather neat. Couldn't tell you where I saw it or what it's status is.

Titan Aircrafthttp://www.titanaircraft.com offers an "almost ultralight" P-51 replica, but the all-aluminium Stewart S-51 seems to be in legal and production limbo (pretty ship, though), and of course the late, lamented Thunder Mustang is pretty well kaput 'cept for a couple of racing examples.

The FEW Mustang seems to have been resurrected by Legendary Aircraft http://www.legendaryaircraft.com and I hope it thrives; it'd be nice to see a P-51 kitplane succeed.

N.

_________________
"Live to Fly; Fly to Live"

Wouldn't it be cool to see a 6 ship "mustang team" ! All in the same squadron colors i.e. the LimaLima team. The Legendary Plane kit seems to be the best candidate for aerobatic performance - well its all written except for the $$

Tom P.

There was interest in just such a thing (aerobatic demo team) at one time in about early 1998 when the Thunder Mustang was in the height of production. Also, a Tuskegee group seriously wanted to get a few to make the airshow rounds painted in their markings and with vets traveling with.

Had we kept the company rolling we would have eventually seen many in Hollywood roles as maybe background formation ships, etc. as the hourly costs would have been tremendously less than the real item.

Some 30 kits will eventually fly out of the 1997-2000 production run, many in warbird paint. A great example debuted at Reno this year in the colors of ace Clarence Kelly Gross. At least ten kits have flown to date with many others very close. Perhaps the assets to the company will be bought soon and production of this V-12 powered very elite kitplane will be restarted.