Warplanes of the UK: Bell P-39 Airacobra, Staggerwing, Expeditor, Kaydet, A-26 Invader, Skymaster, Hudson, Yale, Grasshopper, Cub, P-38 Lightning, B-26, Recruit, Reliant

USAAF aircraft of the Second World War preserved in the UK

Bell P-39 Airacobra

(Kogo Photos)

Bell P-39Q Airacobra (Serial No. 42-19993), c/n 26E-397, Reg. No. G-CEJU, “Brooklyn Bum 2nd”, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Airworthy.

(RAF Photo)

Bell P-63 Kingcobra, RAF (Serial No. FZ440), ca 1945.  

Bell P-63 Kingcobra (Serial No. 43-11137), under restoration at the Wings Museum, Balcombe, West Sussex.  The Hunt brothers with the Wings Museum have six recovered P-63 airframes & 4 sets of wings in various conditions from Russia.  At least two P-63s served with the RAF, (Serial No. FR408) on flight trials in Sep 1944, and (Serial No. FZ440) in April 1945 on flight trials related to laminar flow.

(John5199 Photo)

Beechcraft Staggerwing, Reg. No. G-BRVE, The Fighter Collection, Duxford.  Built in 1945, flown during the Second World War by the Royal Navy as Traveller Mk. I (Serial No. FT475).  This aircraft was allocated to the United States Navy post-war before being sold into civilian ownership.  It was acquired by the Fighter Collection in 2005.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor 3NM (Serial No. HB275), ex-RCAF (Serial No. 2324), ex-N5063N, Reg. No. G-BKGM, Skyblue Aero Services Ltd, Woodleys Drive, Newton Poppleford, Sidmouth.  In Royal Navy markings of Flag Officer Naval Air Command, painted as (Serial No. KP110).

(James Photo)

Beechcraft 18, RCAF (Serial No. 2324), Reg. No. G-BKGM, Bristol Airways Ltd.

Beechcraft 18 (Serial No. 1164), Reg. No. G-BKBL, "Good Vibrations", painted in D-Day markings, Leicestershire Aero Club.

Boeing Stearman PT-13D Kaydet (Serial No. 42-17786), IWM Duxford.

(Alan Wilson Photos)

Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet (BuNo. 3486), c/n 75-1263,  44, Reg. No. G-RJAH, Golden Apple Operations Ltd, IWM Duxford.

Douglas Boston Mk. IIIA, cockpit project, "Beer is Best", No. 88 Squadron, RAF.  This restoration is the only version with the bird cage Navigator/bomb aimer nose section and Triple X barrel.  Steve Milnthorpe, Leicestershire.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Douglas B-26C Invader (Serial No. 44-35282), California Air National Guard markings, ca 1950s.

Douglas B-26C Invader (Serial No. 44-34172), Reg. No. N4806E, Kent.

Douglas C-47 Dakotas and Skytrains preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Douglas C-54Q Skymaster, ex-USAAF (Serial No. 42-72525), Reg, No. N44914, ex-USN, painted in Air Transport Command, Atlantic Division colours (Serial No. 56498). North Weald. Being restored to airworthy status.

Douglas Skyraiders preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

Fairchild Argus aircraft preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.‍

(RCAF Photo)

Lockheed Hudson Mk. 1, coded OY-C, from No. 11 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron, RCAF, based at RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, c1942.

(IWM Photo, CH 996)

Hudson Mark I, T9277 ‘QX-W’, of No. 224 Squadron RAF based at Leuchars, Fife, in flight off the Scottish coast. This was a late production Mark I, fitted with Hydromatic propellers and early ASV Mark 1 radar. T9277 went missing while on a patrol off Norway on 9 December 1940.

(IWM Photo, CH 2838)

Hudson Mark II, T9376 ‘ZS-X’, of No. 233 Squadron RAF, returning to its base at Aldergrove, County Antrim, from a convoy patrol. The aircraft is equipped with ASV Mark 1 radar.

(IWM Photo TR 27)

Lockheed Hudson Mk. VI (Serial No. AE626), of the Middle East Communications Flight flying over the Pyramids at Cairo, Egypt, in 1942.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Lockheed Hudson Mk. IIIA (Serial No. A16-199), RAAF colours, Royal Air Force Museum London, Hendon.

Miles Hawk Major, Miles Magister, Miles Martinet, Miles Messenger aircraft preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

North American NA-64 Yale (Serial No. 3349), painted in the colours of No. 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Camp Borden, Ontario in Canada.  Taken on strength on 23 Aug 1940.  This aircraft later served at No. 6 SFTS, Dunnville, Ontario, and No. 1 Wireless School, Mount Hope, Ontario.  It was struck off charge in Sep 1946 and sold.  This aircraft is airworthy.  Hangar 2 (North) at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

North American Harvard and Texan trainers preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

North American B-25 Mitchell preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

North American P-51D Mustangs preserved in the UK are listed on a separate web page on this web site.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Piper L-4H Grasshopper (Serial No. 44-329854), c/n 11145, in the markings of the 381st Bomb Group, based at Ridgewell, Essex in 1944.  This L-4 was taken on charge from the Piper Aircraft Corporation at Lock Haven in January 1944 and first issued to the Eighth Air Force.  She served the U.S Ground Forces in Europe possibly with Pattons 3rd Army.  In 1947 she was struck of charge and sold as surplus and acquired by a French aero club.  She was acquired by a British owner and arrived in the U.K.  In 2011 she moved to the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar Ltd, Biggin Hill, Kent.

(Alan Wilson Photos)

Piper L-4J Cub (Serial No. 43-0681), c/n 12544, Reg. No. G-AXGP), painted as 3681. Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(RAF Photo)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning Mk. I, RAF (Serial No. AE979).

(USAAF Photo)

Lockheed P-38 Lightning Mk. I, RAF (Serial No. AE978).

(Peripitas Photo)

(Chris Finney Photo)

(Bob Jarrett Photo)

Lockheed P-38H-LO Lightning (Serial No. 42-66841), c/n 1352, 153, "Scarlet Scourge", 432 SQN, 475th FG, 5th AF, flown by Lt. Edward Dickey on numerous missions over Papua New Guinea and it’s adjacent national islands.  The Lightning scored a probable victory against an Oscar Fighter over the enemy fortified Rabaul Harbour, New Britain on 23rd October 1943.  The large fighter was salvaged by the Classic Jets Fighter Museum, Australia in 1999 and subsequently under went a seven year restoration program by the Museum’s restoration team.  This aircraft is now in the UK at Bentwaters.

Lockheed P-38F Lightning (Serial No. 41-7677), 49th Fighter Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, USAAF.  The wreckage of this aircraft is currently resting in the water off the coast of northwest Wales and is currently safeguarded as a military crash site in the UK.  Known as "The Maid of Harlech", the aircraft crashed on 27 Sep 1942, when both engines failed due to a fuel shortage.

(RAF Photo)

(IWM Photo, CM 5001)

Martin B-26 Marauder Mk. I (Serial No. FK375), coded D, “Dominion Revenge”, of No. 14 Squadron RAF based at Fayid, Egypt.  This aircraft was lost during a torpedo attack off Aghios Giorgios Island on 3 January 1943.

(RAF Photo)

Martin B-26 Marauder Mk I, FK138,  Prestwick, Ayrshire.

Martin B-26C Marauder (Serial No. 41-35253), fuselage section.  Boxstead Airfield Museum, Langham, Essex.

Republic P-47 Thunderbolts preserved in the UK are listed on a separate page on this web site.

(Alec Wilson Photo)

(ozz13x Photo)

Ryan ST-3KR Recruit (Serial No. 001), Reg. No. G-BYPY, The Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire.

(San Diego Air & Space Museum Photo)

Stinson L-5A Sentinel (Serial No. 42-98177), c/n 76-428, R-8, Reg. No. N6438C, Paul Bennet and Mike Nice, Norfolk.

Stinson Reliant (Serial No. FK877), built in 1943, this aircraft was one of 250 Reliants dlivered to the Fleet Air Arm. No. 740 NAS, serving at Machrihanish and with No. 703 NAS at Thorney Island, before being delivered to the USA in 1946.  Reg. No. N69745, Yeovilton, Somerset.  Painted bright yellow with a red nose cowling, this aircraft is airworthy, owned by Paul Kehoe.

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