Rarest Vintage Aircraft

[Canso42]

WacoYKC, I was wondering when you'd chime in.

[C170BDan]

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...)...

Yep... wanted to start a good post that enthusiasts would pour out theirs hearts in talking about what THEY thought were the rarest. I think it is working! Good question in mentioning the Wacos and certain models being different. I will make a broad brush stroke and say yes, a YKS-6 and -7 would make for two types. Just as a UPF-7 would be different than a ZPF-7. I love the EGC-8s. Would be cool to have one in Western Air Express colors!

Wondering off to dream land too.... thinking of multiple Gamma's or Vega's in formation!

[C170BDan]

This hangar would be cool to travel back in time to see! From the book Golden Age of Air Racing published by EAA.

So many rare airplanes all in ONE place! I will take one of each, please!

[steve dickey]

Whats with the bumps on the Spartan's cabin

[Canso42]

Could we get i.d. on some of the rest, like the one at far right that looks like a stretched GeeBee?

[tulsaboy]

Steve-

Totally NOT my photo, just used here for illustrative purposes (credit where credit is due if someone can tell me whose this is). I'm guessing cabin vents?

kevin

[Tiger Tim]

The 'stretched Gee Bee' is exactly that. It's the Gee Bee Q.E.D. two-seat, long distance racer. Also way off in the upper right corner is a Wedell Williams 44. I see a couple staggerwings in there, a Lockheed Orion, a pair of Seversky P-35s (or civil equivalent if one existed?), the Spartan already mentioned, and... and... What on earth is that nose in the lower right? The wing roots look kind of Sinson-esque but the windscreen seems too narrow and too far forward as well as the whole nose looking too long and skinny.

-Tim

[The Inspector]

What's the head on trimotor (MENASCOS?) between the two P-35's?

[airnutz]

What's the head on trimotor (MENASCOS?) between the two P-35's?

Bellanca 28-92, 1 Ranger, 2 Menascos. Nearest Seversky is Jackie Cochran's SEV-AP-7 (race 13), farthest Seversky is SEV-S2 (race #77). 1938 Bendix pre-race photo?

[Baldeagle]

I see a couple staggerwings in there,
-Tim

Non just any Staggerwing, but Ross Hadley's well known one:



I'm guessing it's a Stinson SR-5 lower right, just that the camera angle makes it look funny.




and looks like maybe the wing of Monocoupe NX12333 in the top left corner




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[JBSavage]

Regarding the picture posted by Dan and the identification of those aircraft by Tim, I think this is a picture of the airplanes participating in the 1938 Bendix Trophy Race. Following is a list of those aircraft, along with their race numbers, and the results of that race.

Place Pilot Race No Aircraft Time
1 Cochran 13 Seversky 249.77
2 Fuller 77 Seversky 238.60
3 Mantz 23 Lockheed 206.58
4 Constant 31 Beechcraft 199.33
5 Hadley 44 Beechcraft 181.84
6 Hinchey 72 Spartan 177.45
DNF Armisted 61 QED 7
DNF Perlick 85 Beechcraft 8
DNF Cordova 99 Bellanca 9
DNF Gehlback 92 Wedell-Williams 10

Incidentally, the Spartan in the picture still flies and is now located in England. It no longer has the cabin vents on the top of the fuselage. I wonder if any of the other pictured aircraft still exist.

Jim

[C170BDan]

Thanks for posting the list, Jim.

The Gee Bee Q.E.D. still exists.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Granvill ... 1156477/M/

[marine air]

wow that Gee Bee Q.E.D. really desrves to be replicated and put back in the air! So co0l!
To me the "rarest" are aircraft that should not have survived, and were very limited to begin with. For example, The Curtiss P-36/ Hawk that was found in France and restored back to flyng condition. Francve was in the thick of fighting during WW II and of course occupied by the Nazis.
Another is the EAA'S P-64. Why would someone buy it surplus when there were so many better, more popular aircraft in the boneyards available after the war, in great condition, and with an abundance of spare parts?

[Baldeagle]

The Lockheed Orion flown by Paul Mantz still exists also, bought later by Swissair and painted to represent their first airplane, it's now in a museum in Switzerland:

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/561844.html





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[C170BDan]

wow that Gee Bee Q.E.D. really desrves to be replicated and put back in the air! So co0l!

The QED is unique in that a mostly complete set of drawings exist for this Gee Bee. I know of several planned attempts to build replicas. The only one that is making good progress is Jim Moss's highly customized Super QED. I have not seen any updates on it in the last year. I think the plan will be to have it 1820 powered with a three bladed prop. Will be quite the sport plane!

Keep posting the rare airplane pictures and comments!