Originally Posted by
Dave B
Georg1na
Some third world countries still had piston engine fighters up to the sixties and beyond. Indonesia had P51s, as did Guatemala which was threatening Belize until a detachment of RAF Harriers shut them down.(not a fair contest).
I once did a ferry flight with a French pilot, who had flown Thunderbolts in Algeria, he said after flying jets they were frightened stiff of the things.
The last two RAF Bristol Beaufighters were only taken out of service at Seleter in 1960. (and being perfectly serviceable were broken up for scrap).
Honduras still had "Gull winged" Corsairs in the early 1980s! Our groundcrew in Belize recovered one that landed wheels up on Airport Camp runway - the badly bent propellor was given to the detachment as a trophy (and a big trophy it was) and used as an unofficial "gate guardian" by the Williamson Hangar. The aircraft was later fixed up with a new prop and not much else and later flew out again, iirc.