More Recent Russian Warbird Discoveries

[Bomber_12th]

Douglas C-47: http://ru-aviation.livejournal.com/1877831.html

Note the amazing state of the paint, especially on the interior. One can easily see the original U.S. stars, the Russian stars, and the US serial number. With the paneling seen along the mid upper section of the fuselage, it shows signs that it may have been one of the many Russian C-47's and Li-2's that had dorsal turrets fitted.

IL-2 Sturmovik: http://ww2incolour.blogspot.com/2012/07/il-2-sturmovik-recovered-from-lake-in.html?spref=fb

It is said that this airframe will be restored to fly by the same company that restored the example owned by the Flying Heritage Collection. This makes a good amount of sense, as when the wood-constructed rear fuselage and tail was made for the FHC Sturmovik project, another was produced as well at the same time, for inclusion on any future project.

It just goes to show that there is still some really remarkable airframes out there from WWII, just waiting to be found/recovered. Not related to the Russian recoveries, but other warbird recoveries in recent years - it is said that one of Richard Bong's P-38's was recovered not too long ago out of one of the islands in the south pacific, and although completely "hush hush", will likely be the basis of a restoration to flying condition over the coming years - it will be pretty amazing if the day comes, that one can say that one of the P-38's that Bong flew is now flying again! (I believe it is this one, but I'm not entirely positive: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-38/42-103993.html)

 

[Bomber_12th]

And in other warbird news...

The Collings Foundation, known for their B-17 "Nine-O-Nine", B-24 "Witchcraft", and other warbirds, has acquired the Fw-190F-8 "White 1" restoration project, and have moved it to American Aero Services to complete the restoration to flying condition. American Aero Service, this same company that performs the annual inspections on the Collings Foundation B-17, B-24, and TP-51C (as well as restoration work on other aircraft in the collection), also just completed the restoration of the Collings Foundation A-36 Invader (some call it an Apache, but would be wrong). The Collings Foundation A-36, a highly authentic and detailed restoration, will be debuting at Oshkosh next week, with the hope of taking home some much deserved awards. (Expect to see this aircraft in FSX form in the not so distant future - wink, wink)

According to one of the pilots/members of the Collings Foundation, this is all just the "tip of the iceberg" for the group, as far as expansion plans go. Personally I'm hoping that part of the plans the Collings Foundation has in the works, is to create a facility where one will be able to eventually see most of the collection (except for those on tour) at one particular location at any given time - like the Planes of Fame Museum, Flying Heritage Collection, Military Aviation Museum, etc.

Photos of items pertaining to the "White 1" restoration, moving out of Kissimmee and headed to New Smyrna Beach. If the plans still continue as before, the aircraft should be powered by an original BMW 801 engine.

And here are some photos of the completed A-36 Invader. Completely authentic markings and paint (including the correct style of the "J", the fact that the serial number that would be on the fuselage was painted out, and the white rudder trim tab) - the only thing remaining is a bunch of bombs that will be painted all over the nose cowlings. One of this aircraft's claims to fame (the original "Baby Carmen"), was that it flew over 200 combat missions without a single engine replacement (though that says a lot about the Allison engine, as it does the crew which maintained the aircraft). The restored aircraft is filled to the brim with all of the original radio and armament hardware, with a completely stock cockpit and interior throughout.

 

[Wittpilot]

I am interested in how this OD looks up close John. In the photos it looks significantly like a lighter shade of OD than we've seen other restorations. i.e. FHC's B-25 and now the P-40. But it could just be the lighting perhaps as well as the photos. Paint schemes are something I just always find fascinating, but I will never be that kind of rivet counter that nit picks over every little minute detail about a paint scheme. Those folks are just ignorant if you ask me. I mean, what do those people think these things looked like in the middle of the war? I bet there was 8 shades of OD on one plane!!!

 

[aircav1970]

I bet there was 8 shades of OD on one plane!!!

Yep...and most of the time it was applied with a brush!

 

[stiz]

that c47 is in amazingly good nick considering how open it is there

 

[SixGhost]

Not a discovery really and certainly not Russian, but the museum I do voluntary work at is restoring a G.59 fuselage to change it to a G.55 one, together with a DB.605. The restoration is for an undisclosed buyer in the USA and will become the only existing flyable Centauro in the world. Can't post pics of it right now, sorry.

 

[aeronca1]

Not a discovery really and certainly not Russian, but the museum I do voluntary work at is restoring a G.59 fuselage to change it to a G.55 one, together with a DB.605. The restoration is for an undisclosed buyer in the USA and will become the only existing flyable Centauro in the world. Can't post pics of it right now, sorry.

Wow! Any chance of getting photos of the G.59 before the changes or have they already happened? I particularly need interior and panel shots.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Not a discovery really and certainly not Russian, but the museum I do voluntary work at is restoring a G.59 fuselage to change it to a G.55 one, together with a DB.605. The restoration is for an undisclosed buyer in the USA and will become the only existing flyable Centauro in the world. Can't post pics of it right now, sorry.

I read about that a little while back - very, very cool! Headed for Virginia Beach when completed (Gerald Yagen/Military Aviation Museum), there is also a DB605 powered Bf-109G and a DB601 powered Bf-109E also being restored to flying condition at this time for Jerry Yagen. It's been said that there will be a whole DB601 and DB605 maintenance and operation center/system in-place by the time these aircraft are flying in the U.S.

