Originally posted by Makoyouidiot
The numbers of original warbirds continue to dwindle...so we now face the delimma, "Should we just preserve them, or fly them and risk losing a valuable piece of history?"
I vote for flying them. It's what the planes were built to do, and my heart aches when I see a plane on static display.
The number of warbirds continues to grow. The money going into restoring those birds and the work that is being done is amazing. Where there were maybe 6 Spits flying around the time of the B of B film there are upwards of 50 flying now with more on the way.
There's always a risk in flying them, but if folks want to take the time and money to make it go, I'm all for it.
Flyable 38s have doubled in the last few months. There are more 17s on the way. 20 years ago no one would have considered the idea of an actual 109E flying and there are 2 flying now with more on the way.
There are at least 2 190s being rebuilt to flight and I'm not talking Flugwerke reproductions. There is talk of a 262 with original engines getting back in the air.
There will come a time where the numbers will decline again, but it's not now.
