LATEST LISTING FROM CLASSIC AIRCRAFT SALES LTD.

"Here's one we prepared earlier!" So this is NOT the Bristol that is coming onto the market but is from the exact same batch that were originally due to participate in the 'High Road to China' movie at the end of the 1970s. This example was completed at Omaka, NZ, for owners Jeff Brooks (at left) and Graham Orphan and remains active today.

We did not expect to find ourselves offering yet another Bristol F.2B via CAS Ltd but believe it or not, we are once again in a position to offer, for the 10th time, a Bristol Fighter opportunity. In the past we have handled original F.2Bs, in both airworthy and project condition, plus various F.2B recreations, most notably the five that we secured in the USA after decades of tracking them (CW readers will know this fascinating story). Of those five barn-refugees, three are now flying actively (in NZ and the USA), a fourth is well advanced in Australia, and then there is this one (below), still in NZ and likely the last time there will be an opportunity to secure one of these excellent, fun, reliable, and very good looking two-seat WW-I aircraft.

The subject Bristol comprises the major airframe structures, mostly fabric covered, with most instruments installed, flying and landing wires, undercarriage with Model ‘A’ Ford wheels, fuel tank, all struts (newly made), exhausts. The 200 hp Ranger engine has been refreshed by JEM Aviation. As projects go, it is largely complete and a pretty straightforward mission to make a flying aircraft out of this package.

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE.....!

JAPANESE WW-II MONOPLANE FIGHTER

If you are looking for a rare and exotic WW-II warbird to restore, we may have what you're looking for. We have two very different Japanese combat aircraft types available for you to consider, one a biplane and the other, soon to be revealed, a monoplane fighter with Pacific Theatre history. Warbirds don't get a lot rarer than these.

CURTISS P-40 KITTYHAWK OPPORTUNITY

FORGOTTEN FIGHTER. We have more than one option for someone with a genuine desire to own a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk / Warhawk before rising prices sees them completely escape the grasp of regular enthusiasts! Here we see one of the last, unrestored, forgotten, original combat veteran P-40s to be found anywhere and probably the last we’ll ever see at this level. The victor of a one-on-one combat with a Betty bomber, this is an extremely viable, comprehensive and historic survivor, and for under $300K! And then we have a more advanced option for the keen P-40 ownership entrant. If you are a ‘maybe future P-40 owner’, this would be a good time to make contact whilst there are still some of these within realistic reach! Click here for more info..

BARN-FIND LOCKHEED 12

_{By Doug Fisher}

Back in the early 1980s, I regularly flew over to Oshawa Airport with my father to inspect the resident Lancaster and F-86. Right beside them sat a tired Lockheed 12, written off as derelict by most on the field.

Serial number 1269, this 1939 Lockheed 12A first landed on the US registry as NC17397 before heading north to Canada around 1953. After passing through various operators, Fred Oystrick bought it in 1965. It bounced between Malton and Oshawa before being relegated to outdoor storage in Oshawa, with its C of A reportedly expiring in September 1971.

At dawn one morning in 1989, the old twin fired up and departed, leaving the field behind. Fred had flown it to his farm a couple of hours north of Toronto, where it sat outside until 1998 when he and Fred Jr flew it to a new strip with a converted cold shed hangar. Father and son were exceptionally close, and following Fred Sr’s passing in 2010, Fred Jr took over guardianship of the machine.

When Fred Jr and his siblings recently listed the 12 on Facebook Marketplace, it pulled over 20,000 views and a flood of calls, prompting me to arrange a viewing.

The property looks like a standard old farmhouse at first glance, until you spot a 1941 Aeronca tucked in the bushes, a late twenties Chevy Coupe, an MG Midget, and a 1967 Chris Craft boat destined to become a landlocked Boatel.

Meeting Fred by the cold shed, the rolling door revealed a Jaguar E-Type, a 55 Thunderbird, a mid-seventies TR-6, and finally, the time-capsule Lockheed. Looking rough around the edges but complete, the panel remains exactly as it was when Fred Sr bought it in 1965. The interior is largely stripped, though some seats are stored nearby, and TransAir Ltd markings still ghost the fuselage above the windows. The data plate shows a build date of April 12, 1939.

