Survivor of Pearl Harbor attack returns to the US

One of only two flyable aircraft to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, is returning to the US from The Fighter Collection in Duxford England. The plane will be flown at commemorative events around the US, and is planned to fly over Pearl Harbor for the 75th anniversary of the attack in 2016.

The P-40B was built in early 1941 in Buffalo, New York before being shipped to Hawaii. On December 7th, it was undergoing repairs in a hangar at Wheeler Army Airfield. It survived the attack unscathed. However, two months after the attack, it crashed into a mountain, killing the pilot. The wreckage was left on the mountain until the 1980s, when it was recovered and rebuilt using parts from other aircraft.

Around 2004 it was acquired by The Fighter Collection. It was sold back to an unidentified donor, and will be disassembled and shipped back to Buffalo.

ALBANY, NY – A New York-built American fighter that's one of the few remaining still-airworthy planes to survive the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is being donated to a Massachusetts-based organization that flies World War II aircraft at living history events across the nation.

Robert Collings, executive director of the Stow, Massachusetts-based Collings Foundation, said that the purchase of the Curtiss P-40B Warhawk from an aviation museum in England was completed this week. The plane will be disassembled and shipped to the United States, where it eventually will fly over Buffalo and other cities, with plans to participate in the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack in 2016, he said.

"The history that comes with it is pretty special," Collings said Friday, the day before the 72nd anniversary of the surprise attack in Hawaii that launched the U.S. into the Second World War. "It was obvious that we needed to get this airplane back to America."

www.foxnews.com...

reply to post by Zaphod58

"A sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous" has "several million dollars" to buy a rusting, unmaintained World War 2 flying machine as ... a gesture to a memory of all those that died or something? Couldn't the money have been better spent? This reeks of the glorification of war and not the memory of the sacrifice that many people were forced to make.

Nope, I just don't get why someone would do this, no matter how rich they may be. This money would be better spent on many other more humane things than restoring a piece of metal to be flightworthy again. Or maybe I'm completely missing the point?

No disrespect Zaphod as I know aviation is your thing but does this not strike you as somewhat pointless? Posterity and all that?

reply to post by LightSpeedDriver


It's not "rusting and unmaintained". It's one of only two aircraft to survive that day that is in flyable condition.

3.bp.blogspot.com...
www.globalaviationresource.com...

That sure doesn't look "rusting and unmaintained" to me.

And it's part of history. So it's important to save it.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Well, I stand corrected on the condition of the plane because the linked article had an old photo (black and white) but it still seems odd to me that someone has millions of dollars for a machine, but nothing for charities that still support WW2 veterans and their families. Again no disprespect intended but the waste seems absurd to my humble and probably quite lacking intellect.

reply to post by LightSpeedDriver


For all we know it was someone who flew it, and wanted to donate it to the museum in Buffalo. Or someone who wanted it in their collection. Or a non-profit. There are any number of people that could have raised the money, and could be using it to support Vet groups as well.

Thank you. I saw this earlier and was amazed.

Also I used to volunteer at Air heritage at Beaver county airport PA. I was wondering of some of our aircraft histories. In particular a C-123 liberator. Or "Thunder pig " I went through the paper work on its past. The flight crew insist it was also based in Pittsburgh. But no matter how hard I try. I can't find proof. Is there a special listing that's only privy to some people?

Also acquired was an F-4 Phantom from OH. Brought in 3 pieces and no engine. Being disputed that was an Az mothball. But I didn't pick it up. So I'm going by what I'm told.

But the recent flyable baby is the C-47B. So far only one original crew member has been located. Ed Frome. Of the 75th air carrier wing. This so far is the most detailed history of a plane I can come across.
There are other aircraft here such as an F-15 no engines. Scaled Corsair, trainers, and even a very old drone....nothing more than an RC craft if you will...

So is there a special right to pilots and historians? Who gets the real story on the craft?

Thanks

reply to post by Bigburgh


It's just a matter of digging hard enough and in the right places. If you U2U me tail numbers, I'll try digging into them for you and see what I can find out.

Bigburgh
Also I used to volunteer at Air heritage at Beaver county airport PA. I was wondering of some of our aircraft histories. In particular a C-123 liberator. Or "Thunder pig " I went through the paper work on its past. The flight crew insist it was also based in Pittsburgh. But no matter how hard I try. I can't find proof. Is there a special listing that's only privy to some people?

You have the complete history in your U2U's. November 1957 it was at Olmstead AFB, PA.

LightSpeedDriver
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Well, I stand corrected on the condition of the plane because the linked article had an old photo (black and white) but it still seems odd to me that someone has millions of dollars for a machine, but nothing for charities that still support WW2 veterans and their families. Again no disprespect intended but the waste seems absurd to my humble and probably quite lacking intellect.

how judgmental and assuming. how do you know if they give "nothing for charities that still support WWII veterans and their families"?