Vietnam aircraft recovery 1993?

Do these count? Apart from the Birddog (which famously landed on the USS Midway and now is on display at Pensacola), these F-5s and A-37s all fled from South Vietnam to Thailand in April 1975. The Dragonflies mostly went to other operators (South Korea, various Latin American countries), the F-5s both went abroad and to the USAF agressor units.

The picture is from USS Midway ferrying these aircraft back to the US after they were picked up in Thailand, May-June 1975.

Hi all

Six A 37 s at least came out of Vietnam and passed through Australia. Two of these fly with Temora Aviation Museum, one is still with Col Pay under restoration to fly, two went to NZ as mentioned and the last is in Montana as mentioned. There were about 40 plus Birdogs brought out of SEATO over the years to Aus and lots are flying. There are 20+ T28s in Aus from SEATO, several O2a sincluding Oscar Ducks. Some Bell 47 choppers were also liberated. I have counted nearly 40 Skyraiders still in Asia, 4 Bearcats in Nam and lots of C130s, CH 47Chinooks UH 1s, C47s etc – still lots of US hardware but all getting very tired and battered looking.

John P

There were also rumors of a downed French AU-1 located at SE Asia crash site. I heard that J.B. Salis was supposed to have traveled to the area to make attempts toward its recovery back around the early 1990’s, though I’m not sure if anything definitive became of the effort. The wreckage was reported to be suprisingly intact – leftovers from the French conflict at Dien Bien Phu.

You can find photos of captured American aircraft incorporated into the communist air force, now preserved at the VPAF museum in Hanoi:

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/Museums/VietnameseAirForce/index.html

The museum has an O-1, UH-1, Skyraider, F-5 and A-37, most of which are in communist colours.

These photos are copyrighted, please don’t steal them.

Richard.

Mark12, as the French used Spitfires in Indochina, is it possible that anything remains in Vietnam? Jan

Jan,

Over the years there have been a two or three ripples of possible French Spitfires and Seafires in Vietnam – all duly noted in the ‘Rumour book’ and non of which have surfaced to my knowledge.

If there, they are most likely to be be located in the NW of Vietnam.

Mark

The French AF deployed P-63C Kingcobras from 1949 until 1951. The last fifteen were withdrawn from use in 1951, and went to a disposal centre, Parc 482, at Bach Mai. No airframes were returned to France.

There’s a great article by Alain Pelletier on the French P-63s in Indochina in Air Enthusiast, issue 72. The article contains a list of all 114 P-63s received by the French. There’s also a brief mention of possible Kingcobras remaining in Vietnam.

Mark12, as the French used Spitfires in Indochina, is it possible that anything remains in Vietnam?

Regarding the Skyraiders, no less than 23 were noted at Bien Hoa in 1998. Only one was identified, A-1E Bu 132596. From memory, the Flypast article featuring these aircraft was written by someone from the company Aces High, and published in the early ‘nineties.

One A-1H, Bu 139723, was noted at the VPAF Museum in Hanoi in October 2002. Two A-1Hs can be found in Ho Chi Minh City, Bu 139674 at the War Remnants Museum, present between November 1997 and October 2002, and the wreck of s/n 287 at the Ho Chi Minh Campaign Museum, noted between November 1998 and December 2000. The latter Skyraider is supposedly the one shot down on 30 April 1975.

I’ve never seen a complete list of aircraft that have been brought out of Vietnam. Several O-1s, U-17s, A-37Bs have been recovered. Two of the latter were at one time (still?) at La Ferte Alais, France.

As for the Skyraiders, I want one!

Regards,

Jan

At least two have crossed the ditch to N.Z so far, one is currently airworthy and the other is under restoration.

ZK-JTL

Ok Folks,

Why not just ask Mr. Parker I’m sure he could enlighten us on all sort of stuff come and going from Nam.

RER

Love the looks of the plane 🙂

Curious what hoops he had to jump through to get it Stateside!

That Dragonfly came to MT via the aforementioned Australian connection. I used to have the SVAF serial number, I know the mechanic that maintains them has all that info.

Love the looks of the plane 🙂

Curious what hoops he had to jump through to get it Stateside!

Good morning Vietnam.

but last I heard the A-37’s had only made it as far as the Australian mainland, and the market demand in that country is what set the watermark for how many have been recovered so far. Any more insight on this!?

RobM,

I think one has escaped to Montana, N437B. 😉

Mark

I remember the articles covering this as well. There were a multitude of Skyraiders, UH-1 Hueys, AH-1 Cobras, and A-37 Dragonflys, many still parked in their wartime revetments – most of them still armed.

I know that an Australian company went some way in recovering some of the A-37’s, though I’m not sure if they were able to bring them ALL back (would love to know more on this).

The Skyraiders there would seem to be the most likely candidates for recovery, but I can’t recall hearing news of any of them being brought out. There were many dozens of R-3350’s still in their original preservation containers, just as they had arrived in theatre during the 1960’s!

The major issue that held up their recovery was international export laws if I remember correctly. I thought Bill Clinton was supposed to have lifted those restrictions at some point, but last I heard the A-37’s had only made it as far as the Australian mainland, and the market demand in that country is what set the watermark for how many have been recovered so far. Any more insight on this!?

There was and issue of flypast which had at one of the former usaf base about 5 or 6 brand new looking skyraiders complete with crated engines. just wondering what happened to them?

The article states Kingcobras, apperently the French(??) used them there at one point.

You sure it was King Cobras (P63) and not Huey Cobras (AH1)? The latter would seem a better bet – Nermal