Priced at $250,000 USD, this authentic barn find demands serious restoration, but it remains a genuine piece of history.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK - ‘THE BEAUTY OF THE BEASTS!’

I first met the world’s sole airworthy Curtiss SB2C Helldiver at Harlingen, Texas decades ago when it was the base of the Commemorative Air Force (back then, CAF stood for ‘Confederate Air Force’). I’d built the Airfix model of the Helldiver as a kid so when I got to see one ‘in the flesh’, I was impressed with the size and complexity of the aircraft. For a long time there seemed little chance that we would ever see any more examples of Curtiss’s robust ‘Beast’ returning to flying condition. Fast forward several decades however, and we have been following another three SB2C restorations through the pages of the Classic Wings Magazine. Amazingly, two of these came to fruition within the same year, 2024, when the Fagan Fighters organisation (Granite Falls, MN) and the National Museum of WW-II Aviation (Colorado Springs, CO) launched their restored examples. This meant there were now three Curtiss Helldivers in flying condition, and that’s something to celebrate, but what about bringing them all together? This was going to be a mission, mindful that they are spread right across the USA.

It is a huge credit to everyone who set about organising this special occasion, that on top of all of the organising of the crews and relocation etc., that the work was also put in to ensure that it was thoroughly recorded. Who knows when multiple Helldivers might again share the same airspace?

And here’s a fabulous video from Dave Devore of the National Museum of WW-II Aviation. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2129723510949626

FAIRCHILD FILIGREE!

One of the rarest machines on our airfield is also among the rarest worldwide: George Ellworthy’s 1935 Fairchild F-45, one of just 17 built. Designed in 1934 as a luxury five-seater, it initially used a 225 hp Jacobs engine. Whilst sharing a steel-tube fuselage with the high-wing Fairchild F-24 (we have one under restoration in the Classic Wings hangar), the F-45 featured a metal wing centre-section similar to a T-6, fabric-covered wooden outer wings, and retractable landing gear. George’s aircraft will ultimately fly behind a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial.

Over recent months, massive effort went into recreating original contours by aligning fuselage stringers and removing 1950s sheet metal skin. JEM Aviation’s Mike Lagunowitsch untangled this intricate jigsaw puzzle to restore the correct line-work on this Golden Age masterpiece.

The JEM team previously overhauled the centre-section and undercarriage, whilst a fresh engine is being rebuilt in the USA. Meanwhile, George is steadily tackling the wing rebuild himself. Upon completion, it will make a wonderfully capable Golden Age private transport.

BRAZILIAN BEECH

Seldom discussed outside South America, this striking Beech 17 Staggerwing (c/n 6915) has recently changed hands in Brazil, joining the collection of a well-known classic car enthusiast. Freshly annualed and in pristine condition, it stands ready for the next chapter in its long, colourful flying career.

This aircraft must be vying for a record for the most identities held across a lifespan. Built as a UC-43-BH (s/n 4476070) for the US Army, it was initially allocated to the USN as BuNo 23735. It stayed with the Army until reaching the civilian market as N75922 in July 1946. It moved to Canada in 1951 as CF-GCJ, then to Santiago, Chile in 1955. Re-registered as CX-AQG in Uruguay in 1956, a 1965 landing accident forced it into long-term storage. Relocating to Argentina under new ownership, it returned to the air in 1984 as LV-XFN. In 2008, it moved to Brazil to take on its current identity, PT-PUA. Now with its latest custodian, this magnificent aircraft is ready to showcase the brilliance of Walter Beech’s design to a whole new generation.

For further details on the current Classic Aircraft Sales listings, visit our website

Back in the Classic Wings Hangar!

For readers wondering about the de Havilland/Airco DH.2 that was taxiing earlier this year, we have an update. The aircraft was nearing flight status, but a weight and balance query caused delays. While we investigated, the team removed the tail-post, which houses the rudder hinges and tail-skid mount, to use as a template for the other four DH.2s in production.

Once the tail was reinstated, we revisited the calculations and identified a key error, resolving the issue satisfactorily. This DH.2 is now very close to flying, and the rest of the flock continues to progress in the workshops. Watch this space.

Meanwhile in Oregon… Something Omaka-bound!

