Strana 105
In order for a restored aircraft to be
considered a machine of a specific type and
serial number, a certain percentage of original
parts must be used in its restoration. This
allows for the use of parts from old stock or
newly manufactured parts in the restoration
process. A warbird can thus be created even
from an aircraft that was nearly destroyed
in a severe crash. It is more than clear that
this is not a cheap endeavor. This is also one
of the reasons why some renovations take
many years, and in some cases even decades.
So let’s touch on the stories of a few of the
current projects.
De Havilland Mosquito TE881, which
is undergoing a demanding restoration at
Avspecs Ltd in New Zealand, is not the first
Mosquito they have returned to the air there.
This particular aircraft is expected to make its
test flight in 2026.
The B-25J Mitchell 44-30733 is also being
prepared for flight. In July 1969, after both
engines failed during takeoff while responding
to a forest fire, it made an emergency landing
in remote terrain. The wreckage of the aircraft
lay in the sandy alluvial deposits of the
Tanana River in Alaska until 2013, when it was
recovered and transported to Michigan. The
local Warbirds Of Glory Museum is restoring
the aircraft to airworthy condition using
parts from another Mitchell they managed to
acquire, aircraft s/n 44-28898. That aircraft
was part of the Lend-Lease program in 1944,
as a delivery to the Soviet Union. However,
it was damaged during landing at Satellite
Field in Alaska and, after valuable parts
were removed, left to its fate. The completely
vandalized remains of the airframe were
rescued at the turn of the millennium by the
Nome Aviation and Military Museum in Alaska
and later donated to Michigan.
The Spitfire Mk.I R6613 truly rises from
the ashes, its airframe reconstructed from
the wreckage of an aircraft shot down on
September 11, 1940. Before it was lost, the
famous Squadron Leader Roland R. Stanford
Tuck of the RAF’s No. 92 Squadron flew this
aircraft into battle several times during the
Battle of Britain. The current restoration
process, based on wreckage recovered from
the crash site, has been completed. The
aircraft has passed inspection by the British
CAA and, with the civil registration G
-
RRST, is
currently awaiting investors to take the next
steps toward returning to the skies.
An interesting project is the restoration of
the Fw 190A-8 in Turkey (Türkiye's MSÖ Air &
Space Museum). In this case, however, it is not
a warbird, but a comprehensive restoration
of a new-build aircraft that is approximately
twenty years old. Specifically, it is an
The noses of two B-25Js at the Warbirds Of Glory Museum in Michigan. In the foreground
is aircraft 44-28898, behind it the restored 44-30733.
Fw 190A-8N at the Turkish MSÖ Air & Space Museum.Restoration of the wing of the Turkish Focke-Wulf.
TAIL END CHARLIE
INFO Eduard
105
April 2026