How Many WW2 Fighters Survive in 2023?
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- čas přidán 5. 11. 2023
- In this video, we examine how many iconic WW2 Allied and Axis fighter planes still exist and how many are still flying.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
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I haven't included Soviet aircraft as I was unable to find any up-to-date figures for this video, and the same goes for Italian fighters as well.
Many thanks for the clarification.
Why didn't you mention the Hawker Sea Hurricane like you did with the Seafire? only one type of the Sea Hurricane still flies.
Mark, all respect to your knowledge and experience but the Hawker Hurricane did the "heavy lifting" of the battle of Britain.
Yepp, I missed them. Am I right, that the only Japanese WWII aircraft (fighter, or even other kind of WWII era Japanese planes) is the Zero which has airworthy examples? For the Italians I think there is one Macchi M.C.205 Veltro which is in flying condition. But what I really missed is my favorite (rather one of my favorite from the many favorites) is the P-38 Lightning. As far as I know - and maybe it goes for the P-47 Thunderbolt too - all are "castrated", no turbosupercharger is active on any of them.
You missed p 40 and corair
Almost a year ago in Dallas, Texas, a P-63 King Cobra collided mid-air with a B-17 at an airshow that resulted in the deaths of 6 people. After the accident, I recall there were discussions on if vintage planes like those should still be flying or not. I feel seeing aircraft flying overhead and hearing is special. It brings you back to a time where most people weren't alive then.
I live in the southeast of the UK, where a lot of the Battle of Britain took place, and I would say about once a week I see a spitfire flying overhead. There is a company round here that takes you up in a helicopter so you can take photos etc and see it in action, and it’s always amazing to hear that engine roaring.
No it didn’t, stop lying
In addition to the horror of the accident, the P-63 was a unique variant. In spite of this, I agree with you.
yea. that was tragic
I suspect someone is in a different reality than the rest of us and is unaware of the CAF crash@@SAUBER_KH7
Here are approximate numbers of other survivors still airworthy:
P-38 Lightning - 10 airworthy (26 total)
P-39 Airacobra - 4 airworthy (20 total)
P-40 Warhawk - 28 airworthy (77 total)
P-63 Kingcobra - 4 airworthy (14 total)
F4F Wildcat - 18 airworthy (44 total)
F6F Hellcat - 7 airworthy (25 total)
F4U Corsair - 34 airworthy (81 total)
Actual numbers are constantly changing as new airframes are found and restored… and as accidents claim some. Population numbers are generally increasing despite accidents.
Great post. 😊
I was wondering where the U.S. Pacific fighters were? Thank You!
Was wondering about some of these fighters. Appreciate the info.
There are definitely a few flying Corsairs in New Zealand.
I Was Wondering About The P-40 Warhawk, Beside The Spitfire My Personal Favorite. It's Not Spitacular in Performance ( Mostly Do To To It's Engine " If Only It Had Been Given The Rolls-Royce " ??? I'm Sure It's Avation History Would Have Been Very Different )... It Just Has So Much Personality, Plus What It Did In Burma, Earned It's Places In History.
The cost to keep these aircraft airworthy has to be mind boggling. It’s a real treat to watch them in the blue skies. Thanks Dr Felton.
I would love to see some of that money go into making careful reproductions based off of the surviving aircraft. Sooner or later even the last ones will be ground led by the reproductions will still allow people to see, hear, and feel the history.
@@Hybris51129it’s difficult, many are just static displays as they lack an engine, have major damage and are deemed non air worthy. Lots and lots of time and money to keep them flying. Also the many certifications and maintenance required. Not just anyone can work on vintage aircraft, many parts need to be custom fabricated from scratch.
There was a company in Germany called Flug Werk that made approx 20 new build FW 190s airframes in the early 2000s. They were produced using the original blueprints and even had New Old Stock (WW2) tail wheels. Due to the unavailability of BMW801 engines they were powered by Soviet Ash 82 14 cylinder (same number of cylinders as BMW801) engines and the 1700 HP was a similar. @@Hybris51129
It's only "mind boggling" when one uses "specialists" who ultimately over charge everytime, Some of the "items" could be repaired or manufacted using competent people, My father made a replacement door food a VW camper van and used aluminium sheeting because it doesn't rust, Using the company workshop on a Sunday morning, Now the "specialists" would have used steel to keep originality and a few short years rusted away again
@@johnkeyes272 Either do it right, aka historically and accurately, or don't even bother. Otherwise, you might as well just use the money to instead build a replica out of wood and modern plane parts if look is all you want.
Going every 2 years to Duxford for the Flying Legends Airshow , with my dad and brother. First time was in 1996.
It's great that so many people have invested the time in making sure some of these treasures of the past still exist into the future..
Very true and I'm sooo thankful for it. I, and others, vid a weirder part of military history.
To me it's STILL "The Confederate Air Force"!
Mark, I think the Corsair should be on this list some where between the P 47 and the FW 109. I was extremely lucky to be brought up and raised in the Warbird community. My dad flew a T 34 Mentor and a T 6 Texan. I grew up at our local airport and would wash and wax warbirds for rides. I ve gone cow tipping in a P 51D many times, and flown in a ME 109 to a few air shows. Our local airport had a Yak, a P 40, B 24, a couple of mustang's, a Spitfire, 3 or 4 T6,'s and a couple of Stearmans. I was lucky enough to ride in most of them and learned to fly a few when I was older. I consider myself extremely lucky to grow up in that environment but it's not without hardship. My dad was killed performing in a air show routine with his T 34 and I have seen many others perish doing what they loved to include my good friend and mentor Russ Francis who was recently killed in a small plane crash.
Was wondering about the Yakovlev Yak-3 or any of it's newer iterations. Love touring every air museum I come across.
@@3dartstudio007 I think you mean FW 190 and BF 109,
@@KeyWestChrisRehm I only bring up the Russian yak3 because it was a dog fighter in a flight simulator I played once. I'm also a fan of flight simulators
What airport is that? An air museum?
@@fjp3305 Livermore, California
About 25 years ago I.paid the astounding sum of $5. to walk through a HE-111 that had landed at Wood County Airport in Bowling Green, Ohio. I remember how small it was inside, and the vertical bomb racks. It must have taken guts to fly on any of those war birds. Thanks Mark for the good reporting.
I remember seeing it right before the wreck
Were you wearing a lod Hawain shirt? Golf trews?
@@williamwilliam5066 white new balances too
That was a Spanish-built CASA 2.111
I am a member of the CAF at Airbase Georgia. We a currently working an a P-47n. Hopefully it will be flying in about 2 yrs. We also fly a P-51D, FG-1D Corsair, P-63 Kingcobra and 1 of the very rare (only 5) flying SBD Dauntless's. It is a real treat going to the airport and working on these rare old birds.
That's awesome and commendable what you do. The Military Aviation Museum in VA Beach needs more people like you to keep them flying.
Yes I follow your you tube channel
Wow!
Confederate Air Force...
I love the P-47! I spent my childhood living in Curitiba/Brazil, near a Brazilian Expeditionary Force museum, where they have a P-47 for display at the square in front of the museum. I used to visit it often and I consider that plane to be the biggest reason why I´m a WW2 history buff.
One of the memories I will hold dear until my dying day is sitting in a two seater Spitfire on a combat patrol over the White Cliffs of Dover and the pilot coming over the intercom and saying "Your plane" - it might have been just ten minutes, but for that short amount of time, I was a Spitfire pilot and that, frankly is a bloody good feeling
Thanks, Mark, for the great video although I would raise the point - on a technicality - that the Spitfire (and Hurricane for that matter) never left RAF service due to them being transferred to the Historic Aircraft Flight and then to the dedicated BBMF as part of No1 Group... 86/67 years of the type on service has to be a record
Now... you made me _very_ envious. I can't imagine what an exciting experience that must have been. Thanks for sharing that story with us.
What an amazing experience! It gave me goosebumps to think about it. Thank you for sharing your story.
The fw190 has been my all time favorite airplane since I was around 7, without much reason other than its lines and esthetics. Then after research as a teenager that was only perpetuated. It was absolutely revolutionary with many of its original design traits now being standard fundamentals on airplanes of all sorts.
Has to be the Stuka dive bomber.,
@@no-knickers-emma1112 stuka is just german for dive bomber, they call all dive bombers 'stuka's', not just the ju87. So when someone says stuka dive bomber they're saying dive bomber dive bomber just in different languages lol.
@@FINNIUSORION Sturz-Kampf-Flugzeug or Sturzkampfflugzeug: StuKa is just a short slang for JU 87
@@aleksandargales7174 do some more research. go watch all the old Luftwaffe interviews.
Incredible video, thank you Mark Felton. I would love to see an episode on the UK’s WWII era airfields, which ones still exist (some of which are museums and some that are abandoned), including resorted airfields, control towers that are now Airbnb’s etc. I just think it would be a fascinating subject to cover seeing them today. Please do an episode on this!
I'm a mechanic and I idolise those aircraft. Those engines were designed and built without any computer or even a calculator. They are still the most advanced piston engines ever built.
I often wonder what those old timers would have done using the technology available today ❤❤❤
Elbow grease went a long way back in the day. "They don't make em' like they used to" came from somewhere.
They used slide rule as mechanical calculator my dad had one in the 50s when he work in the drawing office at Vickers.
all those old timers went on to make modified rat rods and essentially created modern wide spread use of forced induction for race cars. Some of the p51s they Race at Reno are fast... 51 racer Voodoo for example
Wanna see some mechanical wizardry? Look up the “brain box” for the FW-190 D-13 variant. Were all other fighters had 3 levers (throttle, fuel mixture, and prop pitch) the Germans put that all in one box controlled by 1 lever. It’s an absolute amazing thing to behold and next to impossible to understand.
I'm a old school machinist almost 80yrs and it blows me away the precision craftsman ship went into these flying birds,
The seven types (as of November 2023) mentioned in the video:
No. 7 - 1:24 - North American P-51 Mustang - 15.000+ built, 306 exist today, 167 airworthy.
No. 6 - 2:11 - Supermarine Spitfire & Seafire - 20.351 built, 240 exist today, 54 airworthy.
No. 5 - 2:57 - Messerschmidt Bf-109 - 34.248 built, 68 exist today, 4 airworthy.
No. 4 - 3:34 - Republic P-47 Thunderbolt - 15.636 built, 53 exist today, 12 airworthy.
No. 3 - 4:00 - Hawker Hurricane - 14.487 built, 46 exist today, 16 are airworthy.
No. 2 - 4:30 - Mitsubishi A6M Zero - 10.939 built, 27 exist today, 2 airworthy (1 with orig. WWII engine).
No. 1 - 5:16 - Fockewulf FW-190 - 20.000+ built, 23 exist today, 1 airworthy.
Thank you Mark for this lovely tour.
There are at least 5 Zeros airworthy. He posted pictures of them. They are rebuilds of course. And there are 3 to 5 FW-190s airworthy, with 2 more soon to fly. The majority are also Flugewerk rebuilds.
Somebody should create a reproduction Me 163, with a jet engine replacing the rocket motor. Inexpensive to build and to own. Well-known flight characteristics. Desirable for both the home-build and warbird communities.
if my math is correct 2% of the mustangs still exist and 1% are still flying? that's pretty high, all things considered.
