Largest active public warbird collection?

[m charters]

Vintage Wings of Canada's collection keeps growing weekly it seems, I believe all aircraft are fliers other than the few that are in restoration. I would bet it is the biggest organization in Canada.

Cheers Dave C

Dave, I would have to say that CWH has more currently flying aircraft than Vintage Wings. VWoC have several under restoration or in the midst of getting flying. I do have to say that what VWoC have flying is extremly impressive!!
CWH currently has 16 active flyers at my count, and 18 if you count Sandy's Sea Fury and Fouga as they are based at CWH full time. Lancaster, B-25, PBY, DC-3, Firefly, Lysander, Beech-18, Harvard, Harvard, Cornell, Cornell, Chipmunk, Tigermoth, Stearman, Fleet Fort, Fleet 21, Sea Fury, Fouga.
Additionally they have a Nanchang in the shop for import, a TBM to fly in 2011, a Finch, 2 Yales, a second Chipmunk,an Auster, a Cessna Crane, an Avro Anson Mk V, Grumman Tracker and a Bollingbroke all waiting for their turn to return to the sky.

[JDK]

Lots of good feedback, and some good points being made. Thanks all.

As ever you can make it fit any organisation you like if you stretch the definition as you wish. On a level playing field (to mix metaphors) a lot of organisations that - on paper and in PR - look like they're well into double figures actually don't field that much in reality.

Here's some suggestions to what I think is reasonable criteria to use. It's not proving anyone's better than anyone else or that some things don't count, just trying to make a consistent measure for the purpose of the discussion.

It's Gotta be heavy
For this debate I'd eliminate dedicated trainers and L birds. Important though they are, and genuine warbirds, I think most of us would be looking for the interesting counts to be fighter and bomber orientated, and a L-bird-only or trainer-only collection, while perhaps bigger wouldn't be the 'right' answer. I'd suggest trainer versions of fighter and bomber types are in, such as Spitfire T.9 or Vampire T.11s, while Tweets don't count, A-37s do.

Defining a 'warbird'
Again, up for debate. I'm suggesting, for the purposes of this discussion W.W.II era to Vietnam types. So earlier (however much combat) aircraft don't count. Post Vietnam likewise, because they are pretty rare and the maintenance / opportunity criteria are completely different.

Originality
For this discussion, it doesn't matter, as long as it's the original structure type and engine type, or near. So wooden Spitfires with non-RR engines are out, Flug Werke FW 190s in.

Extra points for engines
We'd all agree that a B-17 is a bigger deal to operate than a Mustang, and a Lancaster or B-24 more demanding than a B-17 due to rarity of parts etc. We could count cylinders and have a handicap system for rare types, but that'd be getting silly (whereas this is all very , very sensible, isn't it kids...) Let's say multi engine and rarity counts for tiebreaks. Are jets tougher or easier?

Gotta be public
And that means more than one event per year involving the 'whole' organisation. Again for tiebreak purposes, multiple roadshow events get extra points, particularly away from base.

REALLY Current
"Tomorrow we'll have" and "Airworthy but hasn't flown in the last five years" just doesn't cut it. Airworthy flies, sugar walks. It's all important, and in no way to degenerate those restoring aircraft or missing the effort a restoration section costs in effort, but this is about current, active fliers, not 'airworthy but never flown' or 'next year'.

And heritage counts, but not here
The redoubtable Collings Foundation roadshow have a lot more places to get to to touch the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's fifty plus years and now more than 700 individual aircraft appearances per annum. But we are just looking at right now, not how long you are doing it. Likewise taking people aboard gets extra points I'm sure we'd agree.

One Collection
Another tricky one. Either owned by.. or loaned to.. I'd suggest are reasonable to include, not just 'hang(ar)ing around'!

Anyone wants to debate the definitions, you are welcome - but for the purposes of this question (mine) it's my definitions, thanks, start your own thread for the 'what's a warbird' argument. For the purposes of the discussion, feel free to make exceptions to mention an organisation, but be warned - if you don't mention the change of the rules, I will....

It's just a bit of fun so keep your thoughts coming, but let's try to run the same ruler over each contender. (And they are all valued, I'm sure we'd all agree.)

Cheers,

[oz rb fan]

temora's gotta be up there with twenty aircraft (though back to 16 when you take out the tiger moth,ryan stm,o1 and o2,im leaving in the wirray and t28d(they were both used in combat) when did they aquire that!) and all flying.

[RickH]

Oz RB if you're going to keep the Wirraway and T-28 and you're using combat as the criteria, you'll have to add the Ryan back to your list. The Dutch Ryan STMs certainly saw combat prior to their evacuation to Australia.

[K225]

Vintage Wings of Canada currently have 14 aircraft flyng as of today Lysander, Sabre 5, Corsair,Spit XVI, Hurricane MkIV, Mustang IV, P40 Kittyhawk, Harvard IV, Tiger Moth, Finch, Fox Moth, Staggerwing, Taperwing, Beaver. The Swordfish is awaiting its rebuilt engine, hopefully only a week away. Under restoration are PT26 Cornell, Hurricane XII, Spitfire MkIX with a Spitfire XIV currently waiting in the wings.
Oh yeh and that mystery aircraft!

[RickH]

The Collings Foundation currently has the following aircraft flying on a regular basis;

B-17, B-24, TP-51C, F4U-5N, UC-78, PT-17, Fiesler Storch, T-6, F-4D, TA-4F, UH-1E, T-33, TBM, Fokker DR I, Bleriot, B-25

Quality over quantity !

[mustangdriver]

That is a very impressive list. I have to agree that adding an F-105 to the list would be sweet!!

[RickH]

Won't be long and we'll add an A-36 and ME-262 ! Who knows what may follow ?

[Mike]

Planes of Fame (including some of the Friedkin aircraft currently on loan to them):
3 P-51s, P-47, P-38, P-40, B-25, Zero, N9MB, TBM, F6F, F8F, Yak-3, MiG-15, F-86, T-33, F4U, SBD, F3F, plus others in flyable condition but not currently flown, such as the P-26 and AT-12, plus more under restoration or repair such as the Buchon, P-59, B-17, Pilatus P-2.

[EDowning]

Rod Lewis.

[JDK]

Lots of "didn't read the question properly" answers coming up here.

Shhhsh... Trainers. Not pre- 1939

EDowning - Public

Lucky it's not an exam.

[Firebird]

In terms of activity.....

Collings Foundation and the BBMF have to be top of the list....????

[JDK]

In terms of activity.....

Collings Foundation and the BBMF have to be top of the list....????

Certainly would seem like that. To put it in context, this is from the BBMF's website:

In 2008 the BBMF were tasked with 944 individual appearances at 529 separate events. These events included 127 air displays and 402 flypasts of various sizes ranging from the Queen’s Birthday Flypast over London through commemorative flypasts for veterans such as the 65th Anniversary of the Dams Raid and the 60th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift to small village fetes. The Flight’s aircraft appeared live in front of an estimated total audience of 7 million people not to mention those that saw them in transit and through the media.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/history/historyofflight.cfm

I don't have numbers for the Collings Foundation, but they will normally fly longer legs with the two bombers (America being a bit bigger than Britain, although the BBMF do also pop across to the Continent at times) and obviously you can't buy a ride with the BBMF.

[whistlingdeath77]

Tom Duffy has a nice collection, but i think its more of a private collection rather that a foundation

[oz rb fan]

jdk
temora have more than one show a year(well up untill this year it seems) and now with the tie up with the raaf museum they travel again though this may be a short lived thing
but after looking at your main post again then i think either the caf or collings foundation has it in the bag,big distance's and multi engined aircraft and they give rides