Warbird Information Exchange

Thank you, fellas! I am very happy to add the list of airworthy NAA Yales. I've also added P-40N NZ3184/42-105875 to the list of flyers, although I understand that its time in Australia is limited.

Today, at Brasschaat, Belgium, Stephen Stead's P-51D Little Rebel returned to the air for the first time since before it was sold by Bob Baker in 2021. The test flight was performed by Frédéric Vormezeele. After arriving in Belgium in early 2022, FAST Aero spent the last year refurbishing areas of the airframe, making the cockpit more authentically complete, and refitting its Merlin engine (overhauled by Vintage V-12s). The Mustang is registered as OO-PSI.

John: do you know anything of Tina Fly's involvement with Little Rebel in 2021? I'm just filling its history on my list of RNZAF and NZ-linked P-51s.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Hi Zac, unfortunately I really don't know. In November 2021, Simon Brown/Platinum Fighter Sales reported that it had been purchased by TinaFly. However, when it arrived in Belgium at FAST Aero around February 2022, it was soon confirmed that Steve Stead was the latest owner.

In other Mustang news, the TF-51D 44-63473, previously operated in Germany as D-FUNN and refinished last year as "Big Beautiful Doll", is now in the US, owned by Charles Somers (Sacramento, CA) and registered as N473TF. This is the third Mustang now owned by Mr. Somers (Daddy's Girl and Live Bait being the other two) - this in addition to his P-40C, P-47G, P-38L, FG-1D, Spitfire Mk.XVI, Mosquito FB.VI and Grumman Mallard. (Photo: MeierMotors)

Does anyone know if the other "Big Beautiful Doll" (D-FBBD?) which crashed after the midair at Duxford a few years ago will reappear at some point? I seem to recall the wreckage was loaded onto a trailer and returned to Germany, and worse heaps of scrap have been reincarnated!

No. It was obliterated. But possibly a replica of it?

Thank you John.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Spitfire Mk.IX TE517 (G-RYIX) has been added to the list, having had its first post-restoration flight at Biggin Hill in the UK on Wednesday April 5th, piloted by Dan Griffith. This is the 15th Spitfire restoration completed by the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. It is painted in the markings it originally had when assigned to Squadron Leader Otmar Kučera, DFC with RAF No 313 (Czech) Squadron in 1945.

Just had a distant view of G-RYIX landing back at Biggin after (presumably) another test flight. Remember her being registered to Robs Lamplough and later Charles Church around 40 years ago - nice to finally see her and in the air too!

Were the following the fifteen aircraft completed by BHHH ...

X4650, RW382, TD314, EE602, EP122, BR601, TB885, MJ772, MJ755, TE308, PT879, LZ842, ML295, BS410, TE517

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shuck

Sadly, Graeme Frew's much beloved Yak-3 Full Noise, registered as ZK-VVS, was damaged today at the Omaka Airport in Blenhiem, New Zealand as a result of an aborted takeoff. Fortunately Graeme Frew was not injured. https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-exp ... CzdAdoB9xY

Glad nobody was hurt, but that's going to take some time and money to repair...

Phil

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A man's got to know his limitations.

A sad day for the NZ Warbird scene, it was also the funeral of owner of multiple warbirds and pilot Brett Emery after a short illness (he was displaying at Omaka airshow at Easter).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily- ... emeny-dies

Spitfire Mk.XVIII SM845 was significantly damaged in a landing accident in Hildesheim, Germany today, May 26, 2023. This had been the only Spitfire active in the country (following last year's sale of TP280 to Peter Timmermans in Canada).

This was posted on May 26, 2023. Looks like B-25, 44-86797, Old Grey Mare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXdaF5kMfSQ

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45-47=-2