The pictures pertain to the last flying Liberator (Serial Number 44-44052). It is maintained by the Collings Foundation, a non profit organization. This particular aircraft has had an amazing history.

•   She was based in India and abandoned in Kanpur by the RAF in 1945 and was NOT the original 'All American' Liberator

•   She was resurrected to operational status (along with 35 other Liberators) by the Indian Air Force

•   She flew with our IAF till 1968 and then she was abandoned

•   She sat rotting till 1981 when a British Collector Doug Arnold bought her and took her back to England

•   She was later sold to an American collector (in as is where is condition) and arrived back at her birthplace in 1984

•   This American collector was Dr. Robert F. Collings

•   In 1989 the 44-44052 was restored to flying condition and re Christened as the 'All American' to pay tribute to the original aircraft that was shot down over Yugoslavia on 4th Oct 1944

•   The original 'All American' set a record when its gunners shot down fourteen enemy fighters in a single raid over Germany on July 25, 1944.

•   In 1998, the aircraft 44-44052 "All American" was re painted and renamed "Dragon and His Tail" to pay tribute to the veterans who served in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

She is now a part of the "Wings of Freedom" Tour which also comprises a flying B 17 Fortress and a P 51 D Mustang. Further reading here :

http://www.schultzairshows.com/lancasterperformers2006.htm

Sir! Greatly appreciate the knowledge and time you spent on making this information easily available for me and all others...
Thanks.

Glad to be of help !

I also found something interesting, has good interesting stories related to WWII C-B-I (China Burma India) theaters.

http://www.midnapore.in/arifield/chakulia-airfield.html

Wow! That's interesting. Thanks for adding.

Sumeet,
if you look at google and the website you mentioned, there are a lot of such WWII airfields and some of them still has the scars of WWII (Including some rotting airframes, i dunno which one), I have landed in all of them piardoba to digri(This one has a lot of history, two cross runways there) to all, in fact, in all small big airfelds and helipads and ALGs (Advanced Landing grounds)of India. hardly any place that can be landed that i have not landed.

two more eye candies for all you , migs are me and my wingman from one of those WWII ones, the other one is me and my technician after we did a marathon 8 hr flight all these WWII airfields of midnapore and orissa on my microlight. and i clarify, both of them are neither liberators not Mitchell bombers.

Deep in the jungles of Arunachal lie many wrecks of Allied and Japanese aircraft. They are slowly being discovered.

I wish I could be on such WWII airfield and see those airframes. 

Why don't we make this thread "a thread for Indian Aviation History, From First to current". I mean that's a good idea.

@All others, Its a request, This thread is not only supposed to be meant for VC sir, Gusty Sir and Me only. Please add more resources, Photos, Articles or whatever you have related to Indian Aviation History and contribute. Lets make this thread more useful and interesting. Atleast we aeromodellers should know something about our aviation History. So that we can promote this hobby among others in a more informative way.

@Back at Gusty sir,
Thanks for another "Eye Candies". 
Waiting for more.

Sumeet ,good idea, let us start with  Mitchell Bomber,

That would be great to start with.

Let me first add something we guys really wanna see on this forum.

Original Photo of Wright Brothers. I don't know the location and time where it was taken. Even Don't know the location where it was uploaded on the internet. Just saw once and saved it right a way in my PC.

When it comes to B25's, They are among my all time favorite warbirds. I mean these had everything that a WWII pilot or any warbird freak like me wishes it to have. "North American Aviation" did awesome job on these.
Some of them were also based in India for few years during 40's, mostly in airfields in Calcutta (Now Kolkata) and Karachi (Now in Pakistan) and many other airfields that I am missing here. Am I right?

Lets read something about"North American B25 Bombers".

And a little about them in "Doolittle Raid".

And Finally some interesting photographs,

Bomb Bay of a B25,


Nose Gun




Tail Guns


And B-25J Heavenly Body tail guns feeder belt

This can only happen in India:

