Warbird Information Exchange

I think the one B-25 went to Yagen and is named 'Wild Cargo", A26 B still there, three different skyraiders are still there, two TBM Avengers still there,

One of his BT-13's is in my shop. Sure wish I could have met him...

The F-82 is gone, two B-25's are gone, two Corsairs are gone. I'll try to post a list of what I saw when I was there. The P-47, P-39, P-63 fuselages are all still there. Rumor has it that Walt also has a couple of disassembled aircraft that he stored in his lower level of the house. There were all kinds of parts and pieces scattered throughout the property. I recall counting at least 8 radial engines just laying aound and one was still attached to a stand. I've heard that the family is being very hesitant here recently, supposedly there have been many people and so called "organizations" that have been calling or dropping in non stop. If it was me, I'd find this very annoying and disrespectful. I'm sure one day the collection will go to a good caring home.

Oo another Soplata thread...got to post...

Pat--

Here's what's left Walt's, to my knowledge, since the late 70s:

P-51D N69X hulk, to Brian O'Farrell in Florida
P-80A 29689, to NMNA, Pensacola, now on static display
B-25J "Our Miss Lady"/"Wild Cargo", to Steve Detch, subsequently Jerry Yagen, Virginia
EF-82E 46-256/NACA 133, to Wally Fisk/Amjet, subsequently C&P Aviation, Minnesota
F2G-2 88463/NX5577N, to Crawford Museum, subsequently Tom Ungurean, Ohio
FG-1D 88026, to Ken McBride, California
O-52A Owl, to private owner in Indiana
XP-82 44-83887 remains, to Tom Reilly, Georgia for restoration/re-creation to fly
BT-13 Valiant, to Dan Jones, Alberta, Canada
F-84F, to MAPS museum, Akron, Ohio

Tom P--

Yes, there sure is a Vought Cutlass at Walt's, rescued by him in the sixties; he used that airframe as an example of the demilling process (about which he was very irritable indeed), pointing out all manner of damage to it that had had to be done before Walt could obtain the airplane. One of about five extant F7Us, it's F7U-3 129683 iirc, and would be a splendid addition to, say, the Vought-themed museum in Connecticut...I saw recently a 2011 photo of it and it has moved not one inch since I first saw it thirty years ago this summer.

TJ--

The Invader is an executive conversion, N919P, which ditched in Lake Michigan in (iirc) 1969. Recovered and stripped for spares, it was written off and the bulk of the airframe was sold to Walt. I don't think the engines are there but most of the rest of the airframe is...or at least was in the 80s. It was not heavily damaged in the ditching (and all on board got out OK).

Dan--

I didn't realize you'd never got to meet Walt. I had the unique pleasure of conversing with him at length thrice...twice at his place and once when he came to Hamilton to survey the Victor nose (left for CWH by the RAF after the Victor crashlanded on arrival for the '86 airshow) with a view to buying it (which he did). An unforgettable individual.

Tom F--

So there are more C-46 bits downstairs. Didn't know that. Did see a C-46 aft fuselage section out near the B-36; only realized it was a C-46 piece afterward. I did see inside the house in '82, but only the top two floors.

Re the Mitchells, Walt had two, but there are three IDs that keep surfacing. He may have had bits of a third Mitchell but there were just the two intact ones..."Wild Cargo", now flying in Virginia, and 44-86708, a stock USAF TB-25N that is still at Newbury. Neither of the well-known flying C&P Mitchells is ex-Walt. C&P do have the former Soplata EF-82E, though, which may be where the confusion originates...





i don't recall seeing any commando pieces outdoors. you maybe referring to the c - 119 flying box car fuselage ajacent to the skyraider prototype.

S.

he had a mitsubishi engine from a betty bomber, on a pallet, tarped over, painted silver. i know the type was used on more than japanese bettys!!! he related he made a hefty trade for it.