There are a ton of photos of the restoration work that has been going into Yagen's Bf-109G project, at MeierMotors in Germany (where the restoration and eventual flight testing will be done, before it comes to the U.S.). This aircraft was converted from a Buchon airframe, and was on static display at the USAF Museum a number of years ago until the museum sold it.

Page through, starting toward the bottom of this page, and continuing into further pages:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=39439&hilit=MeierMotors&start=135

 

[Bomber_12th]

I am interested in how this OD looks up close John. In the photos it looks significantly like a lighter shade of OD than we've seen other restorations. i.e. FHC's B-25 and now the P-40. But it could just be the lighting perhaps as well as the photos. Paint schemes are something I just always find fascinating, but I will never be that kind of rivet counter that nit picks over every little minute detail about a paint scheme. Those folks are just ignorant if you ask me. I mean, what do those people think these things looked like in the middle of the war? I bet there was 8 shades of OD on one plane!!!

Hi Witt,

One of the items I have heard about is an "early OD" and a "late OD", with the early being the lighter version, like what you see on aircraft such as the restored P-38F "Glacier Girl" and the Rod Lewis P-40C, and then the later OD, which was darker, but then you also see all sorts of interpretations in between. In restorations and in period photos, the amount of brown and green also varies quite a bit. In many cases with military paint and primers in WWII, you had a "recipe" with percentages of one part to the percentages of another part, and the batches of paint or primer before being sprayed would be mixed on the spot - bound to be some variations. If done at the factory, the paint was always applied with spray guns (with usally a pretty nice finish, even during wartime - it's when you get out in the field, that the in-service paint application could have often been done just by brush, or worse). You also hear people talk about the appearance that OD paint can take on after it has faded - you'll always hear that the OD paint on the Collings Foundation B-17 represents the look of faded WWII-era OD paint (but personally I would prefer to see it painted with the correct fresh OD finish, matching the Collings Foundation's B-24 "Witchcraft" - that's just me). I'm not really picky however about OD paint on restorations (even though the one that stands out most to me, is the OD paint on the TFC's P-40B - far too dark for the era of OD paint it should have applied to it), though I think the OD paint on the Collings' A-36 looks spot on.

Pushing the discusion a bit further - there were many P-51's and P-47's in England during WWII, that came from the factory in over-all bare metal finishes, but were paint OD in the field. In the majority of these cases, the closest thing that the fighter groups could get ahold of, was RAF Dark Green (the RAF was enlisted to supply paint to the groups in England). So for aircraft like Bud Anderson's "Old Crows" (both a P-51B and his P-51D), which were painted completely over-all in the field, and many others from the 357th, 361st, 20th, etc., the OD paint that was used to paint them in the field was actually RAF Dark Green, so there is much more green in the paint used on them, than the USAAF OD paint.

For those that may have missed it, the Friedkin family A-36 Invader, which has been flying again since 2010, was painted within the last year, finished in one of the schemes that was also on the table at one time for the Collings Foundation example. Both individual aircraft are extremely stock throughout, including all of the original radios, armament, cockpit hardware, etc. - including working dive brakes. The Collings Foundation's A-36 will have a similar amount of bombs applied to it as well (in yellow), though they were arranged neatly in rows just on the nose cowling. I like the fact that both examples are carrying bombs - natural for the A-36.

 

[Bomber_12th]

Note the yellow stripes on the wings was to the Mediterranean Theatre as the black stripes on the wings and tails were to the European Theatre - serving as markes of friendly aircraft. That is why you'll see that same feature in the markings of all of the other Mustang outfits in the Mediterranean. Note too the Collings Foundation's A-36 scheme is from a very brief time in mid-late summer of 1943, when the national insignia had the red surround, of an aircraft that was based in Algeria. The Friedkin A-36 carries markings from the summer of 1944, of an aircraft that was based in Corsica.

 

[SixGhost]

Wow! Any chance of getting photos of the G.59 before the changes or have they already happened? I particularly need interior and panel shots.

Matt, unfortunately I do not have access to the area they're restoring the bird but from what I can see there are just a few structures in the inside, no instruments whatsoever. What I can do is looking for my collection of pics of the only restored G.55, I should have plenty and well detailed sets. The cockpit shouldn't differ so much from the original. Let me know.

Luca

 

[aeronca1]

What I can do is looking for my collection of pics of the only restored G.55, I should have plenty and well detailed sets. The cockpit shouldn't differ so much from the original. Let me know.

Luca, that would be super!

 

[SixGhost]

Ok, give me a couple of days to sort everything out!:salute:

 

[Willy]

As far as shades of OD green go, I spent a few years working as a civilian mechanic for the Army back in the early 80s. From what I've seen, OD green will fade out with age so within a unit you'll see vehicles with different shades of it depending on how long it's been since they were last painted. Fresh OD is almost a blackish green. Left long enough, it'll go to a darkish tan shade.

 

[Bomber_12th]

"Baby Carmen" fully marked-up. Some exhaust staining and she'll really look the part. In a few months time this same aircraft will be flying in FSX, with from the factory blueprints production.

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Happy to read that, John. I like the old Mustangs. Never knew that there was a version that had armament in the fuselage and such a prominent air scoop, like the P-40, on top of the hood. Nice images! And a sure getter for me.

Cheers,
Mark