Recovered Warbirds Thread

[Stuart Galbraith]

I idly wonder if an Allison would fit. Probably too large.

Anyway, im sure they will figure it out. considering what a first rate job they made of the cockpit, they clearly have a good skillset.

[alejandro_]

On 10/15/2023 at 8:02 AM, Stuart Galbraith said:

I wonder if a V12 out of a Jag, or even a CVRT, would be adequate. The main problem would be the reduction gear I would think.

Some US engines seem to be readily available, like the V-1710, which is also used in Yak-9 replicas. You might just install one of this instead of spending money and time in a one off.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, I dont think its going to work. The problem is the dimension. If you look at theV1710 and the RR Peregrine, you can see the problem.

V-1710-F30R

• Length: 86 in (2,184 mm)
• Width: 29.3 in (744 mm)
• Height: 37.6 in (955 mm)

Peregrine I

 

• Length: 73.6 in (1,869 mm)
• Width: 27.1 in (688 mm)
• Height: 41.0 in (1,041 mm)

Its got CG problem written all over it.

[Tim Sielbeck]

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Dutch really go hard on this kind of thing, makes our efforts in comparison  rather shameful.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Update on the Lancaster restoration  at East Kirby.

https://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/lancaster-nx611-just-jane-restoration-update-202.html

[Tim Sielbeck]

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Recovering a very battered Fw190A7 engine.

 

[rmgill]

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Im not sure if it was that aircraft, or another replica of the same ( but about 20 years ago it flew over my house. Amazing to see something that large fly so damn slowly, it was puttering along like a butterly in a high wind.

I heard it was subsequently damaged in a fire, so it couldnt fly again, but was restored to static condition.

 

[sunday]

5 hours ago, rmgill said:

 

Thanks for that!

[shep854]

5 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Im not sure if it was that aircraft, or another replica of the same ( but about 20 years ago it flew over my house. Amazing to see something that large fly so damn slowly, it was puttering along like a butterly in a high wind.

I heard it was subsequently damaged in a fire, so it couldnt fly again, but was restored to static condition.

 

The sound of that Vimy was used for a spaceship in one of the STAR WARS movies.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, I heard something like that.

 

[Mike1158]

Looks do-able compared to some restoration startpoints.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Yeah, one careful owner.

[Mike1158]

Well, considering some bright sparks wanted to raise and restore the Greff Spee not that long ago.......

[Stuart Galbraith]

😀

 

 

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

This one is in better shape, possibly finished restoring it by now.

[old_goat]

20 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

This one is in better shape, possibly finished restoring it by now.

Check their FB page. The project is progressing very slowly. Restoring a ww2 aircraft is far, far harder than any tank/AFV. They ran into a trouble when restoring the engines, and now it seems like the engines will never run again, quite few components are unrepairable. And I have to say, fortunately! Originally, the plan was to have functioning engines, and the Ju-88 able to roll on the ground on own power. But it is only one step behind to make it airworthy, and there are always idiots who still want to see these things fly... eventually they all crash and these relics are gone forever. 

BTW there is a similar project, a He-115 restoration, you can see here how hard it is to even preserve these old planes. Restoring a rare ww2 tank, like a Tiger is a childs play compared to this. 

https://heinkel115.com/?lang=en

[shep854]

The steps from rolling around on its wheels to actually flying are pretty significant; not the least of which is satisfying the relevant aeronautical agencies, which tend to be more than a bit skeptical of airworthiness, especially the restoration of a certified wreck.

[Stuart Galbraith]

15 hours ago, old_goat said:

Check their FB page. The project is progressing very slowly. Restoring a ww2 aircraft is far, far harder than any tank/AFV. They ran into a trouble when restoring the engines, and now it seems like the engines will never run again, quite few components are unrepairable. And I have to say, fortunately! Originally, the plan was to have functioning engines, and the Ju-88 able to roll on the ground on own power. But it is only one step behind to make it airworthy, and there are always idiots who still want to see these things fly... eventually they all crash and these relics are gone forever. 

BTW there is a similar project, a He-115 restoration, you can see here how hard it is to even preserve these old planes. Restoring a rare ww2 tank, like a Tiger is a childs play compared to this. 

https://heinkel115.com/?lang=en

Well... I have to admit Id like to see it ground running. But flying, no. A JU88A1 is just too rare to risk. Maybe if another one turns up in Russia Id be inclined to give it a punt.