Also bound for our hangar is the first Spirit SE-1 to leave the USA. For those unfamiliar with the story, this Golden-age styled single-seat sportsplane was developed in near total secrecy by Steve Wood in Grand Junction, Colorado. After a decade of development, the secret was unveiled at Oshkosh last year when Steve and his team arrived with four of these miniature mystery ships. They stole the show, and Steve returned home with nearly 150 orders. Around a third of these have already been delivered, a remarkable achievement that highlights how well prepared Steve’s team has been.

By a stroke of good fortune, Steve visited our New Zealand office nearly a decade ago, and a friendship blossomed that kept us in the loop as the SE-1 moved from dream to reality. This week, the first and only Spirit SE-1 to leave North America set sail from Portland, bound for the Classic Wings hangar. A special thanks to all who helped make this happen, particularly Steve, our dear friend Ed Storo, and the crew from EAA’s legendary Chapter 292 at Independence, Oregon, for their efforts in getting this future classic (along with another project in less pristine condition) on its way across the Pacific. More to come!

Worldwide Photo of the Week!

This striking photo deserves to be seen far and wide, as this latest winged triumph casts its shadow over its home base at Sivrihisar, Turkey. Between 1942 and 1943, 72 of these capable fighters were delivered as part of a deal for Turkish chromium, only to be retired by 1947. Now, the M.S.Ö. Air & Space Museum has returned this example to the skies.

Regular readers will recognise this as a FlugWerk-built FW190A-8N, one of the limited batch of reproduction ‘Butcher Birds’ initiated in the late 1990s by Claus Colling and the late Hans Wildmoser. (Indeed, the very first of that batch, Werk Nr 990001, is currently in our care at Omaka.) This particular aircraft was operated by a private owner in Arizona before arriving in Turkey for an extensive, deep refurbishment and upgrade. The result is a stunning representation of this important fighter in Turkey’s military aviation history.

Making History

We have been involved with the former RAAF Avro Anson Mk.1 MH120 for decades. From my childhood in Australia, to my long friendship with owner Terry Brain, and finally helping him find the aircraft a new home, it has been quite a journey. The best outcome arrived when Bill and Robyn Reid acquired the Anson in New Zealand, spending the next ten years restoring it to a pristine, remarkably accurate condition.

After a decade of pleasing operation, Bill asked us to find the next custodian for this ‘star of every show’. We found ourselves marketing the aircraft again, but what a different machine she had become after a decade of the Reids’ restoration magic. She is now one of only a handful of original WWII RAF bombers still in service. Recently, at the Shuttleworth Festival of Flight, two of these rare, airworthy survivors finally took to the skies together. The Blenheim and Anson really needed to fly in formation at least once, and thanks to Nigel Hitchman, we have this wonderful capture of the occasion.

BONUS VIDEO:

For a real treat, watch this video we produced at CAS Ltd to showcase the Anson and its incredibly detailed interior to prospective owners. Owner and restorer Bill Reid provides wonderful insight into the equipment he sourced and installed, explaining the roles those items played in the Anson’s service during the early stages of the Second World War. A fabulous effort, Bill!

Highlight of the week

Congratulations to Rick Rickards in Canada on completing the world’s newest Chilton DW1a monoplane. Resembling a shrunken Miles Hawk, the Chilton was originally created in 1937 by two students from the de Havilland Technical School. With war looming in Europe, production shifted to wartime priorities after only four aircraft were built. In one of aviation’s more positive survival stories, plans were made available post-war for builders. Remarkably, all four original aircraft are still airworthy today, joined by nearly a dozen newer iterations. Rick’s superb Walter Mikron-powered example is the latest to fly. For a dedicated feature on the Chilton story, see Classic Wings Issue #120, which includes Darren Harbar’s stunning two-ship formation centre-spread. Stay tuned to CW for more updates on these magical little creatures!

Latest Published Advertising From CAS Ltd.

(Stay in touch on this - we have some interesting developments looming!)

In Summary

We believe the second half of 2026 will be even more exciting than the first, with plenty of developments unfolding within our own hangars. Watch this space!

That is all for this week, folks. Onwards and upwards!

