The Case Of The Disappearing LB-30

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:33 pm

So the wife and I are in Colorado on vacation, and naturally I'm on the lookout for warbirds. I made the trip to Fort Collins in search of LB-30 AL557. Google Earth still shows the disassembled carcass stashed between a hangar and a bar. But when we checked it out, the aircraft was gone..in fact the area where it was had literally been swept clean of any trace of aircraft. The folks at the bar next door said the company in the hangar had gone out of business, and they had no idea what became of the plane. Does anybody in the WIX Braintrust have any idea of the LB-30's current whereabouts? Assuming it hasn't gone to the scrapman, that is.

Cheers!

Steve

OD/NG · **Joined:** Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:36 pm **Posts:** 717

If I'm not mistaken, I believe that was sold to Ron Buccarelli (of Precious Metal fame) down in Florida. I know for a time, as recent as a few years ago, he was collecting any and all B-24 parts, with the intention of restoring it to flying condition. I also seem to remember that he put the whole project up for sale on Barnstormers within the last few years.

I don't know the current status of the aircraft and if Ron is still the owner. I too would like to know it's current location and status.

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:08 pm

You would think that being as rare as they are, B-24/LB-30 projects or "substantial remains" would not just disappear.

Then again, the PB4Y-2 at the Lone Star Museum/Pima and the Yankee recovered wreck in Willow Run had a hard time attracting saviors who would return them to flight.

What's the story with the LB-30...and us it related to the forward fuselage of a B-24 I saw on an USAF truck at Fairchild AFB in the 80s?

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:22 am

It's this one..a former cargo hauler that was stripped and abandoned in Alaska after an accident in 1958 (overshot a dirt runway as I recall.) The remains were recovered in 1995, and until recently stored in Forrt Collins.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b24regis ... al557.html

SN

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:43 pm

(edit: Here's a nice shot of the Liberator as SX-DAA from the Ed Coates collection: http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac5/R ... X-DAA.html )

As reported on Aero Vintage, the same location also contained a pair of B-17 outer wing panels - one still had the star and bar, and the other had Bolivian registration CP-588. Wonder where these went? (Image from corsair166b, on previous thread - this is on Photobucket so if it disappears I'll post a copy with his permission)

Lon Moer · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:59 pm

Steve Nelson wrote:

So the wife and I are in Colorado on vacation, and naturally I'm on the lookout for warbirds. I made the trip to Fort Collins in search of LB-30 AL557. Google Earth still shows the disassembled carcass stashed between a hangar and a bar. But when we checked it out, the aircraft was gone..in fact the area where it was had literally been swept clean of any trace of aircraft. The folks at the bar next door said the company in the hangar had gone out of business, and they had no idea what became of the plane. Does anybody in the WIX Braintrust have any idea of the LB-30's current whereabouts? Assuming it hasn't gone to the scrapman, that is.

Cheers!

Steve

So, what was the beer like at the Horse & Dragon Brewing Co.? :drink3:

(the 'bar' next door to the now closed Vintage Aircraft Ltd)

wendovertom · **Posted:** Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:02 pm

It has been a several - maybe 10-12 years ago BUT. . . We had a potential donor who wanted to know what it would take to get a B-24 on site. I called and talked to the folks at World Jet (I don't recall the name) and they wanted $250K (IIRC!!) for the wreckage and they would throw in a good Davis wing. At that time it was all still in Ft Collins. As I recall, it really is just barely a fuselage - better than just a dataplate but it will be a serious rebuild.

Tom P.

Speedy · **Posted:** Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:08 pm

The aircraft had been stored at Darrell Skurich's Vintage Aircraft Ltd. at Ft. Collins. Skurich and the Brothers' W had a very long association with a lot of the projects being stored/restored at the Vintage Aircraft facility. A couple years ago, however, there appeared to have been some falling out amongst the involved parties and Vintage Aircraft fairly quickly and quietly closed its doors, with all the 'stuff' being relocated elsewhere...including the LB-30 fuselage and parts.

