Famous Aviators & their (surviving) aircraft

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:43 pm

The Howard Hughes film got me thinking about how many famous aviators have significant numbers of their (historic) aircraft survive. Could be a good game to see what we can come up with!

No 'rules' except aircraft painted in someone's colours don't count - only the actual aircraft they owned or flew.

So:

Howard Hughes - loads - but to kick off the Hughes H1 racer, the HK-1 'Spruce Goose', and the Sikorski S-43 still flying.

Bobby Gibbes RAAF; Messerscmitt Bf109G-6 'Black 6' and a Curtiss Kittyhawk(?)

Sidney Cotton's Lockheed 12 Electra Junior he used as a spyplane survives - some reports have more than one of them...

Of course folks like Tallmantz have quite a few, due to the nature of their aviation business.

It's easy to come up with one famous a/c - owner/flyer combo The trick is multiples.

As they say, discuss...

Wolverine · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:56 pm

There's an S-43 still flying?

Here's my picks.

Pancho Barne's Travel Air Mystery Ship (best purpose-built racer ever built, with the exception of Cessna's Miss Wanda).

Can't remember the owner, but I've seen it in OK. The Woolaroc racer-a special Travel Air 5000.

Can't remember any more off the top of my head.

DaveM2 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:13 am

Edgar Percival count ?

Dave

setter · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:14 am

Hi James

Kingsford Smith _ Southern Cross which you are soon to see

Alcock and Brown Vimmy South Aus

Bert Hinkler - you can see that too

Frigate Bird Catalina in the Powerhouse Museum Sydney

I'm sure I'll think of more with time if I take more medication

Regards
John P

airnutz · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2005 1:32 am

Hughes' S-43 is flyable..but not flying since the passing of the owner..as
I understand the situation. I hate to be a copycat...but that's one o' my
picks.

As a young'n Alex Henshaw's epic flight, south and back in the Mew Gull
was an exciting account to me. Percival G-AEXF has been my
wallpaper for a coupla' years now. I love looking at her before I "fire up"
Old Bessie, the pedal powered PII everyday!!

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2005 5:10 am

Hey guys,
We could pick single owner - single planes all day... Well, OK - all month actually.

Edgar Percival - Good call... Guess he'd have flown most surviving pre-war Percivals. Alex Hensaw's Mew Gull. Eeasy, and he flew a number of the surviving Spitfires for their first flights as a test pilot! Good call, though not quite what I had in mind.

How many of Bob Hoover's a/c are preserved?

Airnutz - what's the info on the S-43?

Cheers

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2005 7:51 am

Does Peter Jackson count? A famous man with a large collection of preserved aircraft. Or do they have to be dead?

How many of the Wright Brothers' aircraft still exist? At least two..

And Richard Pearse - I know one of his aircraft is complete and preserved after being restored by Air New Zealand in the 1970's, but I read once that parts of several others of his flyers wer found when he died. Were they also preserved?

KarenG · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:32 pm

Hi Guys,

Isn't Lindburghs plane in the air and space museum? It's been awhile since I have been there.

Karen

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:42 pm

Isn't one of the N3N's President Bush Sr. flew in training still gracing the skies?

C170BDan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 4:24 pm

Yes Karen... The Spirit of St. Louis is in the NASM and they have a LARGE collection of aircraft that fit this forum topic! They have Bob Hoovers Shrike and I saw his Saberliner in a Tulsa museum. His Mustang is in a private collection in Rexburg, Idaho. Sat in the P51 on a 2003 fishing trip up near Rexburg!!

There is a Hawk that Lindbergh owned that is now in England in a museum. Museum name escapes me.

I remember reading an article about a Stearman N2S that Bush Sr. flew that was still flying.

Also... isnt there a B-23 that is flyable out in CA or NV that was a Hughes aircraft? Speaking of Hughes... I saw a picture recently of an A-20 that he had. Where is that one now? Anyone know the story of his A-20?

There are pictures of the S-43 on the internet. Try a Google Image search of S-43.

Robbo · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 5:26 pm

Lindbergh's Miles Mohawk isn't currently on public display.

It's owned by the RAF Museum and it's under restoration at the moment.

Rob

O.P. · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 6:10 pm

I think Some of Jimmy Doolittles planes are still around.

I think I'm mixed up (and I'm at work so looking up my mistakes is hard) but didn't he fly the Armys sweet float plane to win the snieder trophy one year? That plane is hanging in NASM. I love that plane. Isn't the GeeBee he flew around somewhere also?

C170BDan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:11 pm

Mohawk... Thats the one! Thanks Robbo.

No original Gee Bee racers survive. The New England Air Museum built an acurate replica of Doolittles R-1 and also have an original Gee Bee biplane. Some replicas are built up from original paperwork!

NathanT24 · **Joined:** Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:27 pm **Posts:** 252

S-43 is here in the Houston area. Seen it at Wings Over Houston in the 90s. It can be flown and I have seen it fly but the S-43 is going to the Houston Hobby Airport Museum!

Tony · **Posted:** Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:59 pm

Isn't Cunningham and Driscoll's F-4 still around?

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