Restoration/Reproduction Archives

Second Chances: Breathing New Life into a California Bearcat

The Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Camarillo, CA has recently begun a full overhaul of one of its most prized aircraft, the Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat. Though Bearcats are somewhat common warbirds in the world of aircraft restoration, CAF SoCal’s airframe, BuNo 122674, has a truly unique history and has flown in […]

Nieuport 28 Takes Flight!

The American Heritage Museum in Stow, Massachusetts is honored to announce that America’s oldest, original, and airworthy combat aircraft has returned to the sky. On Saturday, April 2nd, 2022, the museum’s 1918 Nieuport 28 took to sky in southern Sweden with World War I aircraft restoration expert, Mikael Carlson, at the controls. There are 5 […]

Rare WW II P-47 Restoration

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia is acquiring a rare World War II P-47 Thunderbolt as a long-term restoration project. The P-47 will join the noteworthy Airbase fleet of operating aircraft, including its SBD Dauntless, P-51 Mustang, FG-1D Corsair, and P-63 Kingcobra. Weighing 10,000 pounds empty, the Thunderbolt was the largest single fighter built […]

Black Sea Salvage: P-39 Airacobra

In July 1944, Junior Lieutenant Vladimir Shishken was flying a Bell P-39 Airacobra with the Black Sea Fleet in a training exercise and saw smoke coming from the engine. He landed on the water, and although the Airacobra sank, he made it to shore with a slight head wound. Ironically, the fighter had just 9 […]

“Rosie the Rocketer” Restored

“Rosie the Rocketer” has a new lease on life after Colin Powers spent a year and a half restoring the Piper L-4H in his garage. “It’s been an honor to do this airplane for the family of Major Carpenter,” Powers, 84, said. “I’m very happy the way it turned out.” The WW II recon aircraft […]

B-25 8-Gun Strafer Nose Restoration

The good folks at the B-25 History Project have a new restoration underway: a rare 8-gun “strafer” nose that only a few restored B-25s are outfitted with. Interestingly, this nose configuration was only a modification–no B-25s were originally outfitted with it–and these nose types were mainly used in the Pacific Theater, where pilots had an […]

Curtiss P-40E Gets Its Wings

In news from New Zealand, aircraft restoration company Pioneer Aero gave PE4E S#41-13570 back its wings! In a recent blog post, they shared these photos, writing, “Yesterday was a significant day in the restoration of P40E S#41-13570 with the wings and fuselage being mated. A great way to mark the end of our Covid 19 […]

From Recovery to Restoration [VIDEO]

In 2013, divers recovered the remains of a German Dornier 17 bomber that had lain underwater since it was shot down during the Battle of Britain in August 1940. This extremely rare aircraft is now being conserved at the RAF Museum in Cosford, United Kingdom. The National WWII Museum, meanwhile, displays a restored SBD-3 Dauntless […]

F6F Hellcat: Up Close & Personal [VIDEO]

Simple, rugged, and deadly, the Grumman F6F Hellcat dominated the skies over the Pacific during World War II. Explore the unique systems, history, and design that lead to its success in the Pacific in this walk-around with Jason Muszala, Flying Heritage & Combat Air Museum’s Senior Restoration & Maintenance Manager.

B-25 Restoration Update

Restoring a WW II bomber is a momentous labor, requiring no small portion of blood, sweat, and tears. A restoration team out of Brighton, Michigan is currently hard at work on a North American B-25J Mitchell, serial number 44-30733. Better known as The Sandbar Mitchell, it was rescued in 2013 from a sand bar on a […]