Build WW2 Planes: Is It Possible?

[Pengwuino]

Seeing as the US is a good and nice capitalist system... and you seem to be able to buy practically anything otherwise... does anyone build WW2 aircraft? Wouldn't it be so cool to buy like an F4 Corsair... Hell if i had the money, id buy one just to stare at outside...

 

[Smurf]

I'm pretty sure that would fall under "restricted weapons" category. Maybe if you excluded the machine guns, or had fake ones, and no bomb pads either.

 

[Pengwuino]

wow, you canucks got some crazy law then :P We can have any airplane we want as long as it doesn't have actual weapons on it.

 

[Danger]

wow, you canucks got some crazy law then :P We can have any airplane we want as long as it doesn't have actual weapons on it.

We can, too. Most replicas use acetylene burners in fake machine guns. There's no law against bomb racks or bays, either, as long as you don't carry functional bombs. One of my buddies from that EAA that I mentioned belonging to owned and flew a P-51, and another flew actor Cliff Robertson's Spitfire at airshows for him. If someone up here had enough bucks, and was dumb enough to want one, he could own an F-18. One of the items in my 'If I had a million dollars' basket is a P-38. I just love those things.

 

[Pengwuino]

Ok ok back to the cool questin.

does anyone build WW2 aircraft? My absolute life dream would be to fly an F4U corsair.

 

[stoned]

I guess if you have enough cash they going to build replica of WW2 plane for you.
By the way my personal favourite is Focke-Wulf 190, simply master piece :!)

 

[Danger]

Ok ok back to the cool questin.

does anyone build WW2 aircraft? My absolute life dream would be to fly an F4U corsair.

I was going to recommend contacting the Confederate Air Force in Texas, but I found one closer to you. Check out http://www.orgsites.com/ca/caf-socal/

 

[FredGarvin]

If someone up here had enough bucks, and was dumb enough to want one, he could own an F-18.

I don't think that's possible. Most current military hardware is prohibited for general sale through government trade restrictions. I'd have to ask our leagal weenies at work the proper terminology is for it. The point is moot though.

The F4U was quite an aircraft after they worked the bugs out of it. It was one of my personal favorites from that era myself.

 

[Pengwuino]

You can own an F-18 Fred. Heck you can own an apache helicopter :D There was a show on i think the history channel or the military channel with people who owned all sortsa crazy stuff.

 

[brewnog]

My project supervisor got offered a Mig 23 for £100 when he was in China last year.


I'm not altogether sure I'm supposed to have shared that with you...

 

[Pengwuino]

lol wow... are they that desperate for money?

 

[Astronuc]

One of the items in my 'If I had a million dollars' basket is a P-38. I just love those things.

Definitely one of my favorites, too!

I would add the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Hawker Hurricane, and the DeHaviland Mosquito (only one around AFAIK).

I certainly could go for a Spitfire too.

Then for bombers the B-29 and B-24's.
http://www.cafb29b24.org/

The B-29 is affectionately known as Fifi, and IIRC she's the only one - http://www.cafb29b24.org/fifi.shtml

The was one B-29 found up in Alaska many years ago. Some guys rebuilt it and tried to fly it out - off some ice. But they forgot to shut off the aux power unit (APU) in the tail. The APU broke loose with the bumping around on the ice, the fuel line ruptured and they lost the plane. Nuts!

 

[Pengwuino]

How much do you guys think it would cost to get a corsair built? I swear... thatd make my life worth it :D

 

[Danger]

the DeHaviland Mosquito (only one around AFAIK).

None of those wooden planes had a great record for post-use shelf life. Too bad... They were at least as strong as the metal ones, but once you quit taking care of them, they rot.

I certainly could go for a Spitfire too.

Roger that, big time. I think that there are only 2 flying ones left. Robertson's is one, and the other is in Europe somewhere. That buddy of mine who flew Robertson's, by the way, swears up and down that he broke Mach in one of those suckers during a power dive in the Battle of Britain. I didn't think that the airframe would handle the transsonic shock, or that the service ceiling would give enough acceleration room. I'd love to hear from an aeronautical engineer (hint, hint) about that. He was there and I wasn't, but it still sounds a little hinkey.
For bombers, I'd take the B-25 Mitchell because you can fly it like a fighter. Also a Hudson (military version of the Lockheed 14) just because you need 5 arms to drive the thing.

The was one B-29 found up in Alaska many years ago. Some guys rebuilt it and tried to fly it out - off some ice. But they forgot to shut off the aux power unit (APU) in the tail. The APU broke loose with the bumping around on the ice, the fuel line ruptured and they lost the plane. Nuts!

