WIX Archives
Re: P-40s
Posted by Graham Orphan on Wed Sep 05, 2001 10:16:58 PM
In reply top P-40s posted by Graham Orphan on Wed Sep 05, 2001 11:15:33 AM
Thanks for your comments guys...I appreciate you taking the time to give me and the board your thoughts on this subject. A friend of mine (also rebuilding a P-40) made the comment that in order to pursue this type of activity you really have to be GIVEN the aircraft in the first place! That's an exaggeration of course however it does feel like that sometimes when you're constantly shelling out for parts and materials. On the other hand, the end result is something that is not only gorgeous to look at, delightful to fly and means so much historically, but is also worth a very large amount of money - not the reason for the exercise but the justification for the indulgence. Also helps if your dearly beloved can see it as a superannuation scheme better than most available. When I went into P-40s I was mindful of the comparison with say, buying three RV-6 kits, buying the engines etc. In the end you have one stunning WW-II fighter, or you have three pretty, fast and efficient sport planes. Comparing the work involved, the costs, and the value of what you have in the end, the P-40 is way out in front in my view. Folks who don't want to spend the $ on a WW-II fighter might be better off looking at an RV or similar kitplane. The reality is, if you can find a genuine WW-II fighter at all in some remote corner of the world, even if it is worth recovering and even if it is legally possible to get it out, it is still going to cost a bomb to go through the exercise. There are more aircraft in Russia but few people are bothering to go in there because of the risks and the inordinate costs. We've had a bit of a buyer's market in recent years with the availability of WW-II fighter projects however those available are finite in number and I don't see the recoveries happening any more due to the cost. Do you recall the last Bf109 to come out of Russia and arrive on the market? When the half dozen or so WW-II fighter projects currently available are gone, I fear things might go a little quiet for a while and that is something we all should be concerned about. Maybe someone needs to take our friend Indiana Tony up on his offer to go bush-bashing and bring back some goodies!
Would JCW please get in touch off board please. I can't get your e-mail address of the board.
Cheers guys and sorry for the length of this missive. Graham