@@cgee2224 I think he only mentioned it for some aircraft but I think his figures were for airframes actually built during WWII and not reproductions. I know reproduction P-51s keep getting built everywhere, including derivative designs, some with turboprop engines.
@@SlumberBear2k Now that you mention it, yes that is an impressive number. Yes, your math is correct.
This was a great episode as usual! I live here in Seattle and occasionally we'll see a B-17 flying over for an air show and I have to tell you what a sight that is! Those planes are loud! My mom was in the Army Air corps during World War II and was part of the unit that flew b-17s down to California for the deployment to the Pacific. She loved her b-17s to her dying day! Rest in peace mom I still love you madly!❤
A few years ago, in Seattle my father bought us a ride on a B-17 "The sentimental journey." Unfortunately, he passed away from cancer before we could ride together. My wife and I took the one-hour flight around the Puget sound in tribute to him. I found out recently that my dad fell in love with the B-17 after his Vietnam service. They had used the Bomber in a firefighting capacity for the northwest area forest fires. My dad was a career police officer and served with many search and rescue teams.
How recently? As a kid I saw the Collings foundation B-17 several times, that plane crashed in Connecticut several years ago though
The Flying Heritage and Combat Armour museum in Everett, Washington has every one of these aircraft and a bunch of others like the Mosquito, ME262 and ME163. They hold flying days and many of their warbirds are still flying. Last time I was there there was a Spitfire, ME109, Mosquito and the only flying FW190 that Dr. Felton mentioned all in the air at the same time. I was privileged to experience it and thoroughly recommend this small but amazing museum.
That was when Paul Allen owned FHC. Since his death, it was closed for a long while, then sold to some Walmart heir. Unknown if they will have fly days again and if they will move the collection from Everett to Arkansas. I feel lucky to have gone to the fly days and see all of these planes that are in the collection fly.
Some 5 years ago or so, I and a buddy attended their Tanktoberfest where they had mock tank battles while various local breweries let you partake of their libations. Alcohol and Ordinance, what could possibly go wrong.@@GianniBuroni
@@GianniBuroni I didn't know that. It's unfortunate as it is a gem of a museum and relatively close to me. Hopefully it will stay put and continue to operate it's wonderful collection.
@@sureshot8399 They have reopened and had a fly day not long ago. Also thy announced fly days for next year.
A nice piece of information. I’m a 72 year old son of a WW2 RCAF veteran who flew as a mid upper gunner in Lancasters with 101 Sqn out of Ludford Magna. I’m also a retired service member. As we approach 11 November I remain committed to remembering the efforts of my father & x2 Uncles who were veterans of WW2.
@kevindelaney1952 My grandad fathers cousin was a mid-upper gunner on a 12 Sqn lanc PH-D based out of Wickenby (if I recall correctly). The plane and crew were lost on the disastrous raid on the panzer repair depot at Mailly-Le-camp, just before D-Day. Pretty sure 101 Sqn were involved in that raid as well, was your dad flying in June 1944?
I think it was his 7th mission after surviving a tour in the western desert as a tail-gunner on wellingtons with 70sqn. Have visited his grave in the nearby town of Poivres. Don’t think he was a day over 25! Per ardua…
*grandfathers
@@lucyjordan3188 My dad was flying his 32 missions between March to September of 1944. I have his log book. He was in the air for 11 of his 32 missions during the month of June, 1944. He was in the air during the night of 05/06 Jun as D-Day was unfolding. On the night of 07 June the target was a Panzer refueling depot… Forest De St Cerisy. My dad went on post his 32 missions to fly in Wellingtons as a gunnery instructor until the end of the war. I’m sad to hear of your family’s loss during the war. I did visit Ludford Magna in 2015 & had a few drinks in the local pub which had served as A Flight mess ( my dad’s Sqn ) during that time. I also visited the local church which served as the Sqn Chapel. A book of remembrance was there & the losses during my father’s time looked to be about 50% of the Sqn.
@kevindelaney1952 Talking about RAF 101 Squadron, did your father know Mackenzie 'Mac' Joyner (1923-2019) a bomb-aimer from the RCAF? He flew 32 missions including 5/6th June 1944 (D Day) Operation Taxable, equipped with the Airborne Cigar jamming system. I was lucky to meet him at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre, here in Toronto.
@@adbp473 Do you know the name of the pilot who flew his aircraft?
For the curious, the only original Japanese Zero that's still flying with it's original Nakajima Sakae radial engine is at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in SoCal. They fly it fairly often and post flight schedules a few months in advanced.
Thanks for the tip! That museum is close to my house, so I'll plan a visit.
Pretty certain there is one Zero flying in Japan, complete restoration.
@@OlesonMD The only Zero powered by it's original Mitsubishi Nakajima Sakae is located in SoCal. There are other operational Zeros, but they're not powered by their original radial engine.
@@Engineer1897 It might, but it's not completely original with it's original engine like the one in California.
@@MrTPF1 I've lived in OC for my entire life but I've never actually been lmfao. I know, it's sad, but I'm planning a visit soon during one of their demo flight days.
Watching the jet- and prop-fighter flying together at the beginning was goosebumps-worthy. Absolutely astounding. Great video. Thanks Mark
The Hurricane for me is such an iconic fighter with a fantastic aesthetic to it,loved it since i was a small child.
These numbers are shocking! I thought there would be more. My dad was a waist gunner on a B-24. He flew 34 missions over Germany. Dad highly admired the German pilots and he most feared the FW190. I absolutely love the FW190. It’s one bad ass fighter!
