With the end of the war now 70 years in the past, how many ‘wartime’ era aircraft are still working ?
Dakotas of course, especially in South America, C-46’s in Canada, some Beech 18’s, Grumman Geese, but what else I wonder.
If you (loosely ) call Meteors a WW2 type, there are 2 of them still used for trials, and B25’s have recently been employed as camera ships.
I think the last spraying Avengers are retired now, as well as the Privateer water bombers.
By: charliehunt - 4th January 2015 at 08:40
The OP erroneously listed “Geese” – Gooses of course!! I read somewhere that about 30 are still airworthy but someone might have more accurate information.
By: ericmunk - 4th January 2015 at 08:05
Grumman Goose (although I seem to recall the last operational comemrcial example was retired last year?).
By: charliehunt - 4th January 2015 at 05:36
After the last couple of posts it looks as though the OP’s question has been answered and the thread has run its course.
By: Mike J - 3rd January 2015 at 22:23
Not in anything like the form we know today. It is a postwar aircraft, however far you try (and fail) to stretch the point.
By: j_jza80 - 3rd January 2015 at 21:58
No you can’t. However much you ‘stretch the rules’, B-52s, Canberras and C-130s are not ‘WW2 era aircraft’ in any way, shape or form.
The Canberra was on the drawing board at the end of ww2…:D
By: charliehunt - 3rd January 2015 at 17:04
You must have missed the Piper Cub and Auster posts as well as a stack of others – the post ’45 contributions have not taken up much of your valuable space!:)
By: Sabrejet - 3rd January 2015 at 16:59
Well this thread well and truly drifted. I was interested when the discussion was running to PBY’s etc still earning their keep, but since the topic was (supposedly) WW2-era, I can’t see any point discussing anything post-1945.
So can we have a go again?
As a kick-starter, does anyone know if P-51s are still being subcontracted for US (Navy?) test pilot training?
By: Mike J - 3rd January 2015 at 16:15
No you can’t. However much you ‘stretch the rules’, B-52s, Canberras and C-130s are not ‘WW2 era aircraft’ in any way, shape or form.
By: bloodnok - 3rd January 2015 at 12:50
With apologies for a degree of drift but the B52, first flown only 8 years after the end of the war, in service 2 years later, 10 % of the total built still in service and scheduled to remain in service until 2045, 90 years all told, remains the most outstanding of service longevity.
You could also add the C-130 into the mix if you are stretching the rules….
By: j_jza80 - 2nd January 2015 at 19:17
The Canberra 🙂 still in service, albeit in highly modified form, with NASA.
By: charliehunt - 2nd January 2015 at 17:00
That’s for sure and there are probably a few Austers still flying – especially in Australia and NZ, I would guess.
By: low'n'slow - 2nd January 2015 at 16:51
Probably the most numerous must be the Piper J3 / L-4 Cub. Certainly several hundred, if not thousands still airworthy.
….including Propstrike’s!
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By: jeepman - 2nd January 2015 at 12:22
Not planes I know, but the Royal Marines are still using 4 DUKWs (“Ducks”) at Instow in Devon as part of the trials unit there.
By: charliehunt - 2nd January 2015 at 05:49
Sounds positive for life extension!!;)
By: Bager1968 - 2nd January 2015 at 01:34
New computer & communication systems, including full data-links between B-52s and between B-52s and ground controllers, increase in JDAM capacity from 12 to 20, etc.
http://www.dodbuzz.com/2013/07/12/air-force-begins-massive-b-52-overhaul/
Possible re-engining as well as other upgrades:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2014/12/02/upgrades-eyed-fleet/19806993/
Upgrades eyed for B-52 fleet
John Andrew Prime, [email]jprime@gannett.com[/email] 7:43 p.m. CST December 2, 2014Air Force Global Strike Command head Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson recently shared strategic bombing thoughts with other military and industry professionals at the Billy Mitchell Institute in Washington and noted that while the plan now remains to keep the B-52 in service “through 2040, I think that (we) will go beyond that. We’ve got another 25 years of the B-52. Plus.”
Possible AESA radar for BUFF:
http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2014/03/aesa-bomber-upgrades.html
By: J Boyle - 2nd January 2015 at 01:16
The USAF announced its intention to maintain it in service until 2045 and the upgrade programmes were announced in 2013. Or have they been rescinded?
I’m no longer on their mailing list. 🙂
I thought it was 2030….but could be wrong.
But with budgets being what they are, I wouldn’t etch anything is stone.
By: charliehunt - 1st January 2015 at 22:47
The USAF announced its intention to maintain it in service until 2045 and the upgrade programmes were announced in 2013. Or have they been rescinded?
By: J Boyle - 1st January 2015 at 22:11
To extend the comparisons I wonder if any of those you have both mentioned will still be operational in 2045………
The B-52 will be gone by then…after all it’s latest versions will be 83 in 2045.
This is where time favors the small, inexpensive easy to maintain “light” civil types. I’m sure there will still be Cubs, Stearmans, Tiger Moths flying then.
Governments can’t afford to keep ancients around for nostalgia (except for the BBMF) but private owners can.
By: Stan Smith - 1st January 2015 at 21:40
The list can go on and on and on. We have Tiger, Fox, Dragon, L4 Cub, Auster and Proctor operating, with Moth Major, Messenger and Gemini on the way
By: charliehunt - 1st January 2015 at 20:12
To extend the comparisons I wonder if any of those you have both mentioned will still be operational in 2045………
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January 1, 2015 at 12:34 pm