The thing about the Brothers' is that they don't NEED the money, therefore they don't NEED to sell...and that means that a $250K asking price is just their way of seeing how serious a potential buyer might be.

Xrayist · **Joined:** Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:51 am **Posts:** 313

Darrell retired because he wanted to, not due to any falling out. He had been planning to retire for a few years and was just finishing up some projects and taking no more in. I have known him for over 35 years. As for the LB-30, it was still next to the old Vintage Aircraft hanger for several years after he closed it down.

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Thu Jul 20, 2017 4:46 am

I trust you've seen this Speedy? Not only has Skurich been restoring Mustangs and 109s, but he has also worked as a spook pilot, assassin, 9-11 conspirator, drug runner, and much more. Must have been quite busy!
http://www.combatreform.org/911pentagonrealitycheck.htm (scroll halfway down the page)!

One thing I just love about America are all the conspiracy theorists you have in regard to all subjects. I now firmly believe that nothing in the history of the world more significent than me putting butter on my toast actually happened the way its reported... :roll:

Xrayist; was the LB-30 stored next door to Ray Middleton's QG Aviation on 128 Raquette Dr.? When I visited Vintage Aircraft to see the bf-109s coming along I'm certain the shop was further down on Airway Ave. After having looked at their work the boys told me to walk up to QG and have a look at their Spitfire, Hurricane, and Firefly being worked on, and that was a distance away from Vintage Aircraft.

T J

Xrayist · **Joined:** Wed Jun 08, 2005 12:51 am **Posts:** 313

T.J.:
The pic shows the LB-30 next to the Vintage Aircraft business. Ray's place was farther down at the end of the cul-de-sac. He has since moved to the Fort Collins/Loveland airport and I have not seen him in many years. Last I heard he was still working on Bill Greenwood's Spit. If you ever do make it to his hanger, bring a golden retriever...he has a real soft spot for them.
Originally the LB-30 was in an open hopper type railroad car, parked on a siding just north of Prospect Rd., and east of Riverside Ave. in Fort Collins. It was then put out to "pasture" so to speak at the far east end of the Fort Collins downtown airpark, along with some bits and pieces, a center section if I recall correctly, and other parts of a P-82. After the airpark closed, the P-82 disappeared and the LB-30 was moved next to the Vintage Aircraft building. I think the B-17 parts were left over from the B-17 that was a meat hauler in Bolivia(?) that the Whittington brothers brought back to U.S. a couple of decades or so ago.

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3322

Xrayist wrote:

Last I heard he was still working on Bill Greenwood's Spit.

Also a pair of Fireflies (Captain Eddie's and one for a European owner) plus the ex-Lone Star Hurricane wreck for Texas Flying Legends I believe.

T J Johansen · **Posted:** Fri Jul 21, 2017 1:57 pm

Xrayist wrote:

T.J.:
The pic shows the LB-30 next to the Vintage Aircraft business. Ray's place was farther down at the end of the cul-de-sac. He has since moved to the Fort Collins/Loveland airport and I have not seen him in many years. Last I heard he was still working on Bill Greenwood's Spit. If you ever do make it to his hanger, bring a golden retriever...he has a real soft spot for them.
Originally the LB-30 was in an open hopper type railroad car, parked on a siding just north of Prospect Rd., and east of Riverside Ave. in Fort Collins. It was then put out to "pasture" so to speak at the far east end of the Fort Collins downtown airpark, along with some bits and pieces, a center section if I recall correctly, and other parts of a P-82. After the airpark closed, the P-82 disappeared and the LB-30 was moved next to the Vintage Aircraft building. I think the B-17 parts were left over from the B-17 that was a meat hauler in Bolivia(?) that the Whittington brothers brought back to U.S. a couple of decades or so ago.

I grabbed a screen shot of the map and hopefully that simplifies it.

A=128 Raquette Dr. The spot where the LB-30 can be seen in both satellite and street view on Google maps.

B=140 Raquette Dr. Where Ray Middleton had his shop when I visited.

C=2050 Airway Ave. Darrell Skurich's shop when I visited Vintage Aircraft in 1994 to see the bf-109s being rebuilt.

I notice that Vintage Aircraft is listed with both addresses on the internet. Did he move to 128 Raquette Dr. sometime after 1994, or what?

T J

Matt Poole · **Joined:** Tue Jul 27, 2004 1:11 am **Posts:** 21

I have some background info on this airframe that may be of interest. AL557, its RAF serial number, was on two operational wartime RAF squadrons -- 120 Squadron in N. Ireland in 1942 and 159 Squadron in India in 1943.

The history of this airframe (slightly outdated now for the most recent details) from the book "The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service" by James D. Oughton:

AL557
Construction number 55; Taken On Charge Dorval (Montreal) 13.10.41; Dorval - Gander [Newfoundland] 22.11.41, Gander - Prestwick [Scotland] 23.11.41; Scottish Aviation Ltd [SAL], Prestwick, 23.11.41; SAL - 22 Maintenance Unit [MU] 14.12.41; 22 MU - SAL for installation of R.3003 14.3.42; SAL - 120 Squadron 17.3.42; 22 MU 18.7.42; 120 Squadron 7.42; 22 MU - SAL 20.8.42 modifications for 1445 Flight; SAL - 1445 Flight 14.11.42; by road to SAL repair in works arrived 29.11.42; SAL - Lyneham [UK] 19.3.43; 301 Ferry Training Unit 22.3.43; to India 10.7.43; 159 Squadron; general duties, Air Command South East Asia, 27.4.44; left India 23.5.44; Taken On Charge Mediterranean Allied Air Forces 22.2.45; to UK for SAL arrived 6.4.45 for passenger conversion; registered G-AGZI to Scottish Aviation Ltd; Certificate of Registration (9860) issued 11.1.46; Certificate of Airworthiness (7339) issued 21.9.46; used on Icelandic charters; registration cancelled 24.2.48 as sold abroad; to ELL AS Hellenic Airlines 1.3.48 (Certificate of Registration 24) as SX-DAA MAID OF ATHENS; to TAE / National Greek Airlines 7.51; registration cancelled 23.11.51; to Morrison-Knudsen Inc. 11.51 as N9981F; re-registered N68735 12.51; damaged when skidded into a ditch on landing at Wales, Alaska 1.6.53; repaired and re-registered as N92MK still with Morrison-Knudson Inc. for use in construction of DEW Line in Alaska; crashed on approach to Kalikat Creek, 30 miles (48 kilometers) S of Galena, Alaska, x.58; wreckage recovered x.90 by Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, Anchorage; sold x.96 to Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, TX; stored x.96-x.01 at Vintage Aircraft Ltd, Fort Collins, CO; sold x.01 to D Whittington / Worldjet, Fort Lauderdale, FL; basic fuselage and wings intact.

The above is missing AL557's service with 1584 Conversion Unit in India. I have logbook copies of 8 airmen who flew aboard AL557 between 3 Aug and 1 Oct 1943 when it served at Salbani, West Bengal, India on RAF 159 Squadron (a bombing unit) and also 1584 Conversion Unit (a training unit to convert airmen to the Liberator). On neither unit did AL557 fly ops, as the British called their missions, though two of the flights were for local bombing practice. Presumably AL557 was configured to drop bombs. I have no idea if guns and turrets were carried.

I'm not sure about 120 Sqn, which was an RAF Coastal Command unit in N. Ireland flying against U-boats in the North Atlantic. It is likely that AL557 flew ops with 120 Sqn, carrying depth charges, at least.

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Mon Jun 26, 2023 11:00 am

Well...we can bring this thread back to life here in 2023.

https://www.projectwarbird.com/

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The Case Of The Disappearing LB-30

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