That really is enough to make a guy . Do you happen to know what happened to the P-38's they were trying to get out of the ice in Scandanavia a few years back? They ran out of money, but I thought that they were going to regroup and hit it again. Weren't there like 5 of them or something? I think a whole flight ran out of fuel and had to ditch, or something like that.


edit: I usually avoid this subject, because it absolutely infuriates me, but it should be safe to mention it here. Above all else, I want an Arrow! (With the proper Iroquois engines that it was designed for, not those pansy little Orendas with which it broke every flight record in the world.)

 

[Danger]

How much do you guys think it would cost to get a corsair built?

I couldn't begin to guess. Things are way different here than where you are, and I don't even know what it would be here. A couple of hundred grand, I would expect, if you want an original restored to mint condition. I'd think that you could probably have a new one built according to the original blueprints for less. You'd probably have to go to an aerobatics engine if you can't find the original of that. I think that's the only way that you can get a radial any more. Again, I think that you'd be best off contacting one of the warbird clubs and talking to someone who has one.

 

[Pengwuino]

Yah i wouldn't think the plans were destroyed or no one kept copies or arent in any archives... You could probably get every part made through various places. I am sure someone builds radial engines like that or would be willing to build one... God knows if i could even find someone willing to sell theirs :) I know if i had one, i wouldn't let it out of my hands lol. Probably cost like $500,000 to get one and restore itto flying condition... Hell id be content on one that just looked like it :D

 

[Evo]

No mention of Heinkel? I had an ongoing joke with my first husband about one of their planes. He required me to learn about all WWII planes, although I built models of WWII planes as a child, so I wasn't completely unfamiliar.

 

[ray b]

try a million or two or three depends on the bird
there is a shop near orlando fl that rebuilds warbirds
when I was there 15 years ago they had a P-51 a me-109 and some 50's jets
all they really need is a # plate to rebuild a warbird
repo's have no real value without a tie to a real aircraft #


once apoun a time you could buy a surplus P-51 for $500
flight ready and full of av gas
parts were cheap too
but they are gone now mostly

 

[Pengwuino]

Whats a # plate?

And dang, i heard there's a lot of even early jet aircraft that you can buy from less then a million.

 

[ray b]

# plate = the ID # of the aircraft
they had a brass plate with the aircrafts info on it
who built it where when HP weight sub-type ect
like a VIN # for a car

http://www.corsair82.com/
here is a 8/10 scale F4U repro they are building

 

[ray b]

sure jets are cheaper
as they are not as rare or as sought after as WW2 warbirds
supply and demand set the prices

 

[Pengwuino]

Where do they get the aircraft for movies?? I know now they do a lot of computer addition... but i know Pearl Harbor had real plane chase scenes in real aircraft... Bet those kinds of places would know whre to get one or get oen built :D

 

[Danger]

No mention of Heinkel?

The Germans had some really nice stuff, the bastards. Me-109, Focke-Wulf 190, Me-262, Junkers 52...

I had an ongoing joke with my first husband about one of their planes.

Something you can share in public, or did it involve Fokkers? (Going back to our previous conversation, it wouldn't happen to have been the 'Salamander'—He-162—would it?)

 

[Pengwuino]

sure jets are cheaper
as they are not as rare or as sought after as WW2 warbirds
supply and demand set the prices

haha oh yah good point... crap :D

 

[Evo]

Something you can share in public, or did it involve Fokkers? (Going back to our previous conversation, it wouldn't happen to have been the 'Salamander'—He-162—would it?)

As yes the 'Salamander', no, the lizard reference was something else.

 

[Danger]

As yes the 'Salamander', no, the lizard reference was something else.

Yes, I remember it well. That is, after all, why I got that nice warm doggie suit out of storage.

 

[FredGarvin]

You can own an F-18 Fred. Heck you can own an apache helicopter :D There was a show on i think the history channel or the military channel with people who owned all sortsa crazy stuff.

No you absolutely can not own a piece of hardware like that if it is in the current military active inventory. Go ahead and ask Boeing or MD if you can buy one. Even if you were Bill Gates they'd tell you no. All sorts of crazy stuff does not include high end items that our forces use. If you have ever been a part of ANY government procurment process you would know. Do you think they are rolling off an assembly line and sitting in a lot with for sale signs on them? No. The government puts orders in years a head of time and the production runs match those requirements. Every single tool, nut bolt, etc...belongs to the US government on those projects. You can't even go to Arizona to the graveyards and buy an F-4 that has been retired for years. They government will not allow it.

You can get surplus items all day long but they have to go through the red tape and be "released" from government control.

 

[FredGarvin]

Where do they get the aircraft for movies?? I know now they do a lot of computer addition... but i know Pearl Harbor had real plane chase scenes in real aircraft... Bet those kinds of places would know whre to get one or get oen built :D

They are either privately owned or they use RC models.

And dang, i heard there's a lot of even early jet aircraft that you can buy from less then a million.

