Vintage warbird restoration
Encyclopedia
Vintage Warbird
Restoration or classic aircraft restoration is the process of taking exotic and complex aircraft from the World War II
and postwar era, and performing processes such as maintenance, repairs and refurbishments in order to restore these military aircraft
to their original wartime state (minus, of course, any working weaponry).
or the FAA’s specific requirements of airworthy conditions. This process of restoration can take anywhere from three months to one year on average depending on the specific project, and can range in cost starting at 20 thousand dollars all the way up to one million dollars. Many museums do not hesitate to spend this kind of money on a featured warbird. According to Classic Warplanes, some of the tasks performed on these vintage jets include:
To get these classic aircraft to their peak performance, maintenance checks performed by certified examiners
that specialize in this specific class of aircraft, have to be performed at least once a year. During a standard maintenance check, the examiner looks over every aspect of aircraft maintenance, construction and parts involved in the assembly of the aircraft. For instance, each nut and bolt used in the restoration of the warbird has to be government certified.
Restorers cannot purchase a bolt from the local hardware store; they have to purchase supplies from approved catalogues and retailers. After the flight examiner has gone through the government-issued check list of tasks, they take the plane up for a test flight to make sure everything is the way it should be. If everything checks out, the examiner signs the airplane off in the plane’s log book. Every aircraft has its own individual log book, and many times this book is just as important as the actual aircraft itself because it gives a detailed history of everything about the aircraft, such as where and when it was made, how many hours it has flown, and any accidents it was in. Examiners spend a great amount of time looking over this log book, which goes along with just one of several tasks on which they focus intently.
Many classic aircraft examiners are certified only in one particular aircraft because there are so many components involved. After signing the aircraft's log book, the examiner is able to teach the potential pilot the specifics about flying the warbird, and eventually signs the new pilot off. This makes the new pilot legally able to fly that specific aircraft. When beginning to check out a potential pilot, the examiner must make sure the pilot has met all prerequisites. For example, the pilot must have 1000 overall hours in a certified aircraft, and take a practical test that takes roughly an hour and a half to complete. The Practical, which is actually flying with the examiner and doing specific skills, is dictated by a written manual issued by Washington D.C. called the Airline Transport Pilot Practical Training Standards
(ATP, PTS), as well as an oral test that usually takes about an hour.
On top of these assessments, the examiner focuses intently on the attitude and judgment of the new owner pilot because once a license is issued, it can not be revoked without bringing legal matters into effect. This whole process is called a “type rating” and means that the pilot is only certified in that particular aircraft. If a pilot wants to become certified in another type, they must go through exactly the same process for each different aircraft, which can become very costly. After this tedious process of getting checked out in a classic warbird is finished, the certified pilot is able to put this new accomplishment to use. Flying in a warbird is quite an achievement, and it is easy to understand why being humble about this might prove to be difficult.
Warbirds are known to be among the fastest propeller-driven planes ever built. There are several different types of warbirds such as the Fighter
, Trainer
, Bomber
, Jet
, Transports
, Utility, etc. These divisions of warbirds can then be broken down by manufacturer. Examples of different manufacturers and their respective aircraft types include the North American P-51 Mustang, Vought F4U Corsair, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American T-6 Texan
, Beechcraft T-34 Mentor and Douglas A-20 Havoc. These vintage warbirds are a huge component of air shows all over the world, and they actually draw crowds to where they are exhibited and flown. Formation groups of warbirds are a highly anticipated feature of any air show. Warbird Alley claims that some of the best-known air shows in the United States that feature warbirds are:
All these different clubs and organizations primarily focus on group members communicating back and forth on any information pertaining to technical expertise, flight training, safety, and maintenance. One of their main goals is to establish a library devoted to the history of aviation and to the construction, repair, restoration, maintenance and preservation of vintage aircraft. These organizations allow aviation enthusiasts the opportunity to share information, stories, and their passion of aircraft quickly and easily.
Warbird
Warbird is a term used, predominantly in North America, to describe vintage military aircraft.- Naming :Although the term originally implied piston-driven aircraft from the World War II era, it is now often extended to include all military aircraft, including jet-powered aircraft, that are no...
Restoration or classic aircraft restoration is the process of taking exotic and complex aircraft from the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and postwar era, and performing processes such as maintenance, repairs and refurbishments in order to restore these military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
to their original wartime state (minus, of course, any working weaponry).
