Worlds oldest flying jet?

[A A Gruntpuddock]

Saw this and wondered if it was correct - World's Oldest Airworthy Jet Returns To America (http://planelopnik.kinja.com/worlds-oldest-airworthy-jet-returns-to-america-1672340529/+travis)

Seem to recall that Meteors are still being used for low level work (testing ejections seats, etc) or are they all now out of service?

[treadigraph]

Likely to be correct, this F-86 was ordered in 1948, the Meatboxes still flying were probably built more recently?

Two current on the UK register are 1949 and 1952. Not sure if they are both still flying?

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Amazing. That F86 still looks futuristic. The Meatbox looks like something from the 1930s but minus the props!

Oh, 'ang on! Better be careful; the Trident boys'll be after me for Brit self-flagellation!

[chevvron]

Martin Baker still use a pair of Meteors for ejector seat trials at their base of Chalgrove.

[VictorGolf]

Didn't one of the Hollywood "celebs" have a Vampire F3 (?) that was airworthy until fairly recently. It may have had a landing accident in which case the Sabre probably does take the prize. Certainly the Golden Apple Trust who operated the F86 at Duxford thought it was the oldest.

[DaveReidUK]

Martin Baker still use a pair of Meteors for ejector seat trials at their base of Chalgrove.Modified T.7s (with F.8 tails), often referred to as "T.7½":

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_LTRLWos-vxw/TCXSyEsemsI/AAAAAAAAAkg/yhx4vUE6uGc/s720/Martin-Baker_Gloster_Meteor_02.jpg

But both newer than the Sabre (1949 & 1952), though WA638 can lay claim to be the oldest jet still flying on behalf of the military (leased by the MoD to M-B).

[Herod]

Still a looker after all these years. Sad though; if the article is right, we won't see any more Sabre demos this side of the pond for a long time.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Back in the 1950s there was a large gaggle of Sabres by the Fairey hangar (still extant) at Ringway (now Manchester Airport). I think Fairey's had a contract to refurbish them. Test flights occasionally concluded with a supersonic dive onto the airfield, complete with sonic boom!

Those were the days!

[megan]

The Meatbox looks like something from the 1930s but minus the propsWell they did try giving it a genuine '30s look.

Gloster Meteor F I - Trent (http://tanks45.tripod.com/Jets45/Histories/Trent/Trent.htm)

[N707ZS]

How old are the ME 262s that are about in America?

[Knell]

They are brand new :P

[BEagle]

Shaggy Sheep Driver, in the mid-1950s Westlands serviced and tested Sabres at RAF Merryfield. Typically, they got behind in their work and started doing full power engine tests at the weekend....:uhoh:

As we lived very close to Merryfield, this rather annoyed my late father. After the first weekend's disturbance, he managed to obtain the private phone number of Westlands' MD.

So the following weekend, when the racket started again very early in the morning, he rang the MD's number: "Hello, did I wake you up? Well, hard luck - because you woke [U]me[U] up!".

Next weekend, the noise started again. So Westlands' MD got another early morning call: "Hello, it's me again!".

The following weekend, all was peace and quiet.....:ok:

[treadigraph]

How old are the ME 262s that are about in America?

They are modern reproductions with GE engines However Flying Heritage at Everett has an original that is apparently being rebuilt to fly with original engines.

[India Four Two]

Eleven years or less:

Me 262 PROJECT LATEST UPDATES (http://www.stormbirds.com/project/general/updates.htm)

[Krystal n chips]

Test flights occasionally concluded with a supersonic dive onto the airfield, complete with sonic boom!

I grew up about 6nm to the west of MAN and recall many aircraft of the 50's / 60's flying around.

But never, ever, a sonic boom.

Be a shame to no longer see the Sabre in question however. Always gave a very enjoyable, and noisy, display worth watching.

[BEagle]

One item on RAF Merryfield's 1954 'At Home' day flying display wouldn't be allowed these days:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/IMG_20141221_0001_zps0e09a22c.jpg (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/IMG_20141221_0001_zps0e09a22c.jpg.html)

And 'break the sound barrier', it duly did! Although I'm told that it didn't do so very impressively - unlike the occasional RN Phantom from Yeovilton 20 years later!