Im glad to hear they are making progress though. Yeah, thanks for that on the He115. I did see a video on its recovery not long ago, and I did wonder how it was coming along.

[alejandro_]

Ju 87 D-5 Stuka to be restored in the US by the American Heritage Museum:

https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/aircrafts/junkers-ju-87d-5-stuka/?utm_source=link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=gt2023

This aircraft is a Ju-87D-5 (Work Number 131587). Attached to 1/S.G.5 in Finland in 1944, it was used for close air support missions in the frozen north. Flying as Q9+CH this Stuka was piloted by Lt. Uffz. Walter Ernest and Uffz. Ernest Zenker. April 4th, 1944, the aircraft ran low on fuel and landed on a frozen lake. With no way to recover the aircraft they detonated a grenade in the cockpit, rendering the aircraft unusable, and left it to sink into the lake during the spring thaw. Sleeping in ice-cold fresh water, she was not disturbed for 77 years. Once hauled to the surface, the white distemper paint could still be seen on her skin, evidence of desperate times and the difficulty of fighting a war at the top of the world. The extreme freezing temperatures preserved this historic aircraft in incredible condition, so for the first time a completely untouched and original Ju 87D-5 has reached the American Heritage Museum.

Great news as there are only 2 complete Stuka in the world, one in Chicago and another one at RAF Hendon museum in London. Back in 2014 there was talk about recovering an Italian one that sank in the Adriatic.

https://alejandro-8.blogspot.com/2014/10/se-encuentra-un-ju-87-stuka-en-el.html

Edited November 29, 2023 by alejandro_

[Stuart Galbraith]

Thats this one I guess? Yeah, Im quite impressed with that. Supposedly it was originally built for North Africa, hence the tan paint. Presumably they will spray the camouflage and the white distemper over that.

(edit) Nope, not the same one. Tail is different. So that would appear to make 4?

 

This reminds me of an interesting story I heard. As you know, the CIA in the 1960's was really into psyops, and they heard the Nazi's had this really neat toy called the Jericho trumpet on their Stuka's. So the CIA launched a project to reverse engineer it to use it in Indo China. Unfortunately they had real issues, because back then there was hardly any Stuka's left (well, two) and not all of them had it fitted. I seem to recall they had to track down the original designer in West Germany, and get him to create drawings of how it was made.

Ive no idea if it was used or not, but its not the wackiest psyop measure they used in Vietnam. One of them involved creating a tape of a ghostly VC soldier killed in combat, lamenting that it couldnt go home to see his mother, and blasting it at full tilt into the jungle from a tape deck mounted in the back of a Huey. Those wacky CIA guys...

Edited November 29, 2023 by Stuart Galbraith

[bojan]

Not recovered, but interesting nevertheless - guy in Bosnia found wreck of the RAF Wellington, one of the 4 lost over former Yugoslavia. English subtitles included.

 

[Stuart Galbraith]

Nice find that. I just blatted through it, I assume this was on an SOE supply drop?

 

Funny thing I figured out the other day. I was reading Heinz Knoke's 'I flew for the Fuhrer' the other day for the first time in about 30 years. He had a relatively uneventful early career, before latterly becoming a Luftwaffe air ace in the defence of the Reich. Anyway, he talks about being on secondment to Norway, to provide a CAP for big ships in harbour there, and his frustration that a British recce pilot kept sneaking in to take photos of the ships. Anyway at length he manages, on his third attempt on  March 5th 1942, with a wingman, to shoot it down. Anyway, the pilot bails out, and is taken to meet Knoke, where they share with him some of the brandy the two pilots won for shooting him down.

Hang on, I thought, this sounds awfully familiar...

So I looked up an interesting 'restoraton' project (well more accurately a replica, other than a few bits) ongoing at the moment, to rebuild AA810, a recce spitfire shot down over Norway on March 5th, 1942...

Yes, its the same plane Knoke shot down

There is a bit here about the early stages of the rebuild. I understand they have apprentices at BAE working on it, which as the inheritors to Supermarine was a nice idea. The pilot incidentally was Alastair Gunn, one of the great escapers, and one of the 50 shot on Hitlers orders. I guess Brandy can only go so far....

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spitfire-norway-mountain-great-escape-pilot-found-second-world-war-nazi-raf-espionage-alastair-gunn-tony-hoskin-a8646841.html

https://www.spitfireaa810.co.uk/

Im impressed that they seem to have found both wings, seeing as Knoke claimed to have shot one off. Perhaps it was the tail assembly and its mistranslated.