Warbird Information Exchange

Simple question can anyone list all combat veteran warbirds that are still flying? Just a curious question that popped in to my head after reading Warbirds International about the Hawk 75a being restored to flying condition. Thanks

Shay

Col. Rohr
As always I'm impressed with your wealth of knowledge. Off the top of my head.

-the Collings Foundation B-24 with the RAF
-I guess we can assume any flying examples of Luftwaffe and Japanese A/C
Also thought I heard that a A-20 Havoc wasn't being flown except on special occasions because of its history.

Shay

Cavanaugh Flight Museum's B-25J 44-28925 N7687C "How Boot That!?" is a combat veteran

Dennis

Chance Vought F4U-5NL BuNo. 124692 flew off the USS Essex from 1951-1952 with VC-3 and flew 77 combat hours over Korea. It was restored and painted in the same markings it wore then.

Ryan Keough

...err, Spitfires, anyone. Many of the survivors have combat history, some have multiple kills to their credit. And not only with the RAF - several came out of Israel, where they saw combat, as did the P-51D recoveries from there. Then there's supposedly Alex Vraciu's F6F with TFC at Duxford, a number of ex-8th AF P-51s (Robs Lamplough's 472216 'Miss Helen', for example), and doubtless some of the Latin American F4U recoveries. The Hurricanes flying with TFC at Duxford (Mk IV, ex-6 sqn), AFC in New Zealand (Battle of France, later Russia),,the '109 now with Ed Russell in Canada, and that's just off the top of my head. I'm sure that there are many more.

My uncle's T-28 flew with the CIA in Laos, then with the Thailand AF and on with the Philippine AF!!

I betcha it wasn't delivering pizzas!!!

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Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

Bob Pond's FG-1D and Gerry Beck's F4U-4 are Soccer War vets. In fact, there is still a bullet hole in one of the gear doors on Pond's FG-1D.

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Dan Johnson

I don't think that any P2Vs took part in Market Garden, Rob!!! Sept 1944???

What about all the A-10s/F-16s/F-15s/F-14s/F-18s/Harriers that are Desert Storm/Allied Force/Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom combat veterans?!

Before Brad jumps down my throat, there are 'lifter combat vets out there, too (C-17s and Herks, at least), as well as B-52s/BONEs/B-2s.

Hell, even a couple KC-135s out there that the crews got DFCs for flying close to Baghdad.

There are sh*tloads of combat veteran aircraft still flying around out there!

Mid Atlantic's B-25J is only painted up as a combat veteran. Although it is a beautiful restoration!

Yankee Air Museum's B-25D has combat history in the MTO with the 340th BG, 428th BS.

Cavanaugh's B-25J "How 'Boot That" is a combat Vet, and has been returned to it's combat paint scheme. (although they have chosen not to fly her any more, which is understandable).

I believe the CAF B-25J in Arizona has combat experience.

B-25J "Old Glory" evidently has combat theater history in the MTO, 310th BG.

Wasn't the Polish Air Museum's PZL P-11c a veteran (and thus the oldest W.W.II veteran? - Course that depends on when you reckon W.W.II started - 1937, 1939, 1941...)

It was indeed, James. However, the thread was asking about surviving combat veterans that still fly, and the P-11c doesn't . All that Labatts must be affecting your eyesight!

But it runs, Mike, it runs... Any chance of a pic to prove it?

As I don't drink beer and I certainly don't drink the wee that passes for beer in N America, it can't be that, slowing me up!

Sorry, James, 'runs' aint 'flies', whether it's a P-11c, Fw 190D-9, or whatever. If it don't fly, it ain't airworthy! Period.

Still, that's a lovely thing, that P-11c, and too valuable and historic to fly, IMHO. The fact that it runs, rather than sits gathering cobwebs, or spins around on a rotating plinth until I get dizzy watching it, gives it life and soul.

If it runs then it probably is airworthy, I'm pretty sure its the landingworthy thats the question. You can get almost anything to fly.

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Scott Rose
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