[ian16th]

The only existing night fighter version of the ME-262 is in the Military Museum in Johannesburg.

Dunno what sort of a state its in, but it has spent all of these years in a very low humidity climate, and it might be worth someones time to attempt to restore it.

[henry_crun]

Wot about MiG-15 etc?

[N707ZS]

Thanks for the info on the 262.

[Haraka]

Although the flying example in Sweden is probably of a much later vintage, let us not forget that the SAAB J 29 "Tunnan" first flew 1 September 1948.
A remarkable achievement for the Swedes.

[DaveReidUK]

Although the flying example in Sweden is probably of a much later vintageDelivered in April 1955.

[JEM60]

The Night Fighter 262 at Jo'burg was in lovely condition in the museum when I video'd in 2005. Static, of course.

[chevvron]

SAAB produced a jet fighter before the J29 designated J21R. It had a twin boom layout and was adapted from the piston engined J21; ff Mar 1947 and powered by a De Havilland Goblin.

[bosnich71]

A Sabre went through the sound barrier during a RAF at Home day, Castle Bromwich, in the early 50's. No H& S rubbish in those days they even jacked up a Spitfire in the Butts and demonstrated it's fire power with all of us urchins standing quite close going Cor !!!!!

[barit1]

As a wee one - about 1949 Cleveland? - I heard & felt the sonic booms of a couple F-86s.

Also the incomparable throb of a half-dozen B-36s - before the J47s were tacked on.

[treadigraph]

Also the incomparable throb of a half-dozen B-36s

And not an ear defender in sight! :ok: Must have sounded absoluite magic, would that we couild hear these sounds again. Jets are alright, but...

[sandiego89]

I hope the Planes of Fame P-59 makes it back into the air, seems to have been "nearing completion" for years. YP-59, with a 42 serial number. If completed it would take the crown from this F-86. While not much of a looker or a performer would like to see it fly.

The already mentioned original Paul Allen Me-262 (which was at Planes of Fame for years) could also be a candidate. Guess a 1944 or 1945 production date.

Not aware of any older likely jet projects. A P-80 would be nice.

[ATNotts]

All the responses so far relate to military eqipment. Anyone have a stab at what the oldest passenger and cargo jets (pure jet / fan not turbo-prop / prop-jet) might be as of December 2014.

I'm guessing it's going to be a DC9 / 737 classic somewhere in the Americas, or possibly an early model TU134.

[treadigraph]

Still some 727-100s flying, plus a handful of 707s/DC-8s - might be contenders?

How about John Travolta's 707?

[A A Gruntpuddock]

Flying the oldest passenger jet and oldest DC-9 in the world - Sam Chui Aviation Photography (http://samchuiphotos.com/wp/2014/07/27/flying-the-oldest-passenger-jet-and-oldest-dc-9-in-the-world/)


25 airlines flying oldest planes in the world - Rediff.com Business (http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-images-25-airlines-flying-oldest-planes-in-the-world/20130927.htm)

[ian16th]

25 airlines flying oldest planes in the world - Rediff.com Business (http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-images-25-airlines-flying-oldest-planes-in-the-world/20130927.htm)

What a joke!

There isn't a single African Airline in the list. There are probably 25 African airlines using older a/c than any in use with Alligiant.

[ATNotts]

treadigraph

How about John Travolta's 707?

I was thinking mainly about aircraft that earn their keep carrying passengers or cargo (or indeed both) rather than preserved ones.

Are there any other preserved flying jets in private hands, apart from for John Travolta's? i can't readily think of any.

25 airlines flying oldest planes in the world - Rediff.com Business

That website looks very American, so I suppose that, as with a lot of things, they believe "the world" = USA / North America at a push!

[DaveReidUK]

How about John Travolta's 707?Built in 1964.

There are certainly older 707s still flying - here's a 1959-vintage one landing at JFK in September: 9Q-CLK - ThrustImages (http://www.thrustimages.com/content/9q-clk/)

[Mike51]

I thought Travolta had retired his 707 now?