- Graham Orphan

But before heading to Watts Bridge where the Gull resides, a visit interstate to Nick and Greg Challinor’s MothCair Aviation was overdue. These guys gave Pete Biddle and me immense support when as high school students, we undertook our first restoration in Brisbane (Tiger Moth VH-BEX, completed after 8 years and still flying, now in NZ). Over the many years of visiting their hangars, we’ve seen so many fabulous vintage aircraft come back to life, including products from Percival, Fairchild, Avro, Ryan etc., but on this occasion it was all DH Moths underway.

In the centre of the hangar Tiger Moth VH-WTM and Gipsy Moth VH-UGN are part of the family collection, along with Greg’s Leopard Moth VH-UVF, uncovered at the back of the hangar. But of great excitement to us was Greg’s Fox Moth VH-UUS, a very long term restoration of a very historic aircraft. This was the first time we’d seen it fully assembled and now close to flying again for the first time in over 60 years!

At the front of the hangar enjoying the application of some fresh fabric on the wings, was the Hornet Moth, VH-UVV for a locally based customer. The handsome Hornet boasts the unusual configuration of side by side, two-seat, cabin biplane which makes it a very comfortable, and sociable, vintage touring aeroplane.

So on this occasion, the team was hosting DH.60G; DH.82a; DH.83; DH.85 and DH.87b, the first time in my lifetime that I have seen this combination under one roof! It is particularly pleasing to see a small but distinct growth in all of these sub-types within Australia, and soon to be joined by the long absent DH.80a Puss Moth that we recently sold into Australia to fill a long standing gap in the fleet of historic de Havilland types active in ‘The Lucky Country’.

Gull Four Mission

As stated, the main mission for the weekend was to advance our very rare Percival Gull IV and it’s pleasing to have had a productive three days with Pete Biddle and Jeff Brooks at Watts Bridge Airfield, Queensland, Australia.

A long and frustrating saga for us, but after several missions hoping to resolve that issue, we are only now close to achieving it, with the tanks at least in place at last. Work on the brakes was frustrating but ultimately fulfilling. A new tailwheel tyre-tube was installed and with the wheel reinstalled, the tail surfaces could finally be installed. This went relatively smoothly and with the brakes sorted the aft spats could also be properly fitted. As soon as the brakes have been adjusted, the front spats can go on. Engine plumbing was already quite advanced but we also cracked a few hard nuts in this space and so this area is now very close to being done and dusted.

Gull Six Visit

The original series of three-seat Gulls (29 Gull IVs and 19 Gull VIs built) have become very rare, just two examples having flown worldwide this century (of a total of five examples left of the original 48). Oddly enough, both of the more recent flyers are now based at Watts. Owner of the Gull VI, VH-CCM, Ken Holdsworth, also called in whilst we were working and he invited us to attend his hangar to have a look at that beautiful machine now that she is airworthy again. There are way more differences than you’d think, but both are very impressive survivors.

For more on these lovely ladies, see the next CW Magazine!

Boomerang - A Comeback Story

Another long term restoration has been that of the CAC Boomerang being restored by Matt Denning at Caboolture on Queensland's Sunshine Coast for Florida based owner Kermit Weeks. Once again Matt and I have known eachother since we were teenagers and he stated at age 14 that he was going to restore a Boomerang fighter (we all thought he was nuts, but he had enough enthusiasm to at least get something started). Long story short, Matt finished and flew his own Boomerang in 2003, completing another for a customer in 2006. He went on to provide wings and other structures to several other Boomerangs (with more under way), and all the while this aircraft for Kermit has been steadily coming back to life.

Once again we’ll have more on this project in the next magazine.

For now it’s back to the hangar at Omaka for the next bit of old aeroplane fun!

Market Exclusive: Spitfire Mk.XIVe For Sale

We (CAS Ltd) are very pleased to advise that we have this stunning Spitfire Mk.XIVe available for sale. Read more

Photo by Gavin Conroy

The Latest Issue of Classic Wings Magazine

The latest issue (CW136) is officially out. Features include an in-depth story of our cover girl—the Eastgate Family's magnificent CAC-built Mustang—along with the return to flight of the Yak-7B, the Gloster Gladiator survivors’ story, and coverage of vintage flying events 'Downunder'. See the full issue overview and subscribe

Unique YAK-7B Celebrated

We have an exclusive feature about Mike O’Rourke’s magnificent Yakovlev Yak-7B ‘Liberte’ recently completed by JEM Aviation at Omaka. Sourced via Classic Aircraft Sales Ltd and restored right next door to the Classic Wings hangar, we were privileged to witness the entire restoration and upgrade process as it evolved through to completion. This features as our centre-spread story for this latest edition of Classic Wings Magazine.