I say old fruit, do you mean there is something wrong with it's bottom ?
Thousands were shot down and even more were scrapped post war. 18,000 Liberators were built, 11 survive.
And only 2 airworthy@@andrewwaller5913
I blame yer dad!
You bet your sweet @$$ it was 🫡. Just imagine flying along at 20,000+ ft with one of those on your tail? Terrifying!!!
My grandfather was a Lancaster pilot. I once asked him how many remain and was stunned when he told me, I simply couldn't believe it. We went to the one in East Kirkby. Mark might, or perhaps should, do a video about that place. Lovingly restored, the old boy had a real glint in his eye. He was in love with the lanc, despite having been shot down.
Look to the skies in around 3 years. Just Jane will be taking to the air again. Two lancs flying over Britain? Yes please!
@@fus149hammer5 The current time frame is around 2028.
I'm lucky to live in Toronto... nothing like the sound of Vera taking a spin.
I see Vera weekly in my neighbourhood beside Hamilton, Ontario. Always try to imagine having 600 of them in the sky as the one we have is already super loud, yet music to the ears.
@@fus149hammer5 I live very near the Derwent Reservoir. A friend of mine, bit of an aviation nerd I guess, saw a lanc fly over the iconic dam towers. I haven't had that pleasure but it will no doubt happen again.
I love the FW190, yes the spitfire is beautiful and had graceful lines, but the 190 just looks dangerous and awe inspiring.
Thanks Mark! I like all your stuff. This is something I have always wondered about! Nice to know how many old planes there are left. The comments are informative as well. Keep up the great work.
I briefly worked as a ground tech at a private hangar on Ryan Airport in Baton Rouge when I was in my early twenties. That was some 50 years ago.
One of the planes that I gassed up was a flying P-51 that belonged to a Doctor of some type. It was MAGNIFICENT!
I live in Ontario California USA, down the road from me is Chino Airport that houses two large air museums. These are Yanks and Planes of Fame museums. I have been so fortunate to have seen all sorts of classic war birds just out for a mornings stroll. I have to admire those who strive to keep these flying.
Did you see the Mosquito fly last weekend ?
@@andrewwaller5913 damn cool!
I live within 2 hour's drive from the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington, USA and when founder Paul Allen was still alive they held a few Fly Days every year where parts of their collection would be in the air for anyone to drop by and see. So I was fortunate enough to have seen all 7 of these fighters in the air and quite a few others too. The FW-190 in the collection is of course the restored "Wulf in the Woods" featured on this channel.
Yes, he seems not to know about this. I live within 10 minutes of this place and have seen many flying shows featuring all of these aircraft plus the russian Rata and Sturmovich. I just saw the zero start up and taxi a few weeks ago as they are now back up and running. Not the one with the original engine but I have seen it fly. The last few shows they didn't fly the FW 190 so not sure if that will every fly again. They also have a beautiful Corsair that I have seen flying. I posted videos of some of these flying.
The Skyfairs in particular were wonderful. F4U Corsair, P-38, F7F Tigercat and F8F Bearcat in the air and probably many others I have forgotten. Even got to tour the inside of the B-17 and B-24. They had a DE Havilland Mosquito for a while but I missed that one.
If their FW190 is truly the last one in flying condition that would make it too risky to fly again. Was that not the reason they never flew the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa and the long nose FW190D Dora?
I also visited the Tillamook Air Museum before their collection was sold and moved and supposedly they did fly their Hayabusa on rare occasions but I missed that one. That one is quite a drive for me.
yes they have a sign on the Dora saying they will never fly it due to how rare it is. I did see the mosquito fly and it was amazing. they still have it and I hope it will fly again next year, but there is a rumor that this entire collection will move to arkansas because that is where the wallmart guy who bought it is from@@ckfwong
@@ckfwongthe 190 they won’t fly is the D-13 with the V-12 instead of the radial. It is supposedly in flying condition, but the only D-13 left.
@@GianniBuroni That aeroplane is airworthy but due to its rarity, I don't think it will ever fly. Same with the Me262, DFHCAM have an original restored plane and the engines have been reworked with new and up to date materials. They have been ground run and it has taxied around the perimeter but white smoke from one of the engines has delayed the 1st flight.
If this video has inspired you to take to the skies in a warbird be sure to check out some of the aviation museums for actual rides. The Palm Springs Air Museum and Planes of Fame in California offer seats in such planes. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum offers some real unique seats in flying warbirds as well. A flight of a lifetime for you or a beloved relative. Thank you Dr. Felton for your continuing high quality videos.
i am fortunate enough to live under the regular flight path of the lancaster bomber (V3RA) when it takes tours from hamilton to niagara falls. Numerous times per year i get the absolute joy of hearing those 4 engines howling. They fly low over my house on the way to and from the falls and the sound is just breathtaking!
Recently, the Hungarian Military has just begun the process of recovering an Me 109 Ga-6 from Lake Balaton in Hungary which is supposedly the sole Hungarian-built 109 still in existance.. nice
From what I could find the 'a' in the designation refers to a different type of canopy
It’s so difficult to choose a favorite. If I could I would say the FW190. It’s just so beautiful
Living near dover in kent its always a pleasure and suprising just how busy on paid flights the spitfire is. You hear it almost daily in good weather flying overhead the engine noise is so iconic
A pilot named Kenny Schugert in Texas USA, was at one time the pilot of the one of two Japanese Zeros still airworthy in the 80's and 90's. He has a small stature making him capable of fitting in the small cockpit. Kenny was a good family friend for many years, but we slowly lost track of each other in time. This video has got me thinking that its time to try and find him again.
Thanks for another great video Mark!!
