Warbirds in a Barn

[Kiwijohn]

Not exactly a barn find.
These aircraft and many more are owned by a very private and reclusive guy and are stored in a barn not far from where i live.
I have visited on several occasions. The barn is stacked full and it is very hard to take photos as you have to
climb over stuff to get a shot. The Mosquito is the star of the barn and is totally complete, with a Rolls Royce
Merlin in each wing. It is pushed hard against the door, which he will not open so the only shot is from behind.
Son of Kiwijohn is flight checking before his next mission. Thats the front of a P41 Mustang complete less propeller. There are a couple of P40 Kittyhawks, a Hudson bomber and several engines inlcuding this radial.
Plus many more.
Hope you enjoy looking.

 

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[savant365]

Very, very cool, thanks for the pics.

 

[seger98]

Cool stuff, thanks for posting!

 

[SC_hunter]

I would have loved to have been in that place when I was kid. Great shots.

 

[RON (PA)]

Nice pics. I would love to see those birds fly again.

 

[Lowbatts]

Wow! A true scrap master!
I hear folks leaving the states now to search your neighborhood!

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

stomach fell, heart jumped...string of profanity, thank god someone stashed those birds.


where is new zealand? i'm moving.

 

[Copperhead]

Interesting...and very cool pics....What's he planning on doing with them?...

 

[aa battery]

just fell offin my chair

 

[Jeep]

Good God that is a Gold Mine.

Thanks for the pics, wish I could explore that barn.

 

[Montana Jim]

Wow!

 

[Kiwijohn]

Thank you all for your comments. I'm glad there are others that think these old birds are kinda special.
He bought them after the war from the NZ Air Force, because he liked them and wanted to save them
from being scrapped, as many were. They were stored for many years outside until he built the shed
about 30 years ago.
What's he going to do with them?....Like many collectors of stuff, he just likes having them preserved.
He does not seek publicity nor does he like their presence advertised too much. However he will not
turn anyone away who comes to look providing you are genuinely interested. He may not let you
in the shed though! Their existance is known among warbird collectors around the world and I believe
he has refused some serious offers for them. He lives a very simple and solitary life and money means
little compared to ownership of the things that he loves.
Sadly the Mosquito, while it looks airworthy, would not fly again without some serious structual work.
They are mostly wood and the fuselage is a laminate of balsa and ply. The glue used in the 40's has
degraded and lost strength. In fact while in service in North Africa during WW2, they had problems
with the glue. Wood was chosen not only for it's lightness, but for it's ease of supply when metal was
scarce, and the fact that they could be built by carpenters and cabinetmakers. A NZ company has made
the jigs for a new fuselage and I believe the first one has gone to Canada where a Mosquito is being restored.
Maybe there is hope for this old girl yet.

 

[sasnz]

He Kiwijohn

that is one hell of a find. Man i could spend literally years going through that shed and never be bored. It is good to see planes like that after they have finished the war. Gives them a little more uniqueness than a restored one as all the parts as you see them are as the plane was rolled in. kinda amkes the history a little more real. Awesome post and i am soooo jeleous of you to be able to have permission to have a looksy around in a place like that.

sasnz

 

[Monty]

I'm sure you meant a P51 Mustang? I'm a bit of an Air War nut myself and love the old WWII birds. This love goes back a long ways. As a child I had over 100 WWII model airplanes in my room. My favorite was the P47 Thunderbolt because it saved my dad's butt in WW II. He was in The Battle of the Bulge in the only artillery unit. They were surrounded by the Germans and an armored unit was advancing on them while they were just trying to evade capture since they had no ammo. That morning the clouds lifted and a flight of "Jabos"( P47s, called that by the Germans) came from nowhere and bombed and straffed the German armored unit to pieces. The Germans were machine gunning captured allied prisoners at the time, so the P47s saved my dad's life that day. Monty

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

http://www.aviation-history.com/curtiss/p40.html

 

[Kiwijohn]

Monty.. You're correct. P51 Mustang.
John

 

[Mental Granny]

What a wonderful view of history thank you for sharing this with us!

 

[desertfox]

That guy has my attention! Wish you could get better pic's.

HH

 

[EDDE]

BANNER

 

[jimb]

Very cool! Will he sell any of them?