Antique & Vintage Aircraft Restoration Projects

The world of vintage and antique aircraft restoration is thriving, with projects funded by organisations and enthusiasts alike. Whether it is World War II era military fighters including Supermarine Spitfires, bi-planes or something a little more modern, people all over the world are restoring, maintaining and exhibiting these beautiful, historic aircraft.

This page brings you the latest news on vintage aircraft restoration projects around the world and where to see them fly. Restorations are a labour of love that can take many years and highly skilled volunteers give many, many hours of their time to the vintage aircraft’s revival. From the Sopwith Camel to the Lockheed Constellation, all vintage aircraft restorations are often centred around the search for an engine or structural parts that have become rare or lost to time and need to be newly made.

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REVEALED: 'Barn find' restoration of the sole surviving Fairey Gordon

The story of how this inter-war biplane came to be restored — and it’s up for sale

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Unique Waco flies again in New Zealand

Sole surviving UOC Custom makes maiden post-restoration flight from airfield where it was first based 85 years ago

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Aeroplane meets... Andrew Panton

When Fred and Harold Panton sought to honour their brother, killed while serving with Bomber Command, their ambitions were limited. But from that came the acquisition of Lancaster NX611, the establishment of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, and one of the greatest stories of British aircraft preservation. Fred’s grandson Andrew now has this considerable legacy in his hands

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Did you know the USAAF used Tiger Moths?

As an avid fan of the USAAF’s Eighth Air Force, there was only one choice for Clive Denney when choosing a scheme for his latest Tiger Moth restoration…

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Stunning restored 'Staggerwing’ returns to the air after 20 years

A beautiful pairing of Beech ‘Staggerwings’ in British skies celebrates thereturn of a long-lost example after nearly 40 years away from the scene.

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Elvis Presley’s Lockheed JetStar sold at auction, here’s how much was paid

A Lockheed JetStar once owned by Elvis Presley has sold at auction in Florida. Read the full story and see high-resolution photos of the jet on Key.Aero

Work to restore ‘Stealth Fighter’ begins

The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona received Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk 84-0810

Airworthy classic jet joins Spanish collection

Hispano Aviación HA-220 Super Saeta EC-DXJ was placed on display at Spain’s Fundación Infante de Orleans (FIO) flight museum recently

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Lancaster Return to Flight

The return to flight of a UK-based Avro Lancaster is the stuff that dreams are made of. FlyPast's Steve Beebee visited the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre where fantasy is rapidly becoming reality…

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Flying the world's newest F-86 Sabre

Luigino Caliaro speaks to Classic Fighters of America sponsor Doug Matthews about his Korean War ace-honouring F-86F ‘Beauteous Butch II’ – the world’s newest Sabre!

Preserving Warbirds for future generations

The Supermarine Spitfire is a popular Warbird and other military aircraft favoured by restoration enthusiasts include the Messerschmitt Bf-109, the Mikoyan MiG-15, Grumman F6F Hellcat and North American P-51 Mustang. For the individual, these general aviation size Warbirds are affordable and easy to accommodate in local airports; but only organisations, typically, have the capacity to overhaul, maintain and fly larger aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan bomber, Vickers Wellington or Boeing B-29 Super Fortress. One example is the Kansas-based non-profit organisation, Doc’s Friends, which maintains and flies a B-29 from Eisenhower National Airport, Wichita, Kansas.

The Mustang, the Spitfire and others like them, the North American T-6 Texan and the Hawker Sea Fury, all these World War II era fighter aircraft are called Warbirds. Originally, it was only piston-powered, propeller driven aircraft that were referred to as Warbirds, but as jet fighters became vintage, they were included too. Today, other types of military aircraft, transports, bombers, are also now referred to as Warbirds.

The future of restoration projects

From the Kansas Aviation Museum's 1931 Stearman Model 4D Junior Speedmail, to UK-based Aerospace Bristol's Bristol Freighter Type 170 and the Qantas Founders Museum’s Lockheed Constellation, aircraft of many different models have been restored for future generations.

When vintage aircraft find their way to the restorer they are often corroded and missing vital parts such as cockpit dials and wheels. Removing corrosion and repairing the damage is a key area for restoring an airframe with the intention of making it airworthy.

The legendary Concorde has now been retired for many years and the remaining hulls sit in museums, but there has been an organisation, called Club Concorde, which wanted to bring a Concorde back to an airworthy condition to fly it. The airshows where vintage aircraft that have been restored can be seen include, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, the History of Flight Airshow in New York state; and in Europe, the Bedfordshire, UK-based Shuttleworth Collection which has displays in the summer and in France the annual La Ferté-Alais show, which takes place 50 kilometres south of Paris. Whether a Concorde ever flies again, what is true about past restoration projects and will be so for all future works, restoring aircraft is an endeavour powered by enthusiasm and love.

Other topics

Check our dedicated pages for military aircraft news, updates from your favourite military aircraft airshows or information on other military fighter aircraft.

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