God bless
In 1985 I visited the Chino Airfield Museum and at that time they had the only flying Zero in the world according to them, it was painted in a mostly white paint scheme.
You can't beat the sound of a Merlin. Some might say it's possibly the greatest sound... in the world.
Especially when it is in high speed supercharger. That howl sends shivers up your spine!
The rest of the people are wrong.
Indeed. I used to work about 3 miles south of one of Britain's main navigation beacons, so lots of aircraft passed overhead. Out in the yard one summer day I heard the unmistakable sound of a Merlin, looked up, and a Mustang flew by, about 600 feet above me and heading north. No idea what it was doing but the sight and sound was something to remember.
Could you do a video on how many WW2 bombers still exist please Mark? Thank you for this video, as always a fascinating watch.
Thank you for putting this together for us.
If you watch the movie "A Bridge Too Far", you will marvel at the fleets of WW2 aircraft featured. No computer graphics were available for that movie. A film like that could not be made today.
The fleets were Douglas Dakotas of which fairly high numbers remain today and the air drop scenes could be replicated with real aircraft if the film was re-made. The spitfire featured early in the film, MH434, is still flying in U.K.
Only eleven Dakotas were used in the film...the rest were made up by filming the same aircraft from different angles
@@historicmilitaria1944 yes it was cleverly done.
Thanks Dr. Felton. I am Al Kitzman a WW2 buff. I live in Wisconsin USA. The EAA fly in at Oshkosh every July has had everyone of these planes flying there except your top two. The Zero & FW-190 . You have now given me the answers to questions I get asked all the time about these WW2 Warbirds. I am sure your working on a video about the WW2 Bombers. Last year they actually had a B-29 flying there for the first time. Great information Dr. Felton you provide on all your videos
I attended the fly in with my father about 55 years ago. I still remember getting goose bumps when two P-51's came cruising down the run way about 100 feet off the ground. My dad had his own plane at the time, some kind of two seater, and I told him he should get one of those planes! He exclaimed, I couldn't afford the gas to taxi down the runway! Yeah right, he was always saying stuff like that.
Was the B-29 Doc or FiFi?
@@kirkmooneyhamFiFi comes to MI every few years, not sure about Oshkosh
The 190 is my fav of all time. I love the looks and its armament. Having flown it in several simulators its a beast.
I had the pleasure of flying in a 2 seat Spitfire for my 60th birthday last year. An experience never to forget.
I feel honoured having seen the Battle of Britain memorial flight every year growing up. As much as I loved all aircraft, my favourite was always the Spitfire, and to see the trio of the Spitfire, Lancaster and Hurricane in flight always unfailingly makes the hairs on the back of my neck go up. Amazing aircraft, and the sheer history!
Since 1988 I've been privileged to see (and hear) a Lanc in the air fairly regularly, CWH's Mynarski Memorial Lanc; on a few of those occasions she has been escorted by Spit and Hurricane, and a couple times by a Mosquito as well.
@stevetournay6103 I saw her over here in the UK when she flew across the Atlantic on a visit. Not too far into the future we will have two lancs flying here so a return visit would be most welcome. Imagine three Lancasters overhead!
At the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, WW2 fighters are regarded as terribly new-fangled.
Heh. Yes. Had Richard Shuttleworth not been killed in action in a Fairey Battle early in the War, that likely would not be the case...
Isn't their Gloster Gladiator fighter a type that fought in WW2?
@@mikebrown3772Yes, the Gladiator fought in Europe, Mediterranean and Africa.
I as a child was lucky enough to see both a spitfire and a FW 190 in the same week ,they were here for the dedication of the Winston Churchill memorial in Fulton Missouri . The spitfire was supposed to do a fly over during the parade but 3vdays before after a flight around the area he was coming in for a landing at our airport when the oil pressure gauge exploded in the cockpit blinding the pilot . He touched down just a few feet short of the runway into a cornfield severely damaging the prop, The Folke Wulf was brought in as a replacement and actually did 2 simulated gun runs down the street over the parade! My uncle managed the local airport so I got invited to see both planes up close ! What a treat for a12 yr old WW2 airplane freak!
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
There are also a few Bell P-39 Aircobra, at least 3 Curtiss P--40, quite a lot of Soviet Figthers like Polikarpov I-16 Rata and I-153 Thaika plus some Yak-3 in airworthy condition.
I love these episodes!
Living north of the Canadian warplane heritage museum in Hamilton Ontario, I have had years of privilege to watch a Lancaster bomber, still airworthy fly overhead, sometimes directly above. Not the beautiful fighters so well depicted in this episode yet still a fighter in her own right. What a profound roar. Everyone stops and watches in respect.
Now that Ingenium in Ottawa has gifted CWH the Spitfire XVI that had been on loan, static, there since 1996, the intention is for the Mynarski Lanc to have an escort again...not soon, but someday!
I’ll never forget being in Reno in the 90s. We were climbing Mt rose near the ski area. Near the top I heard that iconic engine and looked around. Below us, banking around the ridge we were on was gleaming P-51. I looked down into the cockpit and waved at the pilot.
In 2008 I was in England while on leave from my overseas deployment. I visited the Duxford Imperial War Museum. It was one of the most impressive museums I have ever been to. I found out that there was an air show scheduled for the next day, but I was unable to attend. My disappointment was dampened however, when an original F86 Sabre took to the skies for a pre show flight. Definitely the highlight of my visit.
Yes, it's a very impressive collection. particularly as a lot of the collects there are airworthy. However, if you want to see some really rear warbirds next time you are over, I'd recommend the RAF museum at Hendon. Well worth a visit.