You can possibly buy one for that. That does not take into account the amount of money to get jet rated to be able to even fly the thing, then there is the matter of getting it flying and keeping it flying. The time between inspections and overhauls for a WWII era plane will be a lot longer than a jet engine aircraft. Also, you'd want to consider getting your A&P so you could do some of the work yourself and not have to pay to have someone do everything.

 

[Astronuc]

No mention of Heinkel?

Heinkel and Dornier made great targets for the RAF.

He required me to learn about all WWII planes, . . . .

Required? Sorry, but he sounds like a nut.

although I built models of WWII planes as a child, . . . .

Way cool.

 

[Astronuc]

Re: Spitfires

I think that there are only 2 flying ones left. Robertson's is one, and the other is in Europe somewhere. That buddy of mine who flew Robertson's, by the way, swears up and down that he broke Mach in one of those suckers during a power dive in the Battle of Britain. I didn't think that the airframe would handle the transsonic shock, or that the service ceiling would give enough acceleration room. I'd love to hear from an aeronautical engineer (hint, hint) about that. He was there and I wasn't, but it still sounds a little hinkey.

According to http://www.warbirdalley.com/spit.htm, there are still ~50 Spitfires in air-worthy condition. I don't know the status of all though.

I built a model P-47 and the literature that came with it indicated that it was the first propeller aircraft to break the sound barrier - in a power dive. It was probably the only one with a sufficiently strong frame to do that. The literature also said that a P-47 flew through a brick wall with the implication that the pilot walked away and the fuselage was intact. I don't think a Spitfire was strong enough to withstand the forces.

Do you happen to know what happened to the P-38's they were trying to get out of the ice in Scandanavia a few years back?

I don't know about the Lightning's in Scandanavia This article - http://www.warbirdalley.com/p38.htm - indicates only 7 airworthy. The article shows Joltin Josie, which I think is the one I saw at an airshow many moons ago.

 

[FredGarvin]

The P-38 was restored and flown. There was a show on the discovery channel about the first flight.

http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl-continued.htm

A fantastic resource for this area is the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Granted, they do slant towards the RCAF and the RAF, but their collection is astounding. They have the only flying Lancaster as far as I know. They also have a Spitfire.

http://www.warplane.com/pages/aircraft.html

 

[Danger]

You can get surplus items all day long but they have to go through the red tape and be "released" from government control.

Okay, I don't know what the procedure was, but that buddy who drove the Spit had a friend outside of the club who owned and flew an F-4C PII.
You aren't taking into account the international arms dealers either. In South America and most of Africa, you can buy anything that you can afford including Tornados, Jaguars, F-16's, SAM 7's... you name it. Bringing them home might not be that easy. Vampire jets were a dime a dozen in Argentina a couple of decades back, and F-5's (one of my favourites) are popular everywhere.

They are either privately owned or they use RC models.

Also, some are redressed common planes. A family a few miles from here owns 5 Harvards that they rent out. Any full-scale Japanese Zero that you see in a movie is one of those. They're very hard to tell from the real thing.

Sorry, but he sounds like a nut.

Well... he did marry Evo...



I shouldn't scoff, though. I'm trying very hard to be her next ex-husband.

Re: Spitfires

According to http://www.warbirdalley.com/spit.htm, there are still ~50 Spitfires in air-worthy condition. I don't know the status of all though.

Maybe it was 2 in North America... I'm easily confused.

It was probably the only one with a sufficiently strong frame to do that.

Believe it or not, the Ju-52—which has to be the butt-ugliest thing ever designed with wings on it—had no airframe redline. It had nowhere near the power needed for Mach-busting, but still...

The literature also said that a P-47 flew through a brick wall with the implication that the pilot walked away and the fuselage was intact.

That doesn't speak too highly of the pilot; most try to avoid that.

I don't think a Spitfire was strong enough to withstand the forces.

Wouldn't need to. British pilots fly through air.

A fantastic resource for this area is the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

There's a very nice museum in Hangar 10 at Calgary International as well.

Thanks both for the links. I don't have time to check them now, but I definitely will later.

 

[FredGarvin]

Okay, I don't know what the procedure was, but that buddy who drove the Spit had a friend outside of the club who owned and flew an F-4C PII.
You aren't taking into account the international arms dealers either. In South America and most of Africa, you can buy anything that you can afford including Tornados, Jaguars, F-16's, SAM 7's... you name it. Bringing them home might not be that easy. Vampire jets were a dime a dozen in Argentina a couple of decades back, and F-5's (one of my favourites) are popular everywhere.

No one can vouch for foreign countries. However, in the case of the aircraft mentioned before, there are not that many countries that operate them. There's a vampire sitting on the ramp right across from our manufacturing plant. It was bought from the Swedes.

Also, some are redressed common planes. A family a few miles from here owns 5 Harvards that they rent out. Any full-scale Japanese Zero that you see in a movie is one of those. They're very hard to tell from the real thing.

Now you're really showing your Canadian side! Those are AT-6's for us yanks.