I quote from this site - http://www.adlertag.de/heute/restoration.htm

Bf 109 E-1

In 1998 the wreck of a Bf 109 E-1 was found at a storage area of the Government of India. It was still standing on its own gear and the wings were still mounted. But the engine carriage was broken away and the engine itself was lying in an edge of the area. The cowling and the canopy were missing. In the meantime the wheels were stolen and the wings were dismounted, but nevertheless, experts said, that it would be possible to restore the plane to airworthy condition.
This Bf 109 came from England to Hyderabad in 1940/41 and was shown flying. One of this shows ended with a belly-landing, causinge damage to the plane.
The identity is not evidented. Only an inscription full of gaps on the left side of the fuselage says, that this plane might have belonged to the 1./JG 77 and took part at the Poland campaign.
A resourceful businessman, Gireesh Naidu, offered the College, owning the storage area where the wreck was discovered, a deal. He offered a HAL Pushpack, a motorcycle and a vintage car for exchange and transported the Bf 109 of. Since then there is no hint about the location of Gireesh Naidu or the plane. Rumors said, that the "Emil" was transported away from India, maybe to England, where it will be restored to airworthy condition. The correct owner of the wreck, the Gulbarga Municipal Corporation was not asked about this deal and feeled betrayed. All we´re able to do ist to wait, for the plane to reapear and what will happen then.

Further reading here: http://www.warbirds.in/karnataka/32-various/162-messerschmitt-bf-109-at-gulbarga-missing.html


WHERE IS IT NOW???

Thanks a lot VC Sir.
It feels sad that BF 109 E-1 is lost (Almost). It was of great value for the aviation fans but still was just sold for the value nearly around $2000. While in Warbird market its value would be around, $300,000. Sad...

By the way, Good search VC sir. 

there are many such relics littered all around midnapore, one tail, i saw is lying near a well right outside some of these airfields (I cant recall which one) i did photograph some, let me dig it out,

Good or bad i dunno, i probably it comes from our culture, dead are burnt and dissolved, there is no epitaph, over time no record of someone with such an identity existed. we culturally are "Move on dude" people. may be i am wrong.

Sir! Now if we are talking about Indian Aviation History. Which were the very first planes the IAF had  since the Date 8th October 1932. I know the Librators, Librator express (from 102 survey flight) were, but what about others?

Thanks.
Cheers.

I think the first planes we had were the Westland Wapiti, but Gusty will have to confirm that.

bingo! wapiti was for rest of the world, IAF (RAF then) pilots called it "What - a - Pity " it was difficult to land, want to scratch build one , one day.

There was Hawai Sepoy (Rank lower than that of a soldier) called Harjinder Singh, who was a legend in this aircraft, he modified a communication aircraft to a bomber and never let an aircraft stay on ground due unserviceabilty, he later rose to Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh MBE(Member of the Order of the British Empire) PVSM (Param Vishist Seva Medal) and was the first Air Officer Commanding - in -chief of Maintenance Command, he also earned his wings, and became a pilot. he remained a hard task master, a giant on whose shoulder we stand today. here read on what a Scratch Builder (Actually scratch building is a state of mind) can do
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1960s/IAFMfr.html

PS
Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh was the first Indian technical officer to join the IAF. A pilot as well as an engineer, he was a compatriot of the Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh and IAF's legend, Baba Mehar Singh. Instrumental in the indigenous production of Avro transporters in India, he later served as technical adviser to the Punjab and Haryana governments on a token salary of just Re 1. He died in November 1971 while giving a lecture at DAV College here. An entire colony in Kanpur has been named as Harjinder Nagar after him.

Next in my Scratch building list, 

Westland Wapiti And HS 748 (I love transporters).
Will also post plans but need time.

Thanks VC sir. Thanks Gusty Sir...

All the best on your B-25 build sumeet
HS-748 , that is one of the good aircraft still serving in IAF and other government agencies, i have worked on that aircraft for 1 1/2 years, it was pleasure to work .
once again good luck

Thanks Praveen sir.

We all need to head to Ambala...................

http://www.warbirds.in/haryana/ambala/63-supermarine-spitfire-mv459.html

A lot of Spit wreckages were found in and around Kalaikunda, Gusty were you lucky enough to see any of them?

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Spitfire.html

sat in one , way back in 87 at night and imagined i was flying it ..will never forget that moment, my sqn (Oorials) had spits and they were the only IAF sqn who were part of British Commonwealth Occupation Forces and set foot in Japanese soil aboard HMS Vengeance, when they were coming back the lease agreement for these spits expired and the brits  wanted it thrown overboard and all fly worthy non fly worthy were thrown overboard, into the sea. read-on , these few excerpts

http://indianairforce.nic.in/show_unit.php?ch=7

A great topic..and amazing knowledge about our Air Force history..and rarest photographs..still reading again and again..great Veterans..thanks for starting this article..

Great Resources about Spitfires in India. 

Thank you.

respected modelers..is anyone hold a good photograph of a Liberator, belongs to India..? means looking for the color schemes..please..