Airworthy veterans

Brendon Deere’s Spitfire IXc PV270 has documented service history with 225 Sqn RAF….although this consists mainly of “tactical reconnaisance” and “artillery ranging”, does this count (http://www.integration.co.nz/spitfirepv270/225squadron.htm)? It is also apparently known to have flown operationally with the air force of Burma against Kuomintang guerilla forces.

Don’t see why not.

Keep ’em coming, folks. There must be heaps more….

Can you include DC 3’s or C47’s?

Speaking of which, the T-6 ‘Texan Tomcat’ under restoration to flight with Beech Restorations served as a counter insurgency aircraft with the French Air Force in Algeria, fitted with rocket pods and machine gun packs

Rob Davies’ Harvard Mk.4 G-TVIJ saw combat with the Portuguese Air Force in Angola in the early 70s.

Martin

Richard Webber’s Auster III MT438 certainly saw action in the far east, as did a respectable number of other Austers still airworthy

Maurice Hammonds P51 Marinell.

Spitfire TB863
NZ-based P-40N ‘Currawong’
Corsair NZ5648 (?)
Temora’s Wirraway A20-653 saw active service on Bougainville
Temora’s Hudson A16-112

Post WWII there would be heaps I guess, from Sea Furies to Sabres… Dozens of the Cessna Dragonfly jets and other types like Skyraiders, etc, on the warbird scene now were retrieved from Vietnam where they saw combat.

CWH Lancaster FM213 could fall into this as she has the centre section from Combat veteran KB895 Lady Orchid.

Plane Heritage’s L4H (when it flies) is a veteran of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944….

Ed. Russells me 109 flown by one hans j marseille 1940′
shot down 1 spitfire 5 /9/40. in combat the german ace ran out of fuel crash landed on Beach off coast recovered then Done up. to be sent to Russia Jg 5 again shot down crash landed left there to 1988. found then recovered.
terry

i have photograpth of this plane in a well Bad state. intact when found in the snow in Russia.
terry

Ed. Russells me 109 flown by one hans j marseille 1940′
shot down 1 spitfire 5 /9/40. in combat the german ace ran out of fuel crash landed on Beach off coast recovered then Done up. to be sent to Russia Jg 5 again shot down crash landed left there to 1988. found then recovered.
terry

I have a very nice television interview with Ed Russell in 2000 made for Battle of Britain anversary……….on this me 109 .
terry

A couple of years ago, the “other magazine” published an impressive list of warbirds (fighters, bombers and other assorted attack aircraft) that had actual, proven combat records.

Since then, of course, more warbirds have flown, so I thought it might be a good idea to update/amend the list!

So, to start us off….

TFC Hawk 75
FHC Bf109E
Ed Russell’s Bf109E-7
Spitfire IIa P7350
Spitfire VB AB910
Spitfire VC AR501
Spitfire VC AR614
Spitfire VB BL628
Spitfire VB BM597
Spitfire VB EP120
Spitfire Vc JG891
Spitfire VIIIc MT719 (I think?)
Spitfire IX MH434
Spitfire IXc MK732
Spitfire Tr.IX ML407
Spitfire IXe ML417

(a bit of variety!)
TFC P-40B (I think??)
B-17G “Pink Lady”

I remember a Catalina being on the list as well….

Come on, chaps, chip in! 🙂

Ed. Russells me 109 flown by one hans j marseille 1940′
shot down 1 spitfire 5 /9/40. in combat the german ace ran out of fuel crash landed on Beach off coast recovered then Done up. to be sent to Russia Jg 5 again shot down crash landed left there to 1988. found then recovered.
terry

FHC P-40C 41-13390
Planes of fame SBD Dauntless

Must be a few other P-40’s as well as a number of P-51’s to add to the list.

Peter Vacher’s Hurricane, R4118
Alpine Fighter Collection Hurricane, P3351

Planes of Fame’s A6M5 Zero – another contender?

Dutch Catalina PH-PBY sunk a U-boat.

TFC’s Hellcat (40467) springs to mind-Lt Alex Vraciu accounted for 9 enemy aircraft in it

The CAF’s Arizona Wing B-25J…43-35972
from their website…

Accortding to the “other” forum, it flew for the first time since 1981 today….
See photos at: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=30188

“Flying out of Serraggia in Corsica during 1944-45 with the 319 Bomb Group, this B-25J flew 15 combat missions against the Axis in Italy. Restoration is very extensive due to the condition of the aircraft but when the Arizona Wing finishes this B-25J, it will be restored to its 1944 configuration.”

Mission Date Target
418 November 4, 1944 Piazzola RR Bridge, Italy
434 November 10, 1944 Casale Monferrato RR Bridge, Italy
443 November 14, 1944 San Michele RR Bridge, Italy
445 November 17, 1944 Tomba RR Bridge, Italy
450 November 19, 1944 Obedisca RR Bridge, Yugoslavia
451 November 27, 1944 Faenza Defense Area #1, Italy
461 November 28, 1944 Casale Monferrato RR Bridge, Italy
465 December 2, 1944 Nervesa RR Bridge, Italy
467 December 3, 1944 Obedisca RR Bridge, Yugoslavia
469 December 19, 1944 San Ambrogio Rail Block, Brenner
476 December 22, 1944 Pontetidone RR Bridge, Italy
478 December 26, 1944 San Ambrogio Rail Block, Brenner
480 December 27, 1944 Chiusaforte RR Bridge, Italy
484 December 28, 1944 Chiusaforte RR Bridge, Italy
492 December 31, 1944 Chiusaforte RR Bridge, Italy