XP-82 Twin Mustang Nears First Flight

A North American XP-82 Twin Mustang is nearing is first flight after a ten year restoration. EAA has produced a video that is worth watching. I am beyond excited to hear of its first flight!

Links - XP-82 Twin Mustang Web Site

Grumman J2F-4 Video

When the video footage is too good NOT to post! Sit back and watch the air to air video by Scott Urschel. The Mid America Flight Museum's Duck flown by Kelly Mahon.

https://youtu.be/-kX-CwMJ-is

Grumman Duck N63850 - One of a kind

Grumman Duck NL63850

One of only four flyable aircraft that survived America’s “Day of Infamy” is now based in East Texas alongside one of its fellow survivors. In 2017 the Mid America Flight Museum in Mount Pleasant, Texas acquired a rare Grumman J2F-4 Duck, Bureau Number 1649. 1649 is a very historic Grumman built Duck as it was on Pearl Harbor the day of the December 7^th attack. It survived and went to serve in the South Pacific. After the war it made it to the U.S. civilian registry as N63850. Sadly, it crashed in the 1950s.

An ambitious enthusiast recovered the airframe of 1649 from its crash site on the bottom of a lake in the Bahamas. The restoration project was sold to aircraft collector Chuck Greenhill from Illinois. After a multi-year rebuilt with Wichita Air Services in Kansas 1649 flew again in 2005. It went on to earn the EAA Grand Champion Warbird award at Oshkosh in 2007. Mid America purchased the Duck from Mr. Greenhill.

Vintage airplane collector, Scott Glover, has built up the Mid America Flight Museum into a history preserving, flyable collection. His love for vintage aircraft is evident by his many hangars of amazing airplanes. His respect for veterans shows when he hosts events at his museum and gives rides to the veterans and their families. In the Fall of 2017 Mid America hosted a veteran’s event and owner, Scott Glover and pilot Kelly Mahon gave rides to many special guests in the newly acquired Duck.

--> Now that the Duck has been added to the museum, Mid America now has two flyable Pearl Harbor survivors. Ford Trimotor NC9612 was also on Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941.

Navy birds

My dad, son and I made the drive out to visit the airport during a World War Two pilot reunion in mid-October. The Duck was on our must see list so we sought it out and gave it a good walk around. Featured below are photos of Grumman Duck NL63850.

I believe this Duck to be one of a kind because of its Pearl Harbor history. Yes, other Duck's survive but none like this one. This one is on the same airport as a Ford Trimotor that was also on the island December 7th, 1941. Thank you to Mid America Flight Museum for saving and flying history!

Ford Trimotor NC9612

Links - Grumman Duck Video - Mid America Flight Museum

Breckenridge Warbird Airshow May 2017

Mustang on takeoff

When the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce and Ezell Aviation announced the return of the Breckenridge Airshow for 2017 my dad and I were beyond excited. Known for its lineup of rare aircraft and their spirited flying displays the Breckenridge, Texas airshow was legendary to Warbird enthusiasts in the 1980s and 1990s. We attended the previous Breckenridge airshows twenty years ago and had such great memories of watching the historic aircraft fly. I knew that sharing the event with my son and my dad would make even more great memories.

The Corsair at the airport entrance

We drove the 100 mile trip west on the Friday before the show to see the early arrivals. The Ezell Aviation hangar was full of visiting airshow aircraft as well as current restoration projects. Right away we spotted several Corsairs, two Sea Furies, a Lightning, a Tigercat, a Bearcat and more. My son was wide eyed seeing so many warbirds all under one roof! It was fun to catch up with friends and walk around the aircraft in the hangar. To escape the hot afternoon sun we left the airport for our hotel in Eastland about thirty minutes south. The evening conversations had us guessing what might show up at the airport the next day.

Brennen with the Corsair in the hangar

After a quick breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning my dad, son and I headed to the airport to see the action. The airport was alive with the sound of Warbirds! Like shows of the past, the general public was allowed to roam the ramp among the airplanes. Marshals directed the aircraft and the people for safe operations on the ramp. The sun was heating up fast so we found some shade under a C-47 to watch arriving aircraft. Two B-25s took to the skies as other warbirds arrived for the Sunday show. The day was one of the warmest days of the year with temperatures in the high 90s. In order have the energy to watch the full airshow on Sunday, we retreated to the hotel air conditioning for the afternoon. We did miss the practice airshow that afternoon but after dinner we visited the airport again to try and catch some flying. We were treated to an awesome display of four Corsairs flying over the airport in tribute to the late Howard Pardue. Pardue, along with his friends, hosted the airshow in years past. The big grin on my son’s face was evidence of the excitement that was building for next day’s airshow.

Corsair flyby

To help enjoy the show even more I made a “spotters book” for my son so he could check off the airplanes he saw at the show. The notebook had copies of Warbird airplane drawings pasted inside. Brennen pulled out his pen and started checking off the airplanes he recognized on the ramp. My dad and I were not surprised that he knew his Warbirds!

Brennen and PopPop with a Mustang

Cooler temperatures greeted us when we walked out of the hotel Sunday morning. The hot Texas sun was defused with the passing clouds. We wandered the ramp again looking over the variety of World War Two aircraft that included Mustangs, Corsairs, Trojans, Texans, a Lightning, a Tigercat, a Helldiver, an Avenger, a Wildcat, a Spitfire, and replica Japanese Zeros and Kate from the Tora, Tora, Tora airshow act. Along with the airplane watching we caught up with old friends and shared stories of recent aviation adventures.

On the airshow line 

Snack time!

