Saab SK 37 Viggen 37809 SE-DXO has
re- own after 11 years of engineering
work carried out by dedicated enthusiasts
from the Swedish Air Force Historic
Flight. Stellan Andersson was at the
controls for the jet’s rst ight on May 15
with Håkan Andersson in the back seat.
Viggen 37809 served with the Swedish
Air Force’s F 7 Såtenäs, F 15 Söderhamn,
F 4 Frösön and F 21 Luleå wings beforebeing transferred to the Swedish Defence
Materiel Administration as the Viggen
began to be phased out in 2005. A two-
seater, 37809 had mostly been used for
training before being modi ed for electronic
countermeasures duties. It last ew in- The jet has been nished in the
colours it wore with F 15 and is being
operated by the Historic Flight on behalf of
owner Saab. Lennart Berns
Boxted Museum
Expands
A third display building opened at the Boxted Air eld Museum in
Essex on June 10. The timing of the event was highly signi cant,
as it marked the 75th anniversary of the former USAAF air eld
becoming operational.
The new display hall’s centrepiece will be the rear fuselage
of 96-mission veteran Martin B-26C 41-35253 Mr Shorty that
served with the 323rd BG, not far away at Earls Colne. Scrapped
at Burtonwood, Lancashire, in June 1945, the hulk lingered in a
scrapyard at Warrington, until it was rescued in 1974. This relic, the
largest surviving element of a B-26 in Europe, is on loan from the
trustees of nearby Marks Hall. Ken EllisHelldiver Under
Restoration
Restoration work on Curtiss Helldiver SB2C-5 83393 is progressing
well at the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum at Granite Falls,
Minnesota. The World War Two dive-bomber is being rebuilt to y.
The fuselage is now well advanced, the engine has been
overhauled and re tted, but the wings and tail section are proving
more of a challenge – many of the parts have had to be copied
and rebuilt due to extensive corrosion. The project was acquired
by museum boss Ron Fagen in 2011 and isn’t expected to be
nished until at least 2019.Larry Kelley’s Delaware-based North
American B-25J Mitchell 44-
Panchito (N9079Z) has been listed for
sale via Courtesy Aircraft in the US. The
airworthy bomber was built in Kansas City
and delivered to the USAAF in February- Although too late to see service in
World War Two, it equipped several training
units before being converted into a TB-25N
in 1952.
It left the military in 1958 and later ew
in civilian hands as a re ghter, and then a
crop sprayer in Florida. It was returned to
its B-25J speci cations in 1986 by warbird
guru Tom Reilly, and was acquired by Larry
in 1997. It represents a Mitchell of the 396th
Bomb Squadron, 41st Bomb Group, 7th Air
Force. The asking price is $1.4m (around
£1.05m) for the aircraft and an extensive
spares package.
PRESERVATION
16 Aviation News incorporating Jets August 2018Viggen Airborne
Viggen SE-DXO making its rst
post-restoration ight on May 15.
Ulf Nylöf-Swedish Air Force Historic FlightImmaculate B-25 for Sale
Larry Kelley’s North American B-25J Mitchell Panchito. Jim Koepnik16-18_preservation_newsDC.mf.indd 16 04/07/2018 16: