Museum

[Lexandro]

You know what I was wondering was, why dont some enthusiast just build new models of classic aircraft liek the Spitfire. Surely all the design specs and engineering blueprints are easily had nowadays. The hard part would be crafting the tools required. The engine would be a bit troublesome since they dont get made anymore but Im sure some enterprising chaps could probably make one.

[Wayfindre]

I have been to the National Air/Space museum in DC as well. It too is enjoyable...

[jkerr419]

The National Air and Space is fantastic but they only dispay about 20% of their true collection. The real gems are locked up in a whare house due to lack of display space. Pensacola is amazing!! I moved to Texas a few years ago and have found a couple of gems. There is (or used to be) one down in Galveston (Lone Star Flight) that was pretty amazing. All of their craft are flight worthy. I just hope Ike didn't get them. They also have the home of the Confederate Airforce and the USS Lexington down in Corpis. It has to be the only plus of living here; during the summer there are airshows left and right!!

A few companies do build replica's but to re-tool and start building the originals from scratch would be one heck of a task. Alot of the parts and equipment just aren't made anymore. What's worse is the parts to make those parts...and the parts that make the parts that make the parts. Let alone someone qualified to operate the machinary. Most of the parts would have to be machined by hand. Basiclly take the price it took to originaly develope the plane and convert that to it's modern equivilent. Even if you had the plans everything else would have to be done from scartch. You could hunt and salvage a few pieces but most of those are used in restoration work. And even if you had the parts we haven't built aircraft like that in 60+ years. We just do not know the technology anymore.

There is a company the builds replica ME 262's (http://www.stormbirds.com/project/index.html) for a couple of mil. Read the history of their development. I also remember a place that built 3/4 scale 190's but don't remember where I saw it.

[moozicmon]

Originally Posted by jkerr419

The National Air and Space is fantastic but they only dispay about 20% of their true collection. The real gems are locked up in a whare house due to lack of display space. Pensacola is amazing!! I moved to Texas a few years ago and have found a couple of gems. There is (or used to be) one down in Galveston (Lone Star Flight) that was pretty amazing. All of their craft are flight worthy. I just hope Ike didn't get them. They also have the home of the Confederate Airforce and the USS Lexington down in Corpis. It has to be the only plus of living here; during the summer there are airshows left and right!!

A few companies do build replica's but to re-tool and start building the originals from scratch would be one heck of a task. Alot of the parts and equipment just aren't made anymore. What's worse is the parts to make those parts...and the parts that make the parts that make the parts. Let alone someone qualified to operate the machinary. Most of the parts would have to be machined by hand. Basiclly take the price it took to originaly develope the plane and convert that to it's modern equivilent. Even if you had the plans everything else would have to be done from scartch. You could hunt and salvage a few pieces but most of those are used in restoration work. And even if you had the parts we haven't built aircraft like that in 60+ years. We just do not know the technology anymore.

There is a company the builds replica ME 262's (http://www.stormbirds.com/project/index.html) for a couple of mil. Read the history of their development. I also remember a place that built 3/4 scale 190's but don't remember where I saw it.

Ah, but they have some on display at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Center in Chantilly,VA. You will find one helluva collection including the Enola Gay
the only surviving Heinkel He 219 Uhu, the only surviving Arado Ar 234,one of three surviving Bachem Ba 349 Natters,the only surviving Nakajima J1N1 Gekko,one of four surviving Northrop P-61 Black Widows and more.

Check out Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_...ar-Hazy_Center

[beaker126]

Originally Posted by moozicmon

Ah, but they have some on display at the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Center in Chantilly,VA. You will find one helluva collection including the Enola Gay
the only surviving Heinkel He 219 Uhu, the only surviving Arado Ar 234,one of three surviving Bachem Ba 349 Natters,the only surviving Nakajima J1N1 Gekko,one of four surviving Northrop P-61 Black Widows and more.

Check out Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_...ar-Hazy_Center

You had me at P-61. Seriously, I think the reason these great birds aren't reproduced is because who would teach folks how to fly them? The wing loading and power/weight ratio on them is sooo different from what the average civillian pilot is used to. Don't get me wrong I'd love too see more of them in the air but but between this and the cost for what is basically a one-off is so high as be really prohibitive.

[Swagger7]

Originally Posted by jkerr419

The National Air and Space is fantastic but they only dispay about 20% of their true collection. The real gems are locked up in a whare house due to lack of display space. Pensacola is amazing!! I moved to Texas a few years ago and have found a couple of gems. There is (or used to be) one down in Galveston (Lone Star Flight) that was pretty amazing. All of their craft are flight worthy. I just hope Ike didn't get them. They also have the home of the Confederate Airforce and the USS Lexington down in Corpis. It has to be the only plus of living here; during the summer there are airshows left and right!!

A few companies do build replica's but to re-tool and start building the originals from scratch would be one heck of a task. Alot of the parts and equipment just aren't made anymore. What's worse is the parts to make those parts...and the parts that make the parts that make the parts. Let alone someone qualified to operate the machinary. Most of the parts would have to be machined by hand. Basiclly take the price it took to originaly develope the plane and convert that to it's modern equivilent. Even if you had the plans everything else would have to be done from scartch. You could hunt and salvage a few pieces but most of those are used in restoration work. And even if you had the parts we haven't built aircraft like that in 60+ years. We just do not know the technology anymore.

There is a company the builds replica ME 262's (http://www.stormbirds.com/project/index.html) for a couple of mil. Read the history of their development. I also remember a place that built 3/4 scale 190's but don't remember where I saw it.

That's the great thing about WWI replicas. It's all wood & fabric and you can build one yourself in a garage for less than $10,000 if you scrounge a little. I'm planning on building an SE5a eventually.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Swagger7

That's the great thing about WWI replicas. It's all wood & fabric and you can build one yourself in a garage for less than $10,000 if you scrounge a little. I'm planning on building an SE5a eventually.

Now I'm going to start working on my Fokker DVII.

[ontheborderland]

The RAAFA museum in Perth has a Spit, a Lanc and a Catalina, which is amazing. I'd love to visit the War Memorial museum in Canberra someday soon.

[Soviet Ace]

China Air Museum has almost everything you could want. P-47, F4U Corsair, F3F-2 Flying Barrel, F4F-3&4 Wildcat, FM2 Wildcat, P-38 Lightning, P-51A-B-D, and even a Yak-3 being restored!!!! They've got quite a few bombers as well, and some sweet post WW2 planes like a Bearcat, P-80, F-86, MiG-15 (real one, not a replica.) and many more. It's the best on the West Coast in my opinion.

[Wissam24]

Originally Posted by Lexandro

You know what I was wondering was, why dont some enthusiast just build new models of classic aircraft liek the Spitfire. Surely all the design specs and engineering blueprints are easily had nowadays. The hard part would be crafting the tools required. The engine would be a bit troublesome since they dont get made anymore but Im sure some enterprising chaps could probably make one.

Considering that so few examples of these planes exist, how common do you think the blueprints are?