The ramp was cleared right after lunch time and the pilots made their way to the aircraft to start the airshow. We found our spot on the North end of the show line so we could watch the action. The sky filled with the sights and sounds of vintage aircraft. The Tora, Tora, Tora Pearl Harbor reenactment, Warbird aerobatics, formation flybys and the finale featuring the Texas Flying Legends. Our boy was cautious in his excitement at first with all the pyrotechnics displayed as bombs but once he saw the correlation to the flying action he moved right up to the show line. A few passing rain showers did not deter us from staying for the entire show.

Helldiver flyby

Afterwards we visited with pilots and watched the other Warbirds take off for home. At these small town airshows I enjoy that we can get up close and personal with the pilots and the historic aircraft. As we drove home my son quickly fell asleep and Dad and I recounted our highlights from the weekend. We will return again next Memorial Day weekend to the Breckenridge airshow.

Visit my online photo album at this link… Flickr Photo Album

Back in 2014 I published a book of the event titled “Breckenridge Warbirds” that feature photos of airshows from years past. Follow this link to buy the book.

Springtime Bomber Visit - Love Field

Back in the Spring I took our boy to visit the Collings Foundation aircraft that were on tour. The Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field hosted the B-17, B-24, B-25 and TF-51. Brennen and I always enjoy a visit to the museum and sure love seeing the Warbirds up close.

B-17

B-24

Bomber Boys

B-25 and TF-51

Brennen naming the models

North American Yale Prototype

When hangar flying discussions turn to rare airplanes I pay attention. Especially when the word prototype is tossed in! While visiting a friends hangar he said he had completed the fabric and paint work on the rudder of a North American Yale. Not just any Yale but the prototype NA-64. The fixed gear trainer from the T-6 family of aircraft. The project was coming together after about two years of refurbishment and I wanted to see it!

It was an odd Thursday afternoon in February 2017 that I had taken off work to spend time with my son. He loves to visit the local airports so we drove around Hicks Airfield in Ft. Worth. After stopping to visit a few friends and asking about the Yale we were coming up with no clues on it’s whereabouts. Feeling pretty bummed we started to leave the airport. At the last taxiway I looked back over my shoulder and spotted the Yale! It had just been pulled out of the hangar for an engine run! We found it!

The owner, Mark Cyrier, told me the story of finding the airplane, Yale NX13397, and it’s refurbishment. Some photos and part of the story are posted on the Warbird Information Exchange forum - follow this link…

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=56209

We almost missed it... so it was very cool to finally find the Yale that I had been hunting for.

Mark sent me an email today to report that it has flown 15 hours. This just might be the oldest flying North American trainer currently airworthy.

Cowtown T-6 Texan

In June, just as we pulled into the Propwash airport, a radial engine broke the silence and pealed off to land. My boy and I were on an outing to drop in on the Cowtown Aerocrafters hangar in Justin, Texas. We watched as Lanny Parcell and his son landed in the newly restored AT-6 Texan. The gang at Cowtown had this T-6 in storage for a long time and spent the last few years bringing it up to flying status. A fine T-6 now graces the skies over Texas. The glint off the polished skin will have you reaching for your sunglasses! On our visit preparations were being made for the big trip to Oshkosh. (Lanny and Tom Swindle made the trip up and back successfully.) Below are a series of photos from the visit in June.

Cowtown T-6 Gleaming in the Texas sun

Search for "Cowtown Aerocrafters" on Facebook to follow along on their restorations.

Corsairs at Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Back in May I took my boy over to see the Warbirds at the Cavanaught Flight Museum. The day worked out perfectly with great weather and plenty of flying Warbirds. It was great to see the two Corsairs flying together! Highly recommend visiting this museum especially on their "fly days" they have twice a year.

Navy folding wings

Cavanaugh Corsair

Visiting Corsair from Oklahoma

Cavanaugh Skyraider

Cavanaugh Mustang

Brennen swinging his hand around to the engine sound

Corsair departing for flybys

Brennen inspecting the Corsairs

Mustang engine start

Cavanaugh Warhawk

Link - Cavanaugh Flight Museum

Cavanaugh Flight Museum Fall Fly Days

Back in September the Cavanaugh Flight Museum hosted a Fall Fly Days.  Some of the visiting aircraft were from Texas Flying Legends. It was great to see three P-40 Warhawks flying together! Along with a Zero, Avenger and another visitor from Florida, the Reno Air Racer Precious Metal. The weather was perfect so the day produced memorable sites, sounds and photographs.

Texas Flying Legends P-40E

Texas Flying Legends P-40K

Cavanaugh P-40N

P-40E on takeoff

P-40K at gear up

P-40 art

Zero and Avenger

Happy Jack's Go Buggy P-51D

Precious Metal

Links - Cavanaugh Flight Museum - Texas Flying Legends - Precious Metal Air Racing

Classic Fighters 2011 - New Zealand Airshow

Pictures are being posted on the internet forums from the Classic Fighters show down in New Zealand.  Follow the link below and be sure to click thru all of the pages!

http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=airshow&action=display&thread=13238&page=1

Warbirds For Sale - 2011

So, you have been saving your Benjamins.  Working hard so you can buy that toy you dreamed of as a kid, or as an adult?  That bank account balance looks high enough to achieve the dream.  Where do you find your dream machine?  Wheel that office chair up to computer and start shopping.

The internet is where I turn when seeking out who is buying, selling and flying vintage aircraft.  In the aviation world, Warbirds seem to have the most coverage on the internet so a good number of web sites, blogs and forums are listed when searching the subject. If you happened to have landed here from an internet search engine, welcome and below you will find links to the Warbird sites that I frequently visit.  Whether you are an enthusiast tracking Warbird sales out of curiosity or a serious shopper for a rare Warbird these are the links where they can be found.

Courtesy Aircraft Sales
Platinum Fighter Sales
Barnstormers
Trade A Plane