OT: Oldest still in service aircraft??

Just saw a Piper Super Cub fly out of Smoketown Friday afternoon. Doesn't that date back to the '30s?

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Probably a DC-3 doing cargo or pax work somewhere.

Stan Parker

Grand Canyon Airlines has a Ford tri-motor that they use in their sightseeing business. There are probably a number of other vintage aircraft used some place in some manner.

J. Bright

Piper Cub, yes, Super Cub, no.

Wow! Lotsa options here folks... This was just hashed out not too long ago on the H-War email list. Here's how it wound down...

Oldest US Military design still flying: KC-135 (You guys are right about the H's being younger) Oldest MILITARY design flying in REGULAR service: C-47/DC-3/AC-47 Oldest REGULAR SERVICE design: Ford Trimotors (Yup, the one up onthe UP in Michigan) Oldest flying DESIGN is: Bleriot 9/Wright A flyer

Depending on what route youw ant to take with the discussion there's a lot of options available. M'self, I stick with oldest regular service military aircraft, which would be the C-47/DC-3. Although many have been con- verted to turboprops (ala El Salvador's AC-47's) there are a large enough number of old piston engine DC-3's/C-47's still out there will the air arms of developing nations.

Hope that this helps!

-andy

Oops, I meant to type RN or whatever.

Yup, something like that :-)

More like FAA (Fleet Air Arm). The RNAS was amalgamated with the Royal Flying Corps in 1918 to form the RAF.

I ~think~ (but could be wrong) that the Supers were introduced around

1947 or so. The J-3 Cubs and older Taylorcrafts were the ones that dated back to the 1930s. I don't know how many of those are still flying.

That Airodrome in the Catskills region of New York State. (New Pfalz??) Cole Palen's name comes to mind.

Have you forgotten about all those WWII era aircraft that are used as firebombers...

The DC-3 that the SAAF uses were modified at Bassler Aviation in Oshkosh WI. Most of these airframes were given in depth inspections, if no problems were observed, they were deemed servicable and modified. So essentially they are original with exception of new engines, lengthen fuselage and updated avionics. I have several great photos I took at the facility while given a tour by the late Mr. Bassler.

Same era as DC3. They were quite contemporary, but I think the J-3 was a year or so later.

Not even. The C-5As came out in the mid to late 60s. The KC-135 has been around a lot longer than that.

Old Rhinebeck, perhaps?

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Ok...didn't know. Got to thinking about engines...

That's the one! I was there once, maybe thirty-five years ago or so?

More than likely. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome has a bunch of flyable WWI aircraft, including the old Bleriot monoplane and the Fokker DR.1 Driedecker. They put on air shows on the weekends in the Summer. They have simulating bombing runs on an armored car with flour bags as bombs, and even a comedy act with a drunk farmer taking off in a J-3 Cub.

haven't been there in many years. First air show is on June 17th

-snip-

To be accurate, the Fokker Dr.I is a replica. There are no actual Dr.Is still in existance.

Dunno quite how to classify the Bleriot. Apparently it started out as a real Bleriot but only a portion of the fuselage and some other odds and ends now consist of genuine 1909-era Bleriot parts - the rest of the aircraft is a modern reconstruction.

Still, better replicas than no airplanes at all.

Cheers,

instead of whining, educate us. i would love to hear about other countries. especially vintage ac. come on, teach me!

Have you actually been reading this thread??? If you have you've somehow missed out on all the international input to it.

Maybe you just decided to take this opportunity to engage in a bit of gratuitous US-bashing...