Honduras: Warplanes of the Second World War preserved

Warplanes of the Second World War preserved in Honduras

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in Honduras.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in Honduras would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial preservados en Honduras

El objetivo de este sitio web es localizar, identificar y documentar aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial
conservados en Honduras. Muchos contribuyentes han ayudado en la búsqueda de estos aviones para proporcionar y
actualizar los datos en este sitio web. Las fotos son tan acreditadas. Cualquier error encontrado aquí es por el autor, y
cualquier adición, corrección o enmienda a esta lista de sobrevivientes de aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial
en Honduras sería bienvenida y se puede enviar por correo electrónico al autor a hskaarup@rogers.com.

Honduran Air Force

During the Second World War, the Honduran Air Force (HAF) ought against the Axis powers, performing anti-submarine patrols along its Caribbean coastline between 1942 and 1944.  

After the war the HAF re-equipped with aircraft from USAAF and RCAF stocks including five Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and five Bell P-63 Kingcobras which were its first high performance fighters.  Honduras later recieved 19 Vought F4U Corsair fighter bombers, several Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports, and six North American AT-6C Texan (armed) and six T-6G advanced trainers.

In 1969 Honduras fought the one week long "Football War" with El Salvador.  The HAF managed to successfully bomb the Salvadorean fuel supplies at Acajutla and Cutuco and fight the enemy's air force out of the sky.  Later it provided close air support to the Honduras Army.  After the cease fire, both countries tried unsuccessfully to acquire their first jets to replace their old propeller-driven aircraft.

(wwiiafterwwii Photo)

Bell P-63E Kingcobra (Serial No. 43-11732), HAF (Serial No. FAH-403), Museo Del Aire, Toncontin International Airport, Tegucigalpa.

Between October 1948 and July 1949 the Fuerza Aérea Hondureña acquired a total of five Bell P-63E-1BE Kingcobras, four of which were sold in 1960 to collector Robert Bean of Hartford, Arizona, however FAH-403, c/n AC-29318 (former 43-11732) was kept at the Officer's Club. Because of the controversy about it being former 43-11730, in 2002 I personally inspected the interior of the aircraft and was able to photograph the dataplate (attached). (Amado I. Aguiluz Ferrari)

(Amado I. Aguiluz Ferrari Photo)

Boeing Stearman PT-17 Kaydet (Serial No. FAH-46). No data plate found.

Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando, c/n 33254 (former Serial No. 44-78708), LANICA (Nicaragua airlines) AN-BRX, was flown to Tegucigalpa airport on 17 July 1979 by fleeing Nicaraguan pilots.

Douglas C-47A-25-DK Skytrain, FAH-306, c/n 13646 (former Serial No. 42-93701). This aircraft took part in two 'bomb-run' missions on 15 and 16 July 1969, and several others as a troop and munitions transport.

(Alec Wilson Photo)

Douglas C-47B-1-DL Skytrain, FAH-314, c/n 20631 (former Serial No. 43-16165).

Douglas C-47B-10-DK Skytrain, FAH-315, c/n 14733/26175 (former Serial No. 43-48917).

(Eduardo Sosa Photo)

North American NA-16-2A (NA-42), FAH-21, c/n 42-691 (not a former USAAF aircraft).

North American SNJ-4 Texan, FAH-205C, MSN 88-9558 (former BuNo. 09999). It took part in several ground-attack missions on 14-18 July 1969.

(Bernardo Moncada Photo)

Vought F4U-5NL Corsair (BuNo. 124715), Honduras Air Force (Serial No.  FAH-609), "The Weak Spot ", on display at the Museo del Aire, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  This Corsair was sold to Honduras in 1956.  During the war between El Salvador and Honduras, dubbed the "Football War", Captain Fernando Soto Henriquez shot down three aircraft while flying FAH-609, which included a a Cavalier F-51D Mustang and two Goodyear FG-1D Corsairs of the Salvadoran Air Force on 17 of July 1969.  This is the last known air combat between piston-engined aircraft.  FAH-609 was finally retired in 1981.

