I have also photographed this dataplate in the cockpit: does anyone what means the references?

These are the numbers of published British patent applications or patent specifications, and at the time unpublished applications (the last ones with the /). The placard was probably put there to advertise the fact that components of the aircraft were patented (or expected to be) and that copying the components in question would result in the infringer being taken to court and possibly ordered to pay damages and or licencing fees. You can probably retrieve these patents here:

http://gb.espacenet.com

The floatplane in Photo 2 is Lindbergh’s Lockheed Sirius (not Orion), the jet formatting on a P-47 is a SIPA Minijet and the aircraft Dave thinks should have been in “Dark Blue World” are Fokker D.XXI in Dutch (not Czech… 😀 ) markings 😎

@ Arm Waver: What is that aircraft in your avatar – a Klemm ?

Is that parachute system why the CAA wont certificate them? There are plenty of Cirrus’s in Europe but all seem to stay on the N register. Comments?

I read somewhere that it’s its Avidyne Entegra (spelling?) “glass cockpit” which is preventing European certification as its makers have not yet brought it through that process.

My opinion is that the ressources are better spent on ensuring preservation of the large aircraft currently around and much in need of it, i.e. the Beverley. Just who has the ressources to recover, preserve and restore a large aircraft from a lake? This all reminds me a bit of the attempts to clone dinosaurs while thousand of other existing species are endangered.

You were in the wrong country today.. 😀 Munich (EDDM) was CAVOK all day…. 🙂

The Internationale Luftfahrtausstellung (ILA) in Berlin in May looks promising. The recently reflown Dornier DO 24-ATT is a confirmed participant, as is the new Messerschmitt M.17 replica and the Messerschmitt-Foundation’s Bf 109G-6. Persistent rumours on German boards claim a high likelihood of the Flugwerk FW190 making an appearance. Website: http://www.ila-berlin.de

As far as I know, both of the SM79s in Italy are ex-Lebanese aircraft, the one in the Caproni Museum is even displayed in corresponding markings. Fascinating photo; might be worthwile to raise Gregory Alegi’s or Mikael Olrog’s attention on this over at WIX.

The figures quoted here reflect the fact that it is not so much the acquisition cost for a warbird which is prohibitive, but rather the operating costs. Or, to put it in another way, you’d still need to have an income way above average, if someone would give you one free. I find even the operating costs of a standard, modern single-engine single frightening.

In fact, warbirds appear to me to be dirt cheap compared with that other delectable (and comparable) collector’s item vintage and classic cars. What would be the highest imaginable price for an ultrarare airworthy WWII warbird? 3,000,000 $ ? I could think of a number of classic cars which command much, much higher prices than that. The going rate for a Ferrari 250 GTO is at least twice as much, if I recall correctly.

I am sure you’d find the odd arrogant warbird operator here and there, but 99% of them display their aircraft in public. Which is in stark contrast to what happens to many classic cars, which are bought by (really) rich collectors only to be stashed away for years without being seen again (as with the Bugatti Royale in Japan). That’s arrogance to me. Most of them also trucked to events and driven only a few paces there (e.g. at Pebble Beach).

Lastly, there are lots of relatively cheap warbirds around with plenty of history. $ 200,000 should get you a C-47 in excellent condition, most of which have a more chequered history than many of the fighters flying today.