Warbird Information Exchange

NNOOOOOOOOOOO!! Not that. If that's what a museum needs/wants, just take a bunch of photos of it now & commission a modeler to make a large scale MODEL diorama for display. To me there is nothing more pathetic than to see a wrecked Warbird that could at least contribute a few parts and an identity for a flying restoration (replica, new build, or whatever term you prefer to use) used as a museum diorama. Well actually there is something more pathetic...a flyable Warbird relegated to a museum static display. In my mind, I can see these planes being in a vegetative state, but aware that they should be in the air & wondering why the heck they're stuck on the ground.
Ready for the roasting.

Mac

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WWII Naval Aviation Research - Pacific
https://www.ww2nar-pac.com/

There is one cool thing about this wrecked fuselage...maybe im weird, but when I look at the original paint, specifically around the insignia..you can see the different applications of paint modifying the insignia as it changed through '42 and '43. There was a mx crew member applying that paint so the insignia conformed with the new regs. Send the hulk to a shop for a rebuilt and you'll lose alllll that originality.

Why not just remove and display that skin? It will still retain the history. The original artwork on the cowling from Dottie Mae was retained. They just built a new cowling for it.

It's all going to need to be reskinned anyways.

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remember the Oogahonk!
old school enthusiast of Civiltary Warbirds and Air Racers

What's the record for the highest price for the least amount of material?

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Always looking for WW2 Half-Tracks and Parts.

Not sure how much they paid for the hulks, but I imagine the recent Mosquito projects rank quite high in dollars per original pieces. Thank goodness we have some folks and organizations that can do this.

It's only original once. The Pebble Beach folks are on board with this ethos now, and it's only a matter of time before the warbird world catches on. A 99% recreation means far less culturally than something that was 'there and did it'.

Agreed Jim. The Museum of the Pacific War, or whatever it’s called bought a ratty but flying Zero and a beautifully restored F4F Wildcat and parked them forever . Other museums of once flying aircraft include the Kalamazoo Air Zoo and the Palm Springs Air Museum.