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From: rjg@sialis.com (Robert J. Granvin)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Warbirds
Message-ID: <1990Nov30.023152.9885@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 30 Nov 90 02:31:52 GMT
References: <1990Nov21.213602.16566@cbnews.att.com>
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From: rjg@sialis.com (Robert J. Granvin)
>From: newave!john@uunet.UU.NET (John A. Weeks III)
>> From: mikes@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Mike Sheumaker)
>> 1. If a person had the money, how much would it take to buy a WWII fighter?
>> (restored, airworthy). Bomber? For fighters, lets say, P-51, F8 Bearcat,
>> P-40, Corsair. Bombers, B-25, B-17, A-20, B-26.
>
>Unrestored fighters can cost $1-Million+.

Easily, depending on the type of aircraft.  Wing reconstruction alone,
for example, can easily exceed $100,000.  Our B-25, as another
example, has been in restoration for 12 years.  Only one of the many
people who volunteer to work on it, has logged over 700 hours of
restoration work.  Multiplying that by a reasonable hourly rate, and
then adding in the dozens of others who have, and are, working on it,
just those costs alone stack up.


>> 3. What does it cost to maintain an ex military A/C for private use?

The cost runs proportional to the amount of parts available, as well
as the demand.  P-51 parts are fairly plentiful, and there are a
number of companies who service nothing but.  But, since parts are in
high demand, an engine crankshaft will still have a lot of zeroes
following the leading digit.

Even more plentiful aircraft have expensive parts.  I'm finding that I
can purchase newly made prop blades for a Harvard for about $3,500.
Finding original ones, is almost seeming to be more difficult than
locating P-51C wings.

You have to plan to spend several hundred $$ per hour to fly, and
expect to fly a minimum number of hours.  You must also realize that
all warbirds eat fuel at an extraordinary rate, not to mention oil
(the common joke is that when a warbird stops leaking oil, it's
empty.)  It's also wise to plan for those unexpected events, like when
the airport crew puts a metal road barricade in the middle of the
taxiway where the pilot can't see it, but the prop can.  :-)  Things
that are easy to overlook become a problem.  Where DO you find new
tires for these things, anyways?

>> 5. Any warbird owners out there that need a good passenger? :-)
>
>I'm sure that you will find a long line to stand in.  Your best be is to
>become a writer for a Magazine or work at a local museum.  The National 
>Warplane museum gave B-17 rides to everyone that donated 500 hours or more.
>The other alternative is to pay $50 for a Stearman ride at the Planes of
>Fame.

This is very true.  The best way to get a ride is to be someone that
can help the organization that has the aircraft.  The equally best way
is to work for them.  Most, if not all, organizations will "reward"
their workers with rides (the thrill is indescribable... Even in a
leisurely trainer.)  You may also, if you are very lucky and can
afford several hundred dollars, "purchase" a ride at an airshow.
These tend to be pricy (they barely cover the cost of fuel), are not
advertised (or sanctioned), and difficult to locate.  

There's always a possibility that these rides, of all types, will
start getting more difficult to obtain in the future.  As more
warbirds go into the ground, and as they get older, the more insurance
will cost.  Eventually, the insurance will likely be too prohibitive
to routinely fly non-crew.  But I wouldn't worry about it yet.
That'll take a while before it happens, if ever.

Your best bet is still to join up and work on one of these beauties.