Warbirds (Historical, Veteran & Vintage Military Aircraft)

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Vickers Warwick - Aircraft - Fighting the U-boats - uboat.net

The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. This section includes over 21.000 Allied Warships and over 11.000 Allied Commanders of WWII, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian...

uboat.net

https://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/vickers-windsor
Vickers VC.1 Viking - Wikipedia

The Wellington was that sort of aircraft that kept on giving. Used as previously stated in all sorts of different tasks and it out lasted two aircraft that were designed to replace it.

First the Vickers Warwick which as a bomber could be best described as useful as an ashtray on a motor bike. Had serious stability issues and was very quickly relegated to coastal command and training. A very small number were supplied to BOAC for transport duties but they very quickly gave them back. At the end of the war the RAF very quickly dumped it and kept using the Wellington for another five or six years in the training role as the Wellington T10.
In the early years of the war it was decided to replace the Wellington with a 4 engine monster the Vickers Windsor. Needless to say it came to nothing and of the 3 built the last one was broken up in 1946.
At around 1948 the Vickers Viking was designed for the civilian market as an airliner carrying 21 pax. It also served with the RAF taking over the duties of the Wellington T10. This aircraft had the wings and the engines of the Wellington. This aircraft also had two Nene jet engines attached in lieu of the piston engines. So the Wellington indirectly had a part in the development of the first commercial jet aircraft. This jet powered Viking/Wellington obtained a speed of 445 mph on a trip between Brooklands and Paris.

 

[Rob c]

At around 1948 the Vickers Viking was designed for the civilian market as an airliner carrying 21 pax. It also served with the RAF taking over the duties of the Wellington T10. This aircraft had the wings and the engines of the Wellington

While WIKI does say that the Viking was developed from the Wellington, the reality is that apart from the general dimensions there was very little in common between the two aircraft. The Wellington was a fabric covered geodetic structured design, while the Viking was of an all metal stressed skin structure and this included the wings. The engines of the Wellington were 9 cylinder Bristol Pegasus and the Viking were more powerful 14 cylinder Bristol Hercules, The wing aerodynamics may have been similar in the wings, but that would be about all every thing else would have been different. the link below is an interesting video on the Wellington.

 

[At lakes]

I put this here as its deals with a rather elderly aircraft. The Military variant of the airliner the Tu104 which has in the past being dubbed the most dangerous aircraft ever. I will not try and explain what its about the heading sums up everything.

if mods want to shift it to the Russian Navy please do

 

[At lakes]

Hawker Tempest Mk II MW376 – ex HA564 rolled out in Canada

This is the aircraft that was obtained from Auckland in 2013 by KF Aerospace of Canada. The owner of KF Aerospace stated that it will fly he does spend all this time restoring aircraft for it to look pretty in a showroom. Expectation is that it will fly next year. When it does it will be the only airworthy Tempest in the world, although there are a number under restoration to airworthy condition. The engine is not original as its a Pratt and Whitney 2600 where as the original had a Bristol Centaurs engine.

 

[ngatimozart]

Hawker Tempest Mk II MW376 – ex HA564 rolled out in Canada

This is the aircraft that was obtained from Auckland in 2013 by KF Aerospace of Canada. The owner of KF Aerospace stated that it will fly he does spend all this time restoring aircraft for it to look pretty in a showroom. Expectation is that it will fly next year. When it does it will be the only airworthy Tempest in the world, although there are a number under restoration to airworthy condition. The engine is not original as its a Pratt and Whitney 2600 where as the original had a Bristol Centaurs engine.

Another is also under restoration in Canada. This is the Napier Sabre powered one and thee have an engine to work with. They also acquired a complete Sabre engine from NZ that was ex RNZAF training aid at I think 4TTS in Woodbourne. They can't use the engine itself because it's a cutaway engine. They are using it to see how the engine works and where things fit etc. Kermit Weeks also ha a Tempest that he'll restore one day. It's a Centaurus powered one and he has the original Centaurus engine.

 

[At lakes]

C-121A “Bataan” Airborne

Another C121 Connie airworthy. General Douglas McArthur's aircraft which he named Bataan flew for the first time in many a year and also after a rebuild of a couple of years.

I am unsure of the flight status of the Connie at Albion Park in NSW as I did hear that it would not fly again for some time, the reason for which I am not aware.

Columbine II Which was the Presidents c121 is in the process of being rebuilt with the intention of getting it back to flight status. This rebuild appears to be ¾ of the way through.
The German airline Lufthansa have the fuselage of one and what they are going to do with it I am not aware.

There is a you tube video at the end of the article of the first flight

 

[ngatimozart]

Some video from the EAA Oshkosh meet.

 

[ngatimozart]

More EAA Oshkosh 2023

Lockheed Constellation that is recently restored as McArthurs aircraft.

