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Its quite rare to find WW2 Era
warbirds in Pakistan. This T-6 Harvard T4246 is a pleasant sight at the
Base Commanders office at PAF Risalpur. Photo Courtesy by Abbas Ali,
HistoryOfPIA.com |
For years to come, the Sabre and the
Starfighter dominated the composition of the PAF for years together. The availability of
Chinese F-6 fighters in bulk saw to that in the Eighties, a high number of Sabres ,
Starfighters and F-6s were made available for disposal and many of these warbirds found
resting places in City chowks and Gate guardian duties.
Much of the Warbird scene is dominated by
the F-86 Sabre and its Canadian
version, the CL-13 Canadair Sabre. Half a dozen Starfighters and a number of F-6s form the bulk of Pakistan's Gate guardians. However
the promise of Indian Warbird scene is missing in Pakistan. There are very slim chances of
a Spitfire or a Messerchmitt turning up. Inspite of the fact that Furies and Halifaxes
served with the PAF, neither of these two types nor any remains of them have survived
anywhere in Pakistan. The only WW2 era warbirds are a few Harvards, a Tigermoth and an
Auster.
However we were pleasantly surprised to know that a 1944 vintage
Douglas A-26 Invader has survived as a derelict in the Karachi International Airport area.
This Invader is one of the On-Mark Civilian conversions and is registered as AP-AVV.
Photographs of this aircraft have recently emerged on the Internet.
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Essentially complete apart from Aeileron surfaces
and missing rudder, B-26 Invader AP-AVV was previously 44-34568
with the USAAF. It saw service with the French Air force in Indo China from 1951-55 and
ended up with USAF again. It had the civilian registration N202P. Pic
courtesy: Pakistan CAA |
| It is not known as to how 44-34568
ended up derelict at the Karachi airport. Put up for sale in the late 90s by the Pakistani
CAA, it is now believed to be a candidate for restoration. By whom is a question not
answered yet. Pic courtesy: Pakistan CAA |
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The Invader at Karachi appears to have been
not flown or a number of years. But apart from missing aeilorons and Rudder, it is
essentially complete with undercarriage and Engines. The paint scheme seems to have been
faded through years of exposure.
There are other aircraft on display in and around bases in
Pakistan. The more notable WW2 Era warbirds include the following
| S No |
Type |
Location |
| W4108 |
Auster |
PAF Museum Karachi |
| ??21 |
DH82a Tigermoth |
PAF Museum Karachi |
| T4200 |
T-6 Harvard |
PAF Museum Karachi |
| T4246 |
T-6 Harvard |
Base Commanders Office, PAF Academy, Risalpur |
| AP-A?? |
A-26 Invader |
Derelict at Karachi International Airport |
In addition to the above, atleast seven Cessna O-1 Birddogs, Six
Lockheed T-33 trainers and two MiG-15UTI trainers have been noted as preserved.
There are also atleast two Indian Air Force aircraft in
Pakistan, One a Gnat which forcelanded during the 1965 War and another an Ouragan that
strayed across during a training exercise. Both are preserved in different locations in
Pakistan. A look at the PAF
Museum in Karachi is recommended for warbird enthusiasts.
Recommended Links:
* PAF Museum Official Website: http://www.pafmuseum.com.pk
* Usman Shabbir's Warbirds http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airforce/warbirds/
* MA Baig's PAF Museum http://www.mabaig.co.uk/paf/museum.html
* Pakistan CAA's Aircraft for sale page http://www.geocities.com/caa_pakistan
Photo Acknowledgements
* Abbas Ali Aviation Collection (http://www.historyofpia.com)
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