C-47 Skytrain ~ Rare Tico Belle Warbird Airplane Armor Relic USA D-Day Artifact for Sale

On eBay Now...

C-47 Skytrain ~ Rare Tico Belle Warbird Airplane Armor Relic USA D-Day Artifact For Sale

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

C-47 Skytrain ~ Rare Tico Belle Warbird Airplane Armor Relic USA D-Day Artifact:
$999.00

This is a Rare actual piece of the of the infamous C-47 Skytrain Tico Belle! In 2003 Valiant Air Command had begun restoration efforts of this warbird after an accident left her grounded. They had to remove and replace some of the original metal armor and this is one of the original armor pieces they had to remove and given as a gift from the warbird museum to those who assisted in the Tico Belle’s restoration. You can still see some of the original paint layer and color as it was surely repainted over the years. This Battle Used Relic of Tico Belle’s armor was there at each of these critical battles of World War II.

• Normandy: June 1944 – Operation Neptune (D-Day)

82nd airborne At 0407 hours, 6th June 1944, at about 500 feet and in the face of determined flack from the defending German troops, “Tico Belle” lined up on Landing Zone “O” near St Mere-Eglise and dropped these brave men into Normandy and into history.

• Southern France: July 1944 – Operation Dragoon Cherbourg

• Holland: September 1944 – Operation Market-Garden Arnhem Bridge (a Bridge to Far?)

• Belgium: December 1944 – Relief of Bastogne (The Battle of the Bulge)

• Germany: March 1945 – Operation Varsity

. Berlin: 1948 Berlin Airlift delivering supplies to circumvent the soviet blockaded West Berlin.

•In 1950 it was given as part of lend lease to the Norwegian Air Force and then to denmarks Air Force in 1958.

•1988 she was ferried across the ocean back home to the USA.

•2001 her landing gear and right wing tip were severely damaged.

• 2003 restoration efforts to save the Tico Belle and this piece of the aircraft was removed and given as a gift for restoration efforts.

2009• restoration completed and the Tico Belle returned to the skies with mostly original outer skin except for the pieces like this that had to be removed and replaced.

• 2024 she resides as the Valiant Air Command War Bird Museum Flagship in Titusville Florida and regularly flies in air shows to support museum efforts.

Collectors spend thousands on sports cards with a piece of game worn or used jersey, bat, ball, etc from 1 event used by a player of a game. This artifact will stand the test of time, as Einstein famously wrote in a letter to Truman "I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones" This would look absolutely amazing in a frame or shadow box and a prized rare addition to any memorabilia collection or history museum. Not many artifacts exist that were actually there at such integral parts of WW2 such as The Battle of the Bulge, D-Day, and Operation Market Garden a Bridge to Far. Don’t miss out on your chance to own this rare piece of history.