Restoration process
While some are simply restored in minor ways pertaining to appearance and the exterior of the plane, many more are brought to the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
or the FAA’s specific requirements of airworthy conditions. This process of restoration can take anywhere from three months to one year on average depending on the specific project, and can range in cost starting at 20 thousand dollars all the way up to one million dollars. Many museums do not hesitate to spend this kind of money on a featured warbird. According to Classic Warplanes, some of the tasks performed on these vintage jets include:
- Structural repairs
- Standard maintenance
- Interior and exterior paint
- Decals and stamps
- Upholstery replacements
- Control heads and radios
- Parachutes, ejection seats, and ejection seat cartridges
- Rewiring
- Replacement of real weaponry with either nothing or non-operating replicas
Where warbirds are today
Once these planes are restored, they usually either go to one of the many collectors of vintage aircraft around the world, or are placed in working or living museums. When in these museums, they are put on display and continue to be flown for air shows and private rides. According to Warbird Museum Links, a few of the most notable museums in the United State are:- Southern Museum of FlightSouthern Museum of FlightThe Southern Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located three blocks east of the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama. It features a valuable collection of aviation artifacts spanning the 20th century in the various areas of aviation. It explores eight decades...
, Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S... - Pima Air & Space MuseumPima Air & Space MuseumThe Pima Air & Space Museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres . Located in Tucson, Arizona, it is one of the world's largest, non-government funded aerospace museums...
, Tucson, ArizonaTucson, ArizonaTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200... - WASP Museum, Quartzsite, ArizonaQuartzsite, ArizonaQuartzsite is a town in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. According to Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town was 3,397 in 2006.Interstate 10 runs directly through Quartzsite. It is at the intersection of U.S...
- Museum of Flying, Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
- Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, Hampton, GeorgiaHampton, GeorgiaHampton is a city in southwestern Henry County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,987. Census Estimates for 2005 show a population of 4,743. Hampton mailing addresses also dip into eastern Clayton County and northern Spalding County.The Atlanta Motor...
- SAC Museum, Ashland, NebraskaAshland, NebraskaAshland is a city in Saunders County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,262 at the 2000 census.- History :Ashland is located at the site of a low-water limestone ledge along the bottom of Salt Creek, an otherwise mud-bottomed stream that was a formidable obstacle for wagon trains on the...
- National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census... - United States Aviation Museum, Willowick, OhioWillowick, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 14,361 people, 6,101 households, and 4,112 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,709.2 people per square mile . There were 6,272 housing units at an average density of 2,493.4 per square mile...
- Flight of the Phoenix Aviation Museum, Gilmer, TexasGilmer, TexasGilmer is also the name of a county in West Virginia.Gilmer is a town in and the county seat of Upshur County, Texas, United States. It is best known for being the birthplace of popular music singer Johnny Mathis. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census...
- EAA AirVenture MuseumEAA AirVenture MuseumThe EAA AirVenture Museum is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historical and experimental aircraft located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin adjacent to the Wittman Regional Airport. Paul Poberezny proposed the idea of the EAA Air Museum-Air Education center in August 1958. The current...
, Oshkosh, WisconsinOshkosh, WisconsinAs of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile... - American Airpower Heritage MuseumAmerican Airpower Heritage MuseumThe American Airpower Heritage Museum d.b.a. CAF Airpower Museum, is adjacent to the Commemorative Air Force Headquarters in Midland, Texas. The museum opened in its first building in Mercedes, Texas in 1965 as a location to house and display World War II artifacts as they began to be donated to...
, Midland, TexasMidland, TexasMidland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
Tasks of the examiner
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Aircraft maintenance technician, as used in the United States, refers to an individual who holds a mechanic certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration; the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart D of Part 65 of the Federal Aviation Regulations ,...
that specialize in this specific class of aircraft, have to be performed at least once a year. During a standard maintenance check, the examiner looks over every aspect of aircraft maintenance, construction and parts involved in the assembly of the aircraft. For instance, each nut and bolt used in the restoration of the warbird has to be government certified.
Restorers cannot purchase a bolt from the local hardware store; they have to purchase supplies from approved catalogues and retailers. After the flight examiner has gone through the government-issued check list of tasks, they take the plane up for a test flight to make sure everything is the way it should be. If everything checks out, the examiner signs the airplane off in the plane’s log book. Every aircraft has its own individual log book, and many times this book is just as important as the actual aircraft itself because it gives a detailed history of everything about the aircraft, such as where and when it was made, how many hours it has flown, and any accidents it was in. Examiners spend a great amount of time looking over this log book, which goes along with just one of several tasks on which they focus intently.
Many classic aircraft examiners are certified only in one particular aircraft because there are so many components involved. After signing the aircraft's log book, the examiner is able to teach the potential pilot the specifics about flying the warbird, and eventually signs the new pilot off. This makes the new pilot legally able to fly that specific aircraft. When beginning to check out a potential pilot, the examiner must make sure the pilot has met all prerequisites. For example, the pilot must have 1000 overall hours in a certified aircraft, and take a practical test that takes roughly an hour and a half to complete. The Practical, which is actually flying with the examiner and doing specific skills, is dictated by a written manual issued by Washington D.C. called the Airline Transport Pilot Practical Training Standards
Pilot certification in the United States
Pilot certification in the United States is required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration , a branch of the Department of Transportation...
(ATP, PTS), as well as an oral test that usually takes about an hour.