 

[At lakes]

MAAM's Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's P-61 'Black Widow' Recovery and Restoration Project - The Widow's Web

Northrop P-61 Black Widow – July 2023 Restoration Update

There are four of these beasts in the world 3 of which are static displays in the US but after a 3 decade rebuild this one may fly.

 

[At lakes]

New Zealand P-3 Orion Retires to Air Force Museum of New Zealand

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Lockheed P-3K2 Orion NZ4203 will be delivered to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, in September 2023.

warbirdsnews.com

i placed this here as after 54 years in the air i think its safe to call her a veteran. She is currently at Woodbourne and will be trucked to Wigram for the RNZAF museum. Should be an interesting road trip.

 

[ngatimozart]

New Zealand P-3 Orion Retires to Air Force Museum of New Zealand

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Lockheed P-3K2 Orion NZ4203 will be delivered to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, in September 2023.

warbirdsnews.com

i placed this here as after 54 years in the air i think its safe to call her a veteran. She is currently at Woodbourne and will be trucked to Wigram for the RNZAF museum. Should be an interesting road trip.

Yep, the MAD boom is already at the museum. One of my old reprobate mates was helping moving it around the hard standing. Typical him he was watching the rest do the work.

 

[At lakes]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

NZ4203 being loaded on to a truck for transport to Christchurch. The article said it will take them 3 days to do the 300odd Km/s. Last time i did the trip it was 200 miles and 4 hours via several refueling stops on the way. The old car needed refueling as well. the good thing about the trip the pubs we stopped at didnt sell that sump water from the deep south of the south island.

 

[ngatimozart]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

NZ4203 being loaded on to a truck for transport to Christchurch. The article said it will take them 3 days to do the 300odd Km/s. Last time i did the trip it was 200 miles and 4 hours via several refueling stops on the way. The old car needed refueling as well. the good thing about the trip the pubs we stopped at didnt sell that sump water from the deep south of the south island.

It's oversize and can only travel during the night. There are corners on that trip where they will have to be real slow. Much like moving a house.

 

[At lakes]

RNZAF FG-1D Corsair Flies Again

New Zealand's Last Surviving FG-1D Corsair Has Flown Again

warbirdsnews.com

Looks like an ex RNZAF Corsair will be back in the air again soon. Recently ferried from Hood Aerodrome at Masterton in to Omaka near Blenheim in the south. I wish they would restore the RNZAF markings on it.

 

[ngatimozart]

RNZAF FG-1D Corsair Flies Again

New Zealand's Last Surviving FG-1D Corsair Has Flown Again

warbirdsnews.com

Looks like an ex RNZAF Corsair will be back in the air again soon. Recently ferried from Hood Aerodrome at Masterton in to Omaka near Blenheim in the south. I wish they would restore the RNZAF markings on it.

Yep that happened about 2 - 3 weeks ago.

 

[At lakes]

Avspecs Latest Mosquito Project NZ2308 Progress Report

Avspecs in Auckland are nearing completion of the 4th Mosquito to airworthy condition. With a couple of others in the pipe line. This one like most of the others is going to the US once its complete.

 

[ngatimozart]

Avspecs Latest Mosquito Project NZ2308 Progress Report

Avspecs in Auckland are nearing completion of the 4th Mosquito to airworthy condition. With a couple of others in the pipe line. This one like most of the others is going to the US once its complete.

Be nice to see one stay in NZ. There's also a DH Sea Hornet, a Douglas SDB-5 Dauntless, and a Vought OSU-3 Kingfisher being restored in Ardmore as well. When finished they will be the only airworthy examples of their types in the world.

 

[At lakes]

Hawker Tempest II Flies Again at Sywell Aerodrome

The first flight of Hawker Tempest II the only one airworthy in the world. The Bristol Centaurus Mk.VI powerplant is the only airworthy example of its type in the world.

There are a number of other Tempest / Typhoon restorations in progress throughout the world with another one in the UK and two in the US and I believe there is one nearing completion in Canada.

 

[At lakes]

‘Hector’: the world’s last flyable Short Belfast to return to the skies.

Now here is something different. The Short Belfast was retired from RAF service in 1976 and plodded on until 2009 when it was retired in Cairns in Queensland Australia. I say plodded because the dammed things were very slow. Now it looks like it may return to commercial operations after a major service.

 

[ngatimozart]

RNZAF F-4 Corsair NZ5648 is now flying in NZ. It's due to be at this weekends Wings Over Wairarapa at Masterton.



Source: (20+) Facebook

RNZAF P-51D Mustang NZ2423 will also be at Wings Over Wairarapa. 423 was the P-51D preserved by John Smith and found alongside his Mosquito.

Source: (20+) Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre, RNZAF Ohakea | Facebook