I may be wrong but I think that to build an aircraft from scratch, you must hold the type certificate for that particular aircraft, or you must be licensed by the type certificate holder. That’s the only way that you will be able to build a ‘new’ Spitfire.

With a restoration, the aircraft already exists, but needs repairing. So as long as one pile of metal with dataplate goes into the hangar and an airplane comes out with the same dataplate on it, you’re legal.

In the US you do get new build warbirds sometimes but they get around this by registering this as a –insert name of person who restored it– P-51 Mustang in the experimental category. Basically you’ve then created a one-off home-built aircraft that happens to looks suspiciously like a Mustang.

A lot of small twins (think Piper Seminole/Seneca, Beech Baron) have heaters like that installed. I don’t know if they have evolved beyond 60’s technology but they work really well. Compared to a single engine piston type which doesn’t have heating available until you set takeoff power, these twins are just a bit more comfortable when operated in winter settings.

Edit: Flatcat‘s link shows the modern types that are used today. The basic operation is still the same though.

As for the P-51, Warbirdregistry has this list on its history:

Built by NAA at Inglewood Plant, 1944.
Delivered to USAAF as 44-63864, Dec. 1944.
– Served with 8th AF/78th FG/83rd FS.
– Flown by Lt. Hubert Davis as Twilight Tear/HL*W.
Delivered to Royal Swedish AF as Fv26158, June 17, 1949.
– Served with F16 at Uppsala coded K.
– Later served with F4 at Ostersund.
Henry Wallenburg & Co, Feb. 9, 1953.
– Overhauled by Svenska, Flygverkstaderna, Malmo.
Delivered to IDFAF as 38, 1953-1961.
Israeli Air Force Museum, 19??-1978.
– Reported open storage, Herzlia, Israel, 1978.
Israel Itzhaki, Sde-Dov (later Herzlia), Israel, March 1978-1986.
– Restored to airworthy, Herzilia, 1978-1984.
— Powerplant rebuilt by David Zeuschel/Zeuschel Raging Engines, Sylmar, CA.
– First flight, Herzlia, Feb. 5, 1984.
– Registered as 4X-AIM, Feb. 1984.
Novida AB/Flygexpo, Malmo, Sweden, Dec. 1986-1990.
– Registered as SE-BKG.
– Delivered to Malmo, Dec. 23, 1986.
– Flew as RSAF/Fv26158.
Cham S. Gill, Central Point, OR, May. 1991.
– Registered as N42805.
Kenneth A. Hake, Tipton, KS, 1992.
The Fighter Collection, Duxford, UK, March. 2002-2003.
– Registered as G-CBNM.

I took the photos above in 1994/1996 which means that there are some inconsistencies in this history. Or have I got the wrong airframe?

Mustangsmustangs has this:

44-63864: Delivered USAAF 12/14/44
WWII Vet: “Twilight Tear” coded HL W,
pilot Hubert Davis, Duxford, England
3 confirmed kills: 2 Me262, 1 Me109

1948 June: RSwAF 26158 F16 coded rD, gK
1953: Sold Israel as IDFAF 3506
Another P-51 (N251L) in Israel was sold with an id of 44-63864, then crashed in Iceland on return to USA. The pilot was killed.

At some point 44-63864(#1) was registered 4X-AIM in Israel. Upon arrival in Sweden, the paint was stripped, Swedish markings were found on the wings and in the tail the placard with the RSwAF number of 26158.

2002: March/April – 44-63864 sold to the Fighter Collection of Duxford. Will be ferried (flown) to the UK in early April 02.
2002: registered G-CBNM
2003: flying as “Twilight Tear”, former WWII 78th FG colors.
2007: word is that “Twilight Tear” is coming over the USA for the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in September!
2007: shortly after the GML, Twilight Tear was flown back to Chino for a complete restoration.

I don’t think the B-25 has flown since being re-registered as PH-XXV last year. They usually keep her on the ground during the winter for maintenance though. The Spitfire (MK732/PH-OUQ) has recently flown again having been repaired after a landing incident at EHGR.

As for the P-51s, the SKHV doesn’t own any, but the Early Birds Mustang has had its first engine runs, so first flight shouldn’t be far off.

For reference (from the links I posted above):

Fokker F.VIIa-3m:

Original Dutch built F.VIIa-3m.

Fokker (U.S) C-2:

Based on the Dutch F.VIIa-3m but modified with wider fuselage and different cockpit position

Fokker (U.S.) C-2A:

C-2 with a longer wingspan and other small changes. Last four aircraft had the wing engines moved further outboard to solve flutter problems.

Fokker (U.S.) C-7A (?):

The last C-2A was modified with three 330hp Wright R-975 engines to become the C-7A. The fin change could be related to the higher powered engines. But compare this image to the next one:

Fokker (U.S.) F-10A:

Listed as an ‘upgraded’ F7, but it is unclear whether this means that it evolved from the Dutch F.VII family or a U.S. built/designed derivative (note that Dutch designs use Roman numerals while U.S. types don’t). To confuse the issue the C-2 was known as the ‘model 7’ by Fokker.

Looking at the cockpits I’m not sure that the C-7A image shown here is correct either, it looks more like an F-10 than the C-2 it is supposedly derived from. On the ‘C-7A photo’ the cockpit is obviously different (further back than on the C-2(A)). Comparing these photos with the two images in the first post and this one from wilkofife I’d say that the NACA cowled aircraft is a modified C-2(A). It might even be the C-7A, which is substantiated by wilkofife‘s image in the second post.

It is listed at NACA Langley as a ‘Atlantic Fokker C-2 (AC 28-123)’. If that is the serial, perhaps it will show up in a production list somewhere?

Also please bear in mind that the F.VII is a Dutch built and designed aircraft, while this is a U.S. built and (partly) designed aircraft. The two factories were somewhat independent with the U.S. component building derived versions of the F.VII design.

Edit: There’s a pretty comprehensive list of civil Fokker’s here: http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index5/Civil/index5-2%20Fokker%20Civil%20Aircrafts.html and the military ones are here: http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index5/Military/index5-1%20Fokker%20Military%20Aircrafts.html. On both pages the U.S. built ones are at the bottom right of the page. Unfortunately the cowled version is not shown.