Classic Flyers' Kittyhawk engine was successfully started and run this week after a two and a half year rebuild by the project restoration team.

The V12 Allison engine was displayed in the main hangar at the Mount Maunganui aviation museum for many years, until it disappeared to the restoration hangar where the team completely stripped it down, discovering more problems as they went.

Restoration Team co-leader Bob Torr watches as Warbird pilot Bruce Chapman fires up the P-40 Kityhawk.

The crankshaft had to be reground, the main bearing shells had to be white metalled and resized, before the motor could be re-assembled and installed in the aircraft.

The liquid cooled V12 engines were built for the American military and also used in P-38 Lightning, P-39 Aircobra and P-40 aircraft during WWII.

Running an engine after a rebuild is never certain and passers-by knew something big was about to happen when the Tauranga City Airport crash fire tender drove up the taxiway to the restoration hangar.

By the time the engine caught and ran, there were many spectators watching from the boundary fences.

There was only the cloud of smoke expected from a vintage engine and the looks of relief and pride on the faces of the restoration team.

Team Co-Leader Bob Torr says it was a fantastic feeling when the 1710 V12 Allison engine caught and roared into life.

The Kittyhawk was acquired by Classic Flyers as a pile of parts unsuitable for use in an airworthy aircraft.

There was no shape of an aircraft so the team worked from plans and drawings. The parts were painstakingly cleaned, repaired and reassembled until the aircraft became not just a collection of metal and wood, but a WW2 fighter aircraft, many of which were flown by New Zealanders in the Pacific during the war.

The restoration team have built the wing parts and Bob says the two wing ribs, and outer rib and an inner rib, were acquired from Warren Denholm at Av Specs Limited at Ardmore.

Running the engine does not mean the Kittyhawk project is finished as there are still several hours of work left to be done before the 12 members of the team sign off on the project.

The public can view the aircraft in the restoration hangar during the normal museum opening hours daily from 10am to 4 pm.