On top of these assessments, the examiner focuses intently on the attitude and judgment of the new owner pilot because once a license is issued, it can not be revoked without bringing legal matters into effect. This whole process is called a “type rating” and means that the pilot is only certified in that particular aircraft. If a pilot wants to become certified in another type, they must go through exactly the same process for each different aircraft, which can become very costly. After this tedious process of getting checked out in a classic warbird is finished, the certified pilot is able to put this new accomplishment to use. Flying in a warbird is quite an achievement, and it is easy to understand why being humble about this might prove to be difficult.
Air shows
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, Trainer
Trainer (aircraft)
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate in-flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristics and a simplified cockpit arrangement—allows...
, Bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
, Jet
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
, Transports
Cargo aircraft
A cargo aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. They are usually devoid of passenger amenities, and generally feature one or more large doors for the loading and unloading of cargo...
, Utility, etc. These divisions of warbirds can then be broken down by manufacturer. Examples of different manufacturers and their respective aircraft types include the North American P-51 Mustang, Vought F4U Corsair, Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American T-6 Texan
North American T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
, Beechcraft T-34 Mentor and Douglas A-20 Havoc. These vintage warbirds are a huge component of air shows all over the world, and they actually draw crowds to where they are exhibited and flown. Formation groups of warbirds are a highly anticipated feature of any air show. Warbird Alley claims that some of the best-known air shows in the United States that feature warbirds are:
- EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WisconsinOshkosh, WisconsinAs of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
- Alliance Airshow, Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
- Dayton Airshow, Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
- History of Flight Airshow, Geneseo, New York
- Indianapolis Airshow, Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
- Miramar AirshowMiramar AirshowThe Miramar Airshow is an airshow held in October at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California, USA. It is a major stop on the airshow circuit featuring civilian and military aircraft with a demonstration by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. In 2007, the US Air Force Thunderbirds performed instead of the Navy...
, Miramar, California - Orlando Air Fair, Orlando, FloridaOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
- Spirit of Flight Airshow, Galveston, TexasGalveston, TexasGalveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
- Commemorative Air ForceCommemorative Air ForceThe Commemorative Air Force , formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and showing historical aircraft at airshows primarily throughout the U.S. and Canada...
Airsho, Midland, TexasMidland, TexasMidland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
A growing hobby
Warbird Restoration is most closely focused with ensuring the long lasting survival of these vintage, exotic components of history to ensure their popularity for future generations. So many one-of-a-kind aircraft have been found and restored to their original state in hopes of preserving their significance in history. Finding the aircraft and resources needed to restore these warbirds may prove to be difficult for many of the people involved in restoration. Many enthusiasts and restorers learn that working on a restoration project means trips to junkyards, bargaining and trading for parts and skills, or begging with anyone who has a needed item. Some have even opted to rummage through old crash sites to find spare parts. If a part was unattainable, local businesses may sometimes replicate the part to the best of their abilities. Although this is a very time consuming, in-depth project, many have flocked to this process whether it is as a hobby or profession. There are now at least 500 different companies that focus on aircraft restoration alone, and it is continuing to grow.Clubs and organizations
For the warbird owners, pilots, and enthusiasts, there are clubs and associations you can become familiar with. Some of the most well-known organizations in the United States are:- Experimental Aircraft AssociationExperimental Aircraft AssociationThe Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
(EAA) was founded in September 1953 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The primary focus of the group started with building individual airplanes, and it soon grew to include antiques, classics, warbirds, aerobatic aircraft, ultralights, helicopters and contemporary manufactured aircraft. - Warbirds of America (WOA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1966. A year after its start, it became a branch of the EAA.
- Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) focuses predominantly on the safety involved in aviation as a whole. This administration was brought into action when the Air Commerce Act of May 20, 1926 was formed. The Act charged the United States Secretary of CommerceUnited States Secretary of CommerceThe United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
with fostering air commerce, issuing and enforcing air traffic rules, licensing pilots, certificating aircraft, establishing airways, and operating and maintaining aids to air navigation. - Classic Jet Aircraft Association (CJAA) founded in 1989, works with the federal government, specifically the FAA in Washington, providing valuable input to law and regulation makers.
All these different clubs and organizations primarily focus on group members communicating back and forth on any information pertaining to technical expertise, flight training, safety, and maintenance. One of their main goals is to establish a library devoted to the history of aviation and to the construction, repair, restoration, maintenance and preservation of vintage aircraft. These organizations allow aviation enthusiasts the opportunity to share information, stories, and their passion of aircraft quickly and easily.
External links
- Warbird Museum Links, Access date: 2009-01-27
- Federal Aviation Administration, Access date: 2009-01-27
- Red Star Aviation Museums, Access date: 2009-01-27
- AirVenture Oshkosh. AirVenture EAA, Access date: 2009-01-27
- Warbird Restoration. Ezell Aviation Access date: 2009-01-27
- Experimental Aircraft Association Access date: 2009-01-27
- EAA Warbirds of America., Access date: 2009-01-27
- Classic Jet Aircraft Association, Access date: 2009-01-27
- UK Warbirds