Very interesting video! There is a 2012 video of a Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 Sthurmovik brought back in flying condition. Not a fighter but produced in large numbers.
For small scale model builders Airfix had 2-model kits named "Dog fight double" and one of these was a Sthurmovik and a FW-190.
There are 2 IL2 airworthy with at least one more being restored to fly.
The former Paul Allen collection in Everett has a flying IL-2 powered by a replacement Allison. When I was at the Smithsonian at Dulles, they have an IL-2 in their restoration shop.
Amazing video as always. I appreciate how you differentiated and included both surviving and air worthy planes.
One of two flying Lancasters is based a few kilometres away and I love hearing those four merlins purr as she flies overhead .
Great video!
I made all of these as a boy. (And hundreds more)
The zero was my first.
But the 1/24th scale P51D Mustang, -a prize courtesy of my Warlord Club membership, was my absolute favourite.
Thanks for the memories.
BTW, did anyone else spend hundreds of hours pouring over the airfix and matchbox catalogues? Or, was it just me?
Certainly, an interesting video, thank you for making this Mark.
It should be noted that some of these planes are more common than others because they continued to remain in service well after the War. The P-51D for instance wasn't retired from the USAF until 1957 and was often converted to be racing planes for competitions since it had such a good performance. Plus, the Mustang, as well as the Spitfire and Hurricane all use the same Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, so getting replacement parts is easier than more limited production planes.
Also, many Axis nations had their air force stripped down after the war, to prevent retaliations or further conflicts. Japan had thousands of its planes either scrapped or burned after their surrender to prevent kamikaze attacks, which is why Japanese aircraft are some of the rarest WW2 planes.
For those who are wondering: The all-original, flying A6M5 Zero is at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California.
This example was also flown by Charles Lindbergh after the Allies captured it and ran tests on it.
@@mjanovec Yep, I know.
there is also 8 replicas that reenact pearl harbor at Dayton international airport during the airshow from august 23-24 one is displayed at the official museum of the USAF in Dayton south of Wright Patterson AFB open 9am to 5pm
Fascinating as always Mark. Thank you
I went up in one of the last B-24s and a B-17 when I was a kid. It’s something I’ll never forget.
It would be interesting to see how many WW2 bombers still exist and how many are airworthy. I have seen a B-24 and a B-29 "Fifi" still flying. Maybe a video on this?
I saw "Fifi" at the Oshkosh airshow in 1984--nice to hear it is still flying.
Two B-17s have been lost to accidents over the last five or so years. One belonged to Collings, the other was lost in Texas last year.
I know of a SBD Dauntless a couple of PBY catalinas a B-25, a TBM Avenger and a couple of F7F Tigercats that are in flyable condition...and an SB2C Helldiver in the process of being restored
Also there are some American A-20s and A-26s...and I also know there are a few flyable Ju-52s out there...as far as anything else I couldnt tell you.
There are 4 or 5 B-17s currently airworthy, 1 B-24, 2 B-29s, 35+ B-25s, 12 or so A-26, 1 A-20, 2 Lancasters, 1 Bristol Blenheim.
I was living on a farm near WPAFB in the 1990s, looked up to see a P51 P47 & A10 flying line abreast, I rushed inside grabbed my American flag & began waving it & was rewarded by all 3 aircraft wagging their wings in answer. Wonderful moment for me.
I'm surprised the JU52 didn't make the list. As far as I know there are only 3 remaining airworthy examples, all having been grounded after the crash in Switzerland a few years back. Iconic indeed.
As always, thank you Mark for posting yet one more of your excellent videos!
You could add this one later, there is an original ME262 with its original engines although they have been rebuilt using titanium and inconal. One to look out for and make a great vid.
Indeed, although not yet flown.
Like Mark said these numbers will always change, you only need a bulkhead of a Spitfire and it’s identifying plate and you can build an ‘original’ example..
Kermit Weeks has a Lancaster in shipping containers, Spitfires and many more planes tucked away too … worth watching his channel.
It's getting a bit silly now with smashed, crashed or sunken bits of corroded aluminium magically being resurrected as the "genuine article". The spitfire used in the film Dunkirk is beautiful but it spent 70 odd years submerged in salt water off a beach and that's after german troops has scavenged anything that could be stripped off it. By no stretch of the imagination can it be classed as the original aircraft.
@fus149hammer5 I have a small souvenir wooden barrel turned from a piece of teak decking reclaimed from HMS Warspite. Now, if I can just convince a wealthy patron to invest tens of billions dollars we could use it to resurrect an authentic WW2 battleship!😂
One thing I am eternally grateful for is how often the old newsreels and movies used the correct sounds for these planes. At Edwards Air Force base we heard plane engines. Immediately we knew P-51s and not just one. Four flew from behind the large hanger. One day when I was at a lumberyard in Los Angeles heard old piston engines and looked up to see an example of Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra. Probably in town for a movie production. About five years ago I was paddling my kayak back in when I heard the unmistakable sound of a B-17. I scanned the sky and there it was flying along the coast of Long Beach, California.
I'd love to be in London on a summer's day and hear, from hidden loudspeakers, all the sounds of the planes of the Battle of Britain. Would make a spectacular reenactment.
Many thanks for the research and compilation.
You're really knocking these video's out the park lately Mr F. Many thanks . As an aside, a look at the Reno Race warbirds would be very interesting.
At the last gathering of Mustangs in Sept. 2009 at Rickenbacker ANG base in OHIO, there were 80 flying Mustangs.
Also a couple P47, P38, Lancaster and a few other warbids.
They had a formation of about 30 P51's in the number of 5-1.
