The Warbird Census
When this website started, we presented a
list of known Indian Warbirds - and they numbered around 80 as on January 2001. Now thanks
to our website visitors, contributions and personal efforts, our catalogue of preserved
warbirds has crossed the 300 mark. The current total is 306 identified and located
warbirds. It should be pointed out that about 30 out of these 306 are either derelict or
wreckages or training airframes which we have made note of. It should be pointed out here
that the total does not include another 20 or so TS-11 Iskras expected to be sent for
preservation in the near future.
Leading Populous Type : Gnat
 Its
no surprise that the Gnat / Ajeet combination leads the survey with nearly 39 aircraft
identified around the country and more reports and sightings pouring in even as we speak.
This also translates into a 12% survivor ratio of all the aircraft that served with the
IAF.
The Hawker Hunter comes in second, with
nearly 24 aircraft identified as preserved with a possible 12-15 in storage after their
withdrawal from service a few years back. Third place goes to the MiG-21, 26 aircraft
identified, but since 4 of these are relics or incomplete aircraft or wreckages, the net
position is 26-4 = 22 - So Rank No.3
Survivor Ratio : Alize
In terms of 'Survivor Ratio', i.e Number
of survivors in relation to the total number produced/inducted, The Breguet Alize of the
Navy leads with 35% , five survivors out of Fourteen inducted. Next is the Navy's Sea Hawk
fighter with a 15% ratio.
Surprisingly, The Sukhoi-7 in the IAF
leads the Survivor ratio with about 12.5%. Followed by the homegrown HF-24 Marut with
10.5%. Gnats come in at 12% and most of the other types are around the 10% mean as can be
seen below in the table.
The Warbird Survey
| Rank |
Type |
Prvd |
D/W |
Surv |
S/S |
| 1 |
HAL Gnat |
39 |
1 |
12.0% |
|
| 2 |
Hawker Hunter |
24 |
|
9.5% |
8 |
| 3 |
MiG-21 |
26 |
4 |
4.0% |
400 |
| 4 |
HT-2 |
17 |
|
10.0% |
|
| 5 |
HF-24 Marut |
16 |
|
10.5% |
|
| 6 |
Sukhoi-7 |
16 |
|
12.5% |
|
| 7 |
Hawker Seahawk |
11 |
1 |
15.0% |
|
| 8 |
Douglas Dakota |
11 |
2 |
7.0% |
|
| 9 |
North American T6 Harvard |
9 |
2 |
2.0% |
|
| 10 |
De Havilland Vampire |
7 |
|
2.0% |
|
| 11 |
HAL Chetak |
7 |
1 |
|
|
| 12 |
Westland Seaking |
6 |
1 |
15.0% |
20 |
| 13 |
Mil Mi-4 |
6 |
1 |
|
|
| 14 |
Alize |
5 |
|
35.0% |
|
| 15 |
Canberra |
5 |
|
4.0% |
9 |
| 16 |
Mystere IVa |
5 |
|
4.5% |
|
Prvd -
Numbers preserved
D/W - Derelict / Wreckage - may soon be scrapped
Surv - Ratio of Aircraft Survivors / Total acquired
S/S - Storage / in Service - either recently retired or
still serving
World War Two aircraft population is made up
of C-47s, Harvards etc. These are of 16 types and number 40. The listing is as follows:
The WW2 Warbird Survey
| Rank |
Type |
Prvd |
D/W |
Remarks |
| 1 |
C-47 Dakota |
11 |
2 |
|
| 2 |
North American Harvard |
9 |
|
|
| 3 |
Supermarine Spitfire |
4 |
|
|
| 4 |
Auster |
3 |
|
|
| 5 |
B-24 Liberator |
1 |
|
|
| 6 |
De Havilland DH9 |
1 |
|
|
| 7 |
De Havilland DH 82 Tigermoth |
2 |
|
|
| 8 |
De Havilland DH85 Pussmoth |
1 |
|
|
| 9 |
Fairey Firefly |
1 |
|
|
| 10 |
Hawker Hurricane 1 |
1 |
|
|
| 11 |
Hawker Tempest II |
1 |
|
|
| 12 |
Percival Prentice |
2 |
1 |
|
| 13 |
Stinson L5 Sentinel |
3 |
2 |
|
| 14 |
Westland Lysander |
1 |
|
|
| 15 |
Westland Wapiti |
1 |
|
|
| 16 |
Yokosuka MXY7 Baka |
1 |
|
|
Prvd -
Numbers preserved
D/W - Derelict / Wreckage - may soon be scrapped
|
