This is a bit off the modeling topic, but intresting to think about.
This past week a civilian owned DC-3, still in its Canadian military markings and outfittings was brought to the Edmonton Municipal Airport and loaned to the aviation museum there. In an article in our local paper it stated that many aviaition experts and historians believe that there will still be Dakotas out there somewhere in some form of commercial service when the type’s design turns 100 years old. I suspect it will come to be that way, testament to the excellent design of the Dakota.
It got me wondering what other aircraft designs have been out there a while and are still flying here, there and everywhere around the world and have good chances of examples of the type still buzzing around when their designs hit the century mark.
I think some serious contenders are:
C-130 Hercules:
The design is right around 50 years old and new variants are still coming off the line and finding new customers, while existing examples are finding customers on second and third hand markets.
DeHavilland Beaver:
1930’s design and still chugging along in the world’s bush areas and still servicible after all this time.
Cessna 172:
Countless private pilots got their first taste of flying in the 172 and its already in the history books as the most produced and widely used single engine private aircraft worldwide.
Antonov AN-2 Colt:
Rugged as they come and many post military ones have found new life in civilian circles as glider tugs, skydiving platforms and the types original purpose, crop dusting.
That’s what comes to my mind right off the top, what do some of the rest of you think might still be taking to the air on their design’s 100th anniversary?
There is certainly something about those folks with aircraft engineers certificates who maintain these flying pieces of history. Without them, these amazing old planes are nothing more than interesting piles of corrosion…
LeeTree
Hey Upnorth if you like old aircraft that are still earning their keep take a look at this couple of books, skytruck and skytruck 2 by the late stephen piercey, full of DC3s C46s, C54s Connies and so on. the dioramas that those books could inspire. there was even a B17 transporting raw meat in bolivia ( i built a model of that one). Greg
Its always intresting to see the old birds soldiering on in one way or another. I put a couple of pictures of B-25s converted to water bombers on RonUSMC’s image gallery a while back.
The Dakota that got me started thinking about this subject belongs to an outfit called Buffalo Airways that operates out of Canada’s Northwest Territories, I read a fascinating article in a magazine a few years back about their fleet of maintained C-46s.
I’d never have pegged the B-52 for such longevity as it has already enjoyed let alone the 100 year mark, it seemed a bit of a specialized bird for such a lifespan as that.
I think another contender is the Boeing 707 family of aircraft, I think the 707 is like a Hercules with jets instead of props. Highly adaptable and once you think you’ve seen it do everything it possibly could and more, it finds a new job to keep it going.
It is the adaptable that survive the longest.
Thanks for recomending the books Gregers, I’ll have to seek them out and give them a look.
Upnorth:
I’d have to add C-46 to your list, there’s still a lot of those banging around the world, particularly in Africa.
For anyone into these old birds, I heartily recommend “Propliner” magazine, also their web site. Among other things, they keep tabs on where they are now. Interesting to note some old RCAF Yukons are still tramping around SE Asia. There would be a great 1:48 subject …
PS:
I had the pleasure of meeting “Buffalo Joe” up in Yellowknife and when we get together (soon I hope) I’ll relate a story or two.
Bruce
C-46…lots of them flying around hauling fish and whatnot. Woods Air and Everetts make a linving flying fuel to villages in the bush.
DC-6…same deal as the C-46. Northern Air Cargo has a fleet of them including the only swing-tail examples I know of. They fly all over Alaska including landing on ice runways (frozen lakes) in the winter.
PA-18…or any Piper Cub. They’ve been around a long time and will still be here operating in the bush.
DHC-3 Otter…quite a few of them along with the DHC-2 Beavers up here. I think they’ll out live me. Great bush workhorse.
Hi theres a few of those old birds out here still flying namely the DC-3 and a few others from the early thirties and late thirties in Australia and most seem to be flying in the state of Victoria but most of the dc3 are in the state of New South Wales including 1 p-51-d.
hope this lets ya know whats happening down under folks.
Sean Sewell
Spitfire Ace
Australia
The RAF / Quinetiq still fly examples of the DC3.
The British army flew Beavers until the 90’s and I remember when the last Pembrokes were withdrawn in the late 80’s (Comets were still flying on test duties and VC10’s are still operational with the RAF as well as canberras in the Tac Recce role)
Good list so far, here’s a few others that come to mind:
DHC-6 Twin Otter, I certainly suspect it will have the same lifespan of the single Otter.
C-119 Flying Boxcar, I’ve heard there are a few still flying about.
DeHavilland Vampire, I wouldn’t have thought of it, but I understand it became something of a rich boy’s toy when the Swiss Air Force retired theirs and put them on the civil market. It seems there is a flying club or two in Britain dedicated to keeping the Vampires going. The same can be said for the Jet Provost trainers.
I wonder how long the Martin Mars will keep going as a fire bomber?
On the matter of fire bombers, the A-26 Invader is a definite contender for the 100 year milestone with as many of them as there were converted to the fire killer role.
Anybody know if there are any more Bristol Freighters on the wing anywhere?
Hey Upnorth;
you forgot the MiG-21 there are still some 3rd world countries still flying the little fighter as well as the MiG-15, the Iraqi’s where still flting them in Desert Storm when that conflict broke out some 40+ years after they where manufactured
I too will have to mention the airframes that are used for firebombing missions…C-130s, B-25s, A-26s, PBY Catalinas. For long living helicopters, the Huey would be one but don’t count out Bell’s Model 47 (the one seen in MAS*H). I still plenty of them flying around.
Bristol freighters …
Lambair lost theirs at Rankin Inlet, Wardair’s is on the pedestal at Yellowknife (and looking the worse for wear), Norcanair’s is in the Winnipeg museum …
There may be some tramping in the Southern hemisphere, perhaps our friends down under may know.
Bruce