Once saw a Spit and a 109 doing mock dogfights at an air show at a small, private airfield. We were able to get so close that when the Spit started up, loose bits of grass from the side of the runway blew back on us! And that Merlin engine roar when she throttled up, just superb
Wow. There is a BF109 in a museum in Oregon. I was amazed at how small it was - think Piper Cub size. Especially since a F4U Corsair was right next to it. I could stand on the ground next to the 109 and look into the cockpit but couldn’t even touch the fuselage of the F4U! What a monster!
What about the P-40 and the F4U Corsair? Those are still around as well.
I was thinking the same thing... Did a quick search and found:
30 F4Us remain with 10-15 airworthy.
80 P40S Remain with 20 airworthy.
Love these birds!
Plenty of those still flying and many more being restored. In Australia many P-40s are being restored and in California alone there are 8 Corsairs underway.
Fascinating subject matter as always Dr Felton…keep ‘em coming ‼️
Only air show I've ever been to was at Farnborough in 1976. I was nine going on ten. One bit of this show that still sticks in the mind after all these years was a display of Helicopters. The whole crowd, which I was in the middle of, were told to watch a quiet bit of woodland. Then an announcer over the tannoy said 'ladies and gentlemen you are being watched.' And suddenly about half a dozen helicopters that had been hovering in stealth mode in the trees out of sight all slipped out of that mode and rose upwards. Total surprise. Amazing moment.
Another great video! Some aircraft which are often overlooked are the Italian Macchi designed aircraft which were described by some allied aces as some of the best and under-appreciated opponents, specifically the C.202 and 203
Some of the Macchi variants were much like the Italian sports cars of the era apparently, fast and beautiful handling but dogged by unreliability!
I have seen most of these in Washington State at the Flying Heritage & Combat Museum. They even have an FW-190 that the museum said is airworthy but won't be flown due to it being rare as such.
I do have footage of a Zero, Mustang, Mosquito, and Corsair flying before the Covid lock downs. Whether or not I'll see them again, I don't know because it took the museum so long to reopen.
The FHCAM Fw190 is pictured in the air in this video. It was not flown often though. Several 190s do fly regularly, but they are latter day reproductions. Still very interesting to see.
That also had to do with the entire museum changing hands...
@@stevetournay6103a Walmart heir bought it from the Paul Allen estate. I hope they won’t eventually move it to Arkansas.
It's been a while since I watched Mark Felton
I am now 60 years old, and a former History Major (and WWII buff), yet I never realized that there was a naval version of the Spitfire named the Seafire! 😮
Amazing content as always Mark! Thanks for making this! 👍💗
I'm a retired USAF aviator, my daughter is a pilot, and her husband is also a pilot and a U.S. Army pilot, my grandson has the flying bug too. Your presentations, the videos are simply the best by far . No one comes close especially dealing with WW2 combat actions. I'm a WW2 buff when it comes to the Resistance in France and the Low countries, and also Norway. Would you ever consider a brief video concerning either subject ? No matter if you don't. You are still far and away the best at what you do, very much like the P-51 Mustang. Thank you, Dr, Felton . harðráði
I’m a norwegian, and i agree.
Alot happend here during WW2.
Germanys first retreet happend in the battle of Narvik.
One of my uncles had a friend, that was General Fleicher’s personal ordonance.
He died when i was just a kid. But later i realized the significanties of his warstories.
Im proud and humble to have known hin.
Excellent video! Are there any Italian, French, or Soviet fighter aircraft still flying? Those could be interesting too.
There are two WW2 era Yak-3 that have flown in NZ. They might be flying at the 'Warbirds over Wanaka' airshow in NZ at the end of March, 2024. (edit- one of the airworthy Yak-3s had a damage accident in May 2023)
I was surprised too. no Soviet ones left?
I would be really interested in a video about WW2 Soviet fighter aircraft & their development throughout the war.
There are quite a few flying examples of the Yakovlev series, but most if not all are essentially replicas, generally based on the very similar postwar Yak-11 trainer airframe. The other major Soviet fighter type, the Lavochkin series, survives in very limited numbers, with the only flyers being postwar La9s (a magnificent little airplane).
I don't think any French wartime type still flies. There was, years ago, a flying Dewoitine 520, but it crashlanded and was heavily damaged; I think it ended up being restored statically. Likewise there was a flyable Macchi 205V Veltro for a while but it, too, came to grief on landing and ended up as a static. A postwar Fiat G59 advanced trainer (broadly analogous to a Spitfire T9 or a TF-51 Mustang, and based on the G55 Centauro fighter) was active for many years with the Zuccoli family in Australia. Not sure where that one is now.
Recently in the Netherlands, a magnificent recreation of a Fokker D.21 was completed and flown. Videos have been posted showing that beauty in the air and they are well worth viewing...
I've never been to an air show, but I've seen all these birds fly, except for the Zero. I've also seen Hellcats, P-38s, P-40s, Corsairs, B-24s, B-17s and B-29s. I lived for a year in Sepulveda, on the glide path for the Van Nuys airport, where the Confederate Air force was based, and spent many years working very close to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson.
I’m surprised not to see the F4U Corsair. Are there none left? As a child, I recall seeing one at an airshow in my hometown, Fresno, California. The television show “Baa Baa Black Sheep” had just premiered, and as part of the promotions, the guests of honor were Greg "Pappy" Boyington - upon whose book & exploits the TV show was loosely based, and who was a resident of Fresno - and Robert Conrad, the actor who portrayed him. I was thrilled to the gills, being a fan of WWII aircraft - plus, I got to meet James West!
No, for some reason the three main USN types (Wildcat, Hellcat, Corsair) were left off Mark's list (along with the Curtiss P-40). Happily a number of Corsairs still fly, with more static in museums.