Vultee BT-13 Valiant (Serial No. FAH-60). No data plate was found.

‍

Amado I. Aguiluz kindly provided this data:

List of military aircraft built between 1940 and 1953 (WW2 and Korean War era) acquired by Fuerza Aérea Hondureña:

Fairchild PT-23 SL Cornell: Five received Nov. 1943: FAH-29, 42-49863; FAH-30, 42-49864;FAH-31, 42-49865; FAH-32, 42-49868; FAH-33, 42-49869

Laister-Kaufman TG-4: One received Oct / Nov 1945: FAH-34 (unknown serial/construction number)

Noorduyn UC-64 Norseman: Two received Nov 1945: FAH-35, 43-35431, and FAH-36, 44-70344

Boeing-Stearman PT-17 Kaydet: Six received Jan / Sep 1946: FAH-41 through 46 (unknown serial/construction numbers)

Boeing-Stearman PT-13 Kaydet: Four received Feb 1946: FAH-47 through 50 (unknown serial / construction numbers)

Vultee BT-15A Valiant: Five received Feb 1946: FAH-51 through 55 (unknown serial / construction numbers)

Vultee BT-13A Valiant: Five received Mar 1946 / Sep 1947: FAH-56 thru 60 (unknown serial /construction numbers)

Beech C-45B Expeditor: One received 1946: FAH-100,43-35497

Beech AT-11 Kansan: Four total; three received Mar 1946 / Jan 1948: FAH-101 thru 103, and FAH-105 received in the early 1950s (unknown serial / construction numbers)      

Lockheed UC-36A (10A Electra): one received Oct 1953, FAH-104, 42-56638.

Convair L-13A: Two received Jun 1957 / Jan 1958: FAH-106, 47-357; FAH-813, 47-342.

Grumman JRF-5 Goose: One received Oct 1945, FAH-110, BuNo. 37796 (modified to A JRF-6B).

Grumman JRF-6 Goose: Two received Oct 1946 / Jun1956: FAH-811, BuNo. 66361;FAH-812, Bu37812.

North American AT-6 /SNJ Texan:  Twelve received Nov 1947 / Mar 1956: FAH-200 (AT-6A) 40-737; FAH-201 (SNJ-3) BuNo. 01936; FAH-202 (SNJ-4 ) BuNo. 27491;FAH-203 (SNJ-4) BuNo. 09841; FAH-204 (AT-6C), 42-4033; FAH-205 (SNJ-4), BuNo. 9999; FAH-206 (T-6G, 51-16075; FAH-207 (T-6G), 49-3475; FAH-208 (T6G), 51-14916; FAH-209 (T-6G), 49-2944; FAH-210 (T-6G), 49-3031; FAH-211 (T-6G), 49-2998; FAH-250 (1)  (T-6G), 49-2987.

North American T-28A Trojan: Five received Jun 1967: EAM-212,50-272; EAM-213, 50-230: EAM-214, 50-293; EAM-215, 50-234; EAM-216, 50-233.

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star: One received Jun 1974: FAH-222, 51-6528.                                        

North American T-28 Trojan: nine received Apr 1978 / Aug 1980: EAM-226 (T-28A**), 51-3681; EAM-227(T-28A*), 51-7632, EAM-228 (T-28A*), 51-7844; EAM-229 (T-28B), BuNo. 138343;EAM-230 (T-28B), BuNo. 138309; EAM-231 (T-28B), BuNo. 138263; EAM-232 (T-28B), BuNo. 140031; EAM-233 (T-28B), BuNo. 140025; EAM-234 (T-28B), BuNo. 140004.