Photo by Gavin Conroy

For Sale: Advanced P-40E Kittyhawk

A rare opportunity to acquire a top-shelf restoration, now available for a new custodian.

We are facilitating the sale of an advanced P-40E Kittyhawk currently undergoing restoration with Pioneer Aero in Auckland. With the owner’s priorities having shifted, this project is ready for a new lead. As many of you know, Pioneer Aero’s P-40 output is second only to the Curtiss factory itself—ensuring this is an exceptional piece of heritage aviation. - Read more or visit our listing here

Rare Hawker Fury Biplane on the Move

For many decades, there were no representative examples of the single-seater Hawker Fury remaining. This weekend, the Fury completed over 40 years ago by Viv Bellamy has finally moved to new ownership, with a potentially exciting path forward. - Read more

The Classic Wings team in the month of May

We’ve been busy on the road and in the shop through the month of May. We have updates on:

• Waco Party - Celebrating 90 years since delivery - Read more

• Warbird Restorations (NSW): Progress on the P-38 and P-47s. - Read more

• AvSpecs (NZ): The Mosquito racing towards completion and the B-17 fuselage being upgraded. - Read more

• Pioneer Aero (NZ): We visit two P-40s progressing at the shop. - Read more

• Puss Moth Sale: A rare 1930 DH.80a has been sold by Classic Aircraft Sales Ltd., packed up and is bound for Australia. - Read more

• Fox Moth Progress: Rob McNair’s stunning restoration work in the Auckland suburbs. - Read more

• Wings over Shellharbour: We attended the event run by Paul Bennett Airshows in May. The line-up of warbirds and the professionalism of the Sky Aces aerobatic team made this a world-class performance. It should already be on your calendar for next year. - Read more

Back in the Classic Wings Hangar

This lovely old machine has been a ‘back of the hangar project’ for us for some time. We found it in a garage at Healesville, Victoria, Australia many years ago. It had not flown since the 1960s. Purchased by friends and shipped to Omaka, it was stripped down to the bare frame and then work stopped. We acquired it some years later and commenced a slow rebuild. Other projects have continued to get in the way, but this aircraft will start to make its way across the final hurdle to flight shortly.

Vintage and Warbird Aircraft for Sale

Every edition of Classic Wings Magazine features at least five pages of rare and interesting aircraft for sale and is a great place to go to if you’re looking at buying or selling.

www.classicwings.com

www.classicaircraftsales.com

We (CAS Ltd) are very pleased to advise that we have this stunning Spitfire Mk.XIVe available for sale.

This magnificent specimen was the subject of a comprehensive, ground-up restoration by Historic Flying, Audley End, UK. Then after a take-off incident in New Zealand, it went to AvSpecs Ltd at Ardmore, New Zealand who carried out the necessary repairs to the aircraft including the application of its striking SEAC colour scheme. The aircraft has subsequently flown just 23 hours since its return to the air.

Click here for our listing: www.classicaircraftsales.com

In one of vintage aviation's more remarkable stories, the rare Waco UOC, ZK-AEL, celebrated the 90th anniversary of its arrival with its first owner/operator on 10th May. One of just three UOCs produced, the aircraft arrived with the Marlborough Aero Club, operators of Omaka Airfield, on 10th May, 1936.

At the historic club house that has been serving the club for nearly 100 years, a celebration was held at the very place where this same aircraft would have been welcomed 90 years earlier. Organised by co-owner/restorer Rex Newman, the event included a display of historic materials associated with the aircraft and even a Waco cake to help in the celebrations.

The fact that an aircraft that had been the flagship of the club and the airfield nine decades ago could have survived impressment in WW-II, survived post-war degrading and accidents, survived export as an artefact, and subsequent decades of storage overseas, only to be brought back to its original home is amazing. And then to be restored in its original colours to fly regularly from that original home, is a remarkable record indeed!