Very nice and informative video, thanks mark!
Mark, I've been hearing for years about a discovery of several Spitfires buried in their shipping crates in Burma at the end of the war. Have you heard this, and could you perhaps give an update on their status in a future report? Many thanks!
Same here but finding any information on this has proven to be hard to say the least.
I have also heard about this.
But when I heard about it, I heard that it was a myth.
I have no other basis for saying that it's a myth. So don't take my word for it.
Last I heard, the rumours were considered to be just that, rumours, and it had been given up as a wild goose chase. This was a few years ago.
There’s a 10 year old article on the BBC website. The archaeologists investigating came to the conclusion it was myth and gave up.
My grandfather, AVM Ted Hawkins, was involved in the burial of Spitfires, still in their crates, in Singapore at the end of the war. When this came up, perhaps a decade ago, I asked him about it. He told me that while they did bury them, they flattened them all with a bulldozer so that they could get more in a given hole! Perhaps they were p rep a ring us for the IKEA world, but these flat packs would take some assembly!
That sound of the engines.. Eargasm!
I break out in goosebumps at the sound of these planes when they arrive for an airshow. They are iconic symbols of historic air battles during a particularly dangerous and divisive time. They--and the brave men and women who flew them--deserve our respect. Oh, and, yes, women flew them. Perhaps not necessarily in battle but in delivering them to the airfields where they were needed.
Marvelous episode. You mention with the Zero “only one with the original engine” - that comment would apply to to the ME-109, given the supply problems the Germans suffered affected the DB-605, so how many ME-109s still have period-authentic engines (with allowance for updates to current safety standards) with characteristic inverted cylinder banks and low exhaust (I saw a video of one at Oshkosh this year fitted with an Allison, and exotic exhaust design to move the exhaust outlets to preserve the original appearance.
Awesome video! Thank you so much Mark!
Awesome video Mark! I’m glad people like you are keeping history alive and well for future generations to appreciate. God Bless sir!
The WW2 aircraft I thing is the most outstanding and advanced was the Me262. An incredibly beautiful aircraft that was ahead of its time. Nothing could match it for speed and surprise attack. No original Me262's are flying today although there is one of the nine only aircraft being restored for flight. If it gets flying surely it will reset as the number 1 fighter in your list.
It may also be the first aircraft to go supersonic….look up Hans Guido Mütke.
one is located at the former willow grove air force base located i. joe’s ham pa.
one is located at the former willow grove air force base located i. joe’s ham pa.
They did build some replicas.
I saw a P-51 mustang in flying condition at an airport a few weeks back. If anyone wants to know where it is I can post a google maps link to the airport. It is visible on the satilite images.
Mark, I've seen a number of these, maybe you can do a story about the reproduction flying WWII fighters out there. We have a Fw-190 and I know the Collings Foundation has a 7/8th scale Stuka, Me-262, and Evergreen has a Me-262.
The Flug Werke FW 190s are exact replicas and worth a story! 👍
Collings Foundation have a genuine Fw190, being restored to fly.
Amazing stats, thanks for pulling it all together.
I was going through some of my Dad's belongings recently and came across his 1970s/80s vintage crew manual for the CAF's B-29, "Fifi." I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas and my Dad was a longtime CAF member, flying in the B-29 in several Airshos down in Harlingen, and also occasionally being a crew member on one of the B-17s, too. I actually got to sit in the B-29 on the ground with engines revved in 1979, as a kid. My Dad was also good friends with Dick Disney, who piloted multiple aircraft and died in the PBY Catalina crash in the Laguna Madre off South Padre Island. Luckily my Dad did not go out with Mr. Disney that sad day, which saved his life.
Tom Cruise owns his own P-51, as expected from Maverick himself.
Right! He would occasionally keep it in the hangar where I worked. I could walk around it and touch it as much as I wanted. Such a beautiful aircraft
Amazing videos, amazing channel. Any interesting Romanian WW2 history?
I live in Austria, Innsbruck, at out airport, the Red Bull company often has their F4U Corsair resting, and for a couple of years i lived right next to that airport giving me plenty of chance to see that plane.
The Corsair still is one of my absolute favorite WWII warbirds and in my opinion the most beautiful one.
Love the aviation stuff Mark - keep it up. Any chance of some more Cold War aviation vids?
My Dad was a turret gunner on B29 Jughaid out of Guam. The Zero gave them fits. His buddy got killed right next to him.
Interestingly enough, Dad got reassigned as an occupational POW MP for six months and got to meet the opposition teenagers.
He only talked about this stuff much later, a few years before he passed.
Many of those guys couldn't tell the difference between a Zero, a Tojo, a Frank, or a George. They just called them all Zeros. Anything that had red spots.
Mark, I grew up in southern California and attended the Planes of Fame spring airshow many times over the years. It was amazing seeing so many different types of WW2 aircraft, especially at the end of the show, when they were all flying at one time in a giant circuit around the airfield. Sadly, many of those planes have either been lost in accidents or no longer fly for other reasons. I am glad that people dedicate so much time and money building and maintaining these beautiful pieces of flying history.
I also remember during the late 80's and early 90's, the hydroplane boat racers switching over to turbines from Rolls Royce and Allison V12's due to the cost and, more than anything, the lack of spares.
I Love seeing those old Birds!
One of the most amazing things I've ever seen was the 2007 Gathering of Mustangs and Legends. Just the P-51 Mustangs alone numbered more than 75. Seeing them parked together is likely the closest, post year 2000, the world will ever see to a WW2 fighter base. Look up pictures. It was an amazing lineup.
Yep that was likely a record all together since the 1950s I’d imagine. Once in a lifetime airshow