* Converted to T-28S-1 (Fennec)

** Converted to AT-28D

Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Skytrooper:  Eighteen  received Dec 1947 / Oct 1974): FAH-300 (C-47A-20-DK),42-92931; FAH-301 (C-47A-DL), 41-18690; FAH-302 (C-53D-DO), 42-68769; FAH-303 (C-47B-1-DK)43-48485; FAH-304 (C-47A-20-DK), 42-93089; FAH-305 (C-47A-75-DL),  42-100963, FAH-306 (C-47A-25-DK), 42-93701; FAH-307(C-47B-15-DK), 43-49504; FAH-308 (C-47D-45-DK), 45-1032; FAH-309 (C-47B-5-DK), 43-48717;FAH-310 (unknown data);  FAH-311 (unknown data);  FAH-312 (unknown data);  FAH-313 (C-47B-1-DL), 43-16373; FAH-314 (C-47B-1-DL),43-16165; FAH-315 (C-47B-10-DK), 43-48917; FAH-319 (C-47B-15-DK), 43-49280; FAH-321(1) (C-53D-DO), 42-68769.

Some converted to C-47D

 Bell P-63E-1BE Kingcobra: Five received Oct 1948 / Jul 1949: FAH-400, 43-11727, FAH-401, 43-11729 or 43-11728(?); FAH-402, 43-11730: FAH-403, 43-11732; FAH-404, 43-11731.

Lockheed P-38L Lightning; Six received Sep1948 / May 1954: FAH-501, 44-53155; FAH-502, 44-53056(?); FAH-503, 44-53097; FAH-504, 44-26961; FAH-505,  44-53232; FAH-506,  44-53095.

Douglas A-26C Invader:  One received Jun1970: FAH-510, 44-35918.

Chance-Vought F4U Corsair: Nineteen received   Mar1956 / Sep1961: FAH-600 (F4U-5N), BuNo. 124724;FAH-601 (F4U-5NL), BuNo. 124560; FAH-602 (F4U-5N), BuNo. 124447; FAH-603 (F4U-5NL), BuNo. 123168; FAH-604, (F4U-5P), BuNo. 122179; FAH-605 (F4U-5P), BuNo. 122184; FAH-606 (F4U-5N), BuNo. 124486; FAH-607 (F4U-5NL), BuNo. 124692; FAH-608 (F4U-5N), BuNo. 124493; FAH-609(F4U-5N), BuNo. 124715; FAH-610 (F4U-4), BuNo. 97388; FAH-611(F4U-4), BuNo. 97382; FAH-612(F4U-4), BuNo. 97288; FAH-613 (F4U-4), BuNo. 97143;FAH-614 (F4U-4), BuNo. 96995; FAH-615 (F4U-4),  BuNo. 97280; FAH-616 (F4U-4) BuNo. 97320; FAH-617 (F4U-4), BuNo. 97059; FAH-618 (F4U-4), BuNo. 96885.                            

Consolidated Vultee PB4Y-2 Privateer: Two received Sep 1956 / 1958: FAH-792,(PB4Y-2B), BuNo.59742; FAH-796 (PB4Y-2S), BuNo. 59763.

Fairchild C-82A Packet: One received Sep 1957: FAH-793, 44-22981.

Curtiss C -46A-60-CK Commando: One received Jul 1958: FAH-794, 43-47363

Douglas C-54 Skymaster: Three received Oct 1960/Feb1970 / Nov 1972: FAH-795 (C-54B-15-DO), FAH-798 (C-54E-10-DO), 44-9092; FAH-799 (C-54D-10-DC),42-72710.

Douglas C-118A Liftmaster: One received May 1975: FAH-800, 53-3271.                                              

Helicopters:

Sikorsky S-52-2 / HO5S-1: One received May 1960: FAH-814 (s)

Sikorsky H-19 / HRS Chickasaw: Five received Apr 1964 / Sep 1965 /Jun1967: FAH-817 (H-19) (unknown serial / construction number; FAH-818 (HRS-2), BuNo. 129043; FAH-819     (HRS-3), BuNo. 130228; FAH-820(UH-19B), 51-3927; FAH-821   (UH-19B),52-7523.

AAF/Reg A/10-22.