A visit to the AvSpecs hangars is always a treat and when we were there last week, it was a delight to see the latest Mosquito racing towards completion and once again featuring that stunning attention to period detail that AvSpecs have become renowned for around the globe.

The B-17 fuselage has also moved quickly since arriving and will be fun to follow moving forwards.

Elsewhere the Grumman Widgeon is also enjoying some serious love at the hands of these wizards so there are plenty of treats in store from this shop for vintage and warbird enthusiasts to look forward to.

And the single seaters, the Fury and Nimrod fighters, are generally regarded as the ‘prettiest of the pretty’! Sadly, few of these remain, the majority of survivors being the two-seat Hart / Demon / Hind series. For many decades, there were no representative examples of the single seaters remaining. In more recent times, this has changed with three in-depth restorations bringing back examples of the Fury and Nimrod but in the intervening years, another Fury had been produced by highly regarded builder / restorer Viv Bellamy in the UK using a range of original parts and structures, coupled with new materials to produce what was for a time, the only representative Hawker biplane fighter flying anywhere. This aircraft was sold into Europe and later into the USA, but it has not flown for many years. This weekend the Fury has finally moved to new ownership, with a potentially exciting path forward! Watch out for more details on this charismatic aircraft here and in the magazine!

The extensive work carried out on this P-38 shows the completed centre-section - the heart of the Lightning - with completed nacelles in place and the new nose/cockpit section being assembled.

This is significant. A dozen Puss Moths called Australia home as new aeroplanes in the decade before WW-II. Just three of those survive, and only one of them still in Australia and now static in a museum. This latest sale will address that gap in Australia’s heritage aircraft line-up.

This weekend, 30/31 May, we prepared the aircraft and packed her into a 40ft shipping container bound for Victoria. See the next CW Magazine for more on this exciting development.

The de Havilland Fox Moth had been damaged and in that configuration, Classic Aircraft Sales Ltd., sold the aircraft to a new owner last year. It arrived with craftsman Rob McNair who had earlier produced a stunning Tiger Moth restoration and has been involved in countless restorations from P-40s to Beech Staggerwings. Rob hasn't wasted any time getting stuck into the repairs needed on this aircraft and already, many of the damaged areas have been addressed and it is steaming back towards airworthiness. We'll continue to follow this here, and in more detail in CW magazine.

Pioneer's Martin Hedley and Steve Cox with one of the other exciting projects in the shop. We'll be following up with a feature on this in due course.

These two P-40s have both come a long way from their inception to reach the stages that they are now at. In the foreground, Brett Nicholls' ex-RNZAF P-40N-1 is presently receiving a lot of attention and on completion, will be based locally at Ardmore. The P-40E behind was a Russian recovery, identified as 'White 25'.

The cross section of aircraft displaying and the professionalism of the acts was massive. Warbirds ranged from Spitfires, Mustangs, P-40, TBM, etc to include locally based treats like the Neptune patrol bomber and the P-3 Orion introduced to replace it, both operated by the HARS Museum. But even the most ardent warbird fan would have been spellbound by the routines flown by Paul and the Sky Aces team with their truly world class performance of polished, professional, formation aerobatics. The Shellharbour Airshow has reached next level entertainment and should already be on your calendar for next year!

We are once again handling the sale of a spectacular P-40E Kittyhawk, currently undergoing an advanced restoration at the workshops of Pioneer Aero in Auckland.

We originally placed this airframe with its current European consortium owners when it was in a significantly more embryonic state. As happens in the world of high-end aviation, their priorities have shifted, and this change of plan has unlocked an extraordinary opportunity for the next serious enthusiast to step in and secure what is shaping up to be the definitive P-40 restoration on the market.

For those who understand the pedigree, the numbers speak for themselves. Pioneer Aero has established a track record for delivering flyable P-40s that is, quite frankly, unmatched in the modern era. Indeed, the only organisation in history to have furnished more airworthy P-40s to the field than the team at Pioneer was the Curtiss-Wright Corporation themselves, back in the white-hot heat of the Second World War.

This is a chance to acquire a top-shelf warbird project that is already well down the road to completion, backed by the best in the business.

Get in touch with us at CAS Ltd for further details.

www.classicaircraftsales.com