gridlore: Doug looking off camera with a grin (Believe in Shadows)
Douglas Berry ([personal profile] gridlore) wrote2007-08-24 06:08 pm
Entry tags:

Never a Bofors when you need one..

I regularly drive by Livermore's small airport. So seeing small planes taking off and landing is not uncommon. The place seems to exist mostly for the use of folks rich enough to afford a private plane.

But today? Today was special. As I drove across the landing path, I saw two planes approaching. This was unusual, so I stopped for a better look. Then I noticed the gull wings..

Yes, coming out of the sun were two Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. They had to be reproductions, but they were beautiful. All the markings in the right place, that beautiful roar of an overpowered military engine.

[identity profile] shadowcat48li.livejournal.com 2007-08-25 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
there are some interesting projects for restorations currently

FW-190
P-61
Beaufighter


there are a couple of rebuilt zeros flying with Wright Cyclone engines now

either Yak or Lavochkin is building new WW2 era aircraft at the original plant using the original plans etc. they are being sold to the warbird/aerobatic/air race market.

[identity profile] shadowcat48li.livejournal.com 2007-08-25 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
The story of the Yak-3 did not end with the Second World War. In 1991, the Museum of Flying, in Santa Monica, California, asked Yakovlev to produce a new series of Yak-3s to be built at Orenburg, Russia. The new Yak-3s were built using the plans, tools, dies and fixtures of the original. They were powered by American Allison engines, and given the designation Yak-3UA. These aircraft are now available on the civilian market.

There are several static Yak-9’s in private hands today, and beginning in 1996, several airworthy Russian-built replicas have been built.

www.warbirdalley.com

[identity profile] shadowcat48li.livejournal.com 2007-08-25 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
ok, my bad, the Zeros are fited with Pratt and Whitney R-1830 engines