Col Pay P40 flies -New P40 flies in Australia

Another point is that even if an aircraft is advertised for a certain price, and gets sold, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it went for the asked amount! If an owner advertise an a/c for USD 1.5 mill. and no one buys, is it worth 1.5?

T J Johansen

This is great news for a P-40 fan like me.

Personally I’ll take a chance at seeing a P-40 fly over a Spit or a Mustang any day of the week. It make not be as sleek as the other two, but it’s certainly got a more rugged look, and that’s something I like in a fighter (Why do you think the Phantom is my favorite?). The P-40 is the most underrated fighter of World War II in my personal opinion.

Dave,
The confusion may have been between ‘cost to restore’ versus ‘cost to buy‘

There’s a major warbird infrastructure to rebuild P-51D and post Mk.V Spitfires… Anything else is harder, therefore more expensive to do. Hence the comparitive rarity of everything else, as the return on investment for rebuilding ‘something else’ be it a Yak 9, P-51A, Boomerang etc. isn’t as good as building (another) Mk.IX Spitfire or P51D.

Also, if you can use that infrastructure (Merlin engine, systems, rads etc) it gets a lot cheaper (still v.v. expensive, but…) hence the Marlin Martin Baker MB-5 alike has major P-51 parts (wing etc).

Cheers!

262’s.

Good point’s Chap’s 🙂 .
John as I understand it originally the 5 new build’s would be 3 two seater’s (with conversion to single as you mentioned), and two single seater pure fighter like 262’s.
A lot has happened in that time 😮 , with people passing away and moving the whole project elsewhere.
The landing mishap and of course the landing gear problem’s from the original design has now been sorted out as well.
I have not dropped a line to the guy who run’s the 262 project’s web site for a while, so this will be a good excuse too 🙂 , I’ll ask if the single seater’s are still going a head John, But it all come’s down to big money 😉 .
Cheer’s all, Tally :dev2: Ho! :dev2: Ho! :dev2: Ho! Phil :diablo: .(Merry Xmas :p )

Ah, ok. Thanks. I never had any cause to doubt Phil, he was a very highly respected pilot in the RNZAF and in the Warbirds community. But I guess everyone can make mistakes.

He was incidentally the pilot who unfortuntely crashed the P40K. Thankfully he was OK and it has been rebuilt, but unfortunately the lovely ‘K’ has left our shores.

Hi Dave

I think what I mean is I was saying as tactfully as I could manage – I don’t think a P40 was EVER worth the same as a Spit or a P51 – the price as I understand the market was always lower for a P40- This is reflected on the US comercial sales list prices and from what I understand they trade owners for in the UK. I am sure the guy you were talking to thought that way but the actual market reality was different.

Regards
John p

So what you’re saying is now flying P40’s are worth half that of a Spitfire, whereas before they were worth twice the cost?

Now that is depreciation!

Hi Dave

I think it has a lot to do with demand. Spitfires will always cost more because people want one or a P51 more than they want a P40 or P39 and lower still Yak 3s and 9s are very cheap because they aren’t as sought after. Just look at the problem Tim Wallace has had selling the Polikarpovs – to me very desireable but you can have 4 or 5 of them for the price of a Spit or currently 1 1/2 to 2 P40’s for the price of a Spit. It’s just supply and demand.

My thoughts

Regards
John P

It is a good point about the resurgence of the P40 in the air. I remember back in 1992 one day when Sir Tim Wallis’s P40K was oin our hangar, and I was chatting with Phil Murray who was it’s pilot.

He was saying that a flying P40 was worth double that of a Spitfire because they were so rare.

Now though thanks to the efforts of many restorers, especially in new Zealand and Australia, there are many more examples returning to the air. So does this mean their individual value will drop aling with that rarity factor?

Hi Phil

Thanks for your comments as always

One point – it was my understanding that the 262s being rebuilt/built in the USA were mostly two seaters BUT the aircraft was to come with a set of cockpit and canopy conversions that allowed it to quickly be reconfigured as a single seater. I don’t know if this in fact happened but it was the plan. Thus Phil you may see a single seater quicker than you thought if I am correct.

Anyone know about this

Regards
John P

Cooool

Cool thank’s for the goss on the P-40 John 😀 .
The Hawk’s seem to be making quiet a come back over the last few year’s, and I don’t think it’s over yet by a long shot 😉 .
I think the next ten year’s will be just bloody amazing in the warbird industrie’s around the World 😎 .
I used to dream this sort of happening’s as a early teen :rolleyes: , Saying to all that would listen if we built say 10 thousand of these 50 year’s ago, Why can we not build 10 now :confused: .
To be told it’s just impossible, It will never happen sorry never 🙁 .

BUT IT BLOODY WELL IS HAPPENING NOW 😮 😮 .(almost :p )
I am very excited about all the different project’s going on 🙂 🙂 🙂 .
But I will be in another place and time completely off the Planet 😮 :p , When the first single seat new build 262 take’s to the air 😎 😎 😎 .
Enough ramberling, Thank’s again John, Cheer’s all, :dev2: Tally Ho! Phil :diablo: .

Hi Dave

No his first one went back to the USA a few years ago after it was rebuilt from the crash landing. It is now flying in the states alongside the Seafire I believe in a Flying Tigers style color scheme

Regards
JohnP

Congrats to Mr Pay.

Does this mean he has two flying P40’s now? Or did he dispence of his original one?