US Registered Warbirds
Most people reading this will have heard the term “Warbird”, but for clarity I’ll add the current definition as it has changed somewhat over the years. Originally a warbird was a Second World War aircraft, demilitarised and operated by civilians or a preservation entity like The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Now it is considered as any “vintage” military aircraft with a civilian or a presevation society like the BBMF or the Comemorative Air Force as the operator.
Seeing an aircraft like a Mustang, Hurricane, Spitfire or something else from the war years is something quite special. Visiting Duxford in the UK or some of the other locations around the world and seeing these aircraft still flying is memorable, appreciating how much care and attention is lavished on these machines – some approaching 100 years old evokes something akin to awe.
Take a photograph in Black and White and to the average person it could just as easily have been taken 60, 70 or 80 years ago, there is a certain nostalgia that makes itself felt in that moment. It’s not just the fighters with the catchy names that are evocative, the trainers, transports, bombers and utility aircraft of the era also have an undeniable cachet.
Currently there are thousands of these aircraft on the US Civil Register, for example there are 206 “North American F/P-51” Mustangs active (with a CofA) in the August file available from our download page. There are 56 “North American B-25” Mitchell’s and around 180 “Douglas DC-3 & variants”, although these are still effectively being refurbished and re-engined by Basler Turbo Conversions. The aircraft listed above are some of the better known warbirds, but what about the lesser known ones like the Piper Cub.
When you look at aircraft like the Piper Cub (the first US aircraft shot down immediately before the attack on Pearl Harbour), which started life as the Taylor E-2 in 1930 with production ending in 1947 – almost twenty thousand being built between 1938 and 1947 – at peak production an aircraft rolling off the line every 20 minutes. There are still over 3,800 of these currently active on the US Civil Register, the youngest of these is 76 years old. Should they be classified as a warbird, personally I’d say yes.
They maybe didn’t have the zingy Spitfire, Mustang, Thunderbolt, Warhawk name and except for a few examples they weren’t armed – but they fit the original and new criteria in equal measure. There are many others that fit the bill, the Harvard under several designations such as the AT-6 or SNJ(pick a number) with at least 700 still current.
In all there may be more than ten thousand warbirds currently active on the US Civil Register, quite a respectable 3% or more of all aitcraft on the register.
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