Rarest Vintage Aircraft

[steve dickey]

I'm kinda partial to Harlows as only 9 were made the prototype crashed and I think(I could be wrong ) but only 7 remain But a good majority are flyers

[Baldeagle]

or





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[Eric Presten]

Dan,

Heres the top fifty from me. Gleaned from the index of my next book (Vintage Flyers III). American built. Civilian only. Production, but less then five survivors. Not mentioned by previous posters.

AERONCA C-2, LC
ALEXANDER EAGLEROCK (RADIAL VERSIONS)
ALLIANCE ARGO
BOEING 307 STRATOLINER
BUHL SPORT AIRSEDAN
BUTLER BLACKHAWK
COMMAND-AIRE 5C3
CUNNINGHAM-HALL PT-6F
CURTISS FLEDGLING
CURTISS-WRIGHT TRAVEL AIR SPEEDWING, 19-R
DOYLE O-2 ORIOLE
DRIGGS DART 2
FAIRCHILD 45
FLEET MODEL 8, MODEL 9
GENERAL AIRCRAFT SKYFARER
GENERAL AIRPLANES ARISTOCRAT
GOLDEN EAGLE CHIEF
HAMILTON METALPLANE
INLAND W-500 SPORT
KARI-KEEN COUPE
KREUTZER AIR COACH
LAIRD SPEEDWING
LINCOLN PT-K/PT-W
LUSCOMBE MODEL 1 PHANTOM, MODEL 4 SPRITE
MONO AIRCRAFT MONOCOACH, MONOPREP, MONOSPORT
NICHOLAS-BEAZLEY NB-3
NORTHROP DELTA
PARKS P-2A
PHILLIPS SKYLARK
PORTERFIELD CP-40 ZEPHYR, 75-C FLYABOUT
RAWDON T-1
REARWIN SPEEDSTER
SIKORSKY S-38, S-39, S-43
TAYLORCRAFT 15-20
TRAVEL AIR B9-4000, 10-D
WACO CRG, D SERIES, JYM/JWM
WALLACE TOUROPLANE
ZENITH Z-6-A

Let the nitpicking begin. I will not be around a computer for the next ten days, so I will defend myself when I get back.

So many airplanes, so little time,

Eric Presten

[C170BDan]

Now I like how this post is developing! Pictures of the rare ships, thanks Andrew! And detailed lists, thanks Eric! A nice listing!

More rare ships...

Culver Dart


American Eaglet


Franklin Sport (this one in WA... we have another here in TX)

[Tiger Tim]

It seems for all the records they set, wooden Lockheeds are very few and far between. There's Post's and Earhart's Vegas, does Turner's Air Express still exist? Outside of that are there any more out there?

-Tim

[JBSavage]

Although the Harlow PJC may not meet your definition of "Rare" it is a model that is seldom seen. This picture of Matthew Malkin's airplane was taken at Blakesburg, IA.

[Chris Brame]

If you can count "substantial remains recovered/in situ" we could add the Curtiss Condor (recovered wreck) and Fokker F-10A (remains up by Lake Arrowhead).

American Pilgrim comes to mind as well; IIRC only one left.
Barkley-Grow T8P-1: three left.

Over to you...

[wacoykc]

Waco RPT 1 built, still survives

Waco ENF 1 built, still survives

Waco QSO 1 built, still survives

Waco PLA 1 survives

Waco RBA 1 survives

Waco IBA 1 survives

Waco UBA 1 survives

Waco UOC 1 survives

Waco CUC-2 2 survive

Waco YOC 4 survive

Waco QDC 4 survive

Welch OW-5 maybe 3 survivors

Monoprep maybe 2 survivors

Rearwin Jr. maybe 2-3 survivors

Wallace Touroplane

Bird Speedbird

Pasped Skylark

Vulcan American Moth

Pheasant

Driggs Dart

Driggs Skylark

Phillips Fleet

Kellet Autogyro

Pitcairn PA-2

Pitcairn PA-5

New Standard NT-1

Johnson Rocket

Texas Bullet

Alexander Eaglerock Bullet

Monocoach

Travel Air Woolroc

Lincoln PTK

Stearman 4E

Arrow Sport A

Arrow Sport M

Arrow Sport Biplane

Alliance Argo

Gee Bee QED

Gee Bee A

Just to name a few......

[The Inspector]

Laird Super Solution, total built one. One replica built and now @ Weeks' Fantasy of Flight

[snj-5]

Jim Moss built a flying Laird Super Solution (not sure if that's the one
at Kermit's facility now or not...???).

Bela P. Havasreti

[old iron]

The Inspector wrote

Laird Super Solution, total built one. One replica built and now @ Weeks' Fantasy of Flight

The fuselage frame to this airplane exists in the NASM collection. I believe a reproduction (not "replica" since not built personally by Laird) was also built for the EAA Museum.

I have done much pondering on the issue of "rarest aircraft" and to me one of the very top five would have to be the Curtiss NC-4. The very top ranks of rarity are not just by model number but sole survivros of whole classifications of aircraft. The NC-4 is the only complete surviving large seaplane and the only surviving four-engined aircraft until - what, the B-17? It is also of the highest rank in terms of individual historic importance.

Other candidates for top-five status might be the
Fokker E-1 in the Science Museum of Kensington, England,
1910 Fabre Hydravioni in the Musee de l’Aire in Paris (first seaplane)
PZL P.11c (early WWII fighter) in Polish Aviation Museum (ex-Berlin Museum)
Boeing 80A-1 (trimotor biplane) at Museum of Aviation, Seattle

[The Inspector]

SNJ5,
Yep! That's the one, I'm not sure if ALL the major chunks are @ NASM for the original-

[airnutz]

American Eaglet

I had a lot of stick time in an Eaglet as a kid. It sat in the backyard for years engaged in shooting down too many japanazi's to count until it migrated on to somewhere else...hopefully back to flight.

[Ztex]

I know a little Laird at my local field that is rather rare....

[TheBoy]

You've started a real doosy here Dan! So aside from the statistical side (# produced vs # remaining), how do you factor in different airplanes? Is A YKS-6 a different airplane that a YKS-7? Landing gear and tail wires right are the only differences there right? Does that make it different, or is that the same type? Hmmmm...

In reference to your original post - that Northrop Gamma number is going to increase by one when I get mine finished (zones off dreaming impossible dreams...)...