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PostPosted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:55 pm 
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Yeah, yeah... I know... ...another Soplata thread. :roll: Well I ask a bit more of your patience.

Most of the other threads here on WIX and other forums reference a list of aircraft collected my the late Walter Soplata which I compiled using Excel. There are a number of different versions out there, all are very out-of-date now including the one in the WIX downloads section (Scott, if you are reading this, that file should be removed).

Anyway... I have compiled a new version of the list using the Locator and the Airframes Database. It can be found here...
ImageAerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Walter Soplata Aviation Collection
...and this version will be regularly maintained. The list separates those airframes assumed still on-site and those that have left. Of course since this is a location dossier, it includes links to the individual airframe dossiers which include what is known about the histories of the airframes. A number of WIX members here have contributed photos to the project and are included in those histories. You can find them in the airframe dossiers, or you can view them in the Gallery here...
ImageAerial Visuals - Walter Soplata Aircraft Photos in the Gallery

As well this is a database, and it has been set-up so you can contribute like a Wiki. If you would like to add to any of the airframe histories just use the editor in the airframe dossiers, or look for the photo upload links to contribute any photos you may have of the Soplata aircraft. It would be fantastic if we could get some uploads of the current F-82 restorations or perhaps of any work done on the F-84 which last left the collection. What I am trying to say here this is not just my list, it is a community project. So, what photos and bits of info can you share?

Mike

P.S. Here are a few teasers...

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Convair RB-36E Peacemaker, s/n 42-13571
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Fairchild-Fairchild C-82A-10-FA Packet - Fairchild, Hagerstown, Maryland, USA, s/n 44-22991, c/n 10035
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - FleetwingsXBT-12 [23], s/n 39-0719
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American-North American F-86E Sabre - North American, s/n 51-1123?
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American T-28A Trojan, c/r N7691G
Image

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Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 12:43 am 
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Are the wings for the XBT-12 on site?


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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:47 am 
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In the last photo note the Sikorsky H-34 in back. And I think the orange pieces might be to the right is a rear view of a H-23 (or less likely, a H-13) cabin with the engine mount cage alongside. The color fits for a US Army training helicopter in the 60s.

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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:38 pm 
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Those are realy interesting. Never seen pics of the XBT-12. I guess with all the other stuff, pics have never been published. Have to ask; when are they going to make a list available of items for sale?
I remember the Frank Ryder estate did this first, before auction. Tallichet also had a long list that was circulated for a couple of years.


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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:44 pm 
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At this time there are no plans to "sell" anything. From a reliable sorce I've been informed that the family in the not to distant future may decide to do something with the collection. There are no plans to sell things individually but rather keep the collection together if at all possible. When I learn of any new developments I will most cetainly share them with WIX members. :drink3:

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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 3:33 pm 
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Are you saying they will donate the collection to another museum or back to the U.S. govt?


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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 4:40 pm 
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Not back to the government! :drink3:

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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 6:08 pm 
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The nose of the B-52B City of El Paso is on the farm. I can sure think of a much better location for it.

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PostPosted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:47 pm 
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bdk wrote:
Are the wings for the XBT-12 on site?
I doubt it. The from what I have found the XBT-12 is incomplete. That doesn't mean too much, but it could be that there are no wings for it. I really have no details about what is still there. The list I provided is a best guess, compiled from numerous other sources. I am sure there are others that know more.



A number of other photos have been added...
ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Gallery Featuring Photos by Paul Cooper
ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Gallery Featuring Photos by Leon Cleaver

Including the following teasers.

Mike

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American-North American F-86L Sabre - North American, s/n 53-0715, c/n 201-159
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Beech UC-45J Expeditor, s/n 51228, c/r N2024
Image
Actually I am not sure about this one. I just put the photo of this Beech in this airframe dossier as a process of elimination. If anyone can correct me please do.

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Republic-Republic P-47N Thunderbolt - Republic
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American-North American B-25J Mitchell - North American, s/n 44-30129, c/n 108-33404, c/r N7947C
Image

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http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.


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PostPosted: Mon May 21, 2012 6:21 am 
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Mike - Walter obtained the XBT-12 and O-52 at same time. As I recall, He came upon them in a salvage yard in central Ohio - he bought them on the spot and was given - like 2 days to remove them. Neither aircraft had wings...... :(
Leon

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PostPosted: Sat May 26, 2012 10:05 pm 
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Woodsy Airfield wrote:
Mike - Walter obtained the XBT-12 and O-52 at same time. As I recall, He came upon them in a salvage yard in central Ohio - he bought them on the spot and was given - like 2 days to remove them. Neither aircraft had wings...... :(
Leon
Thanks Leon!




Leon has been busy uploading a number of photos taken of the Soplata collection over the years. Most I have not seen anything similar on the net. I am including a few teasers below.

Mike

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American T-28A Trojan, c/r N7691G
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - FleetwingsXBT-12 [23], s/n 39-0719
Image
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Convair RB-36E Peacemaker, s/n 42-13571
Image
Image

ImageAerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Sikorsky-SikorskyH-19D-2-SI Chickasaw [S-55] - Sikorsky, Stratford, Connecticut, USA, s/n 54-1412
Image

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http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 7:31 pm 
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I don't think I have seen a discussion of the http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?N=0

if you search by f-82, xf-82, etc I think these are photos of the Twin Mustang of Mr. Soplata's, that he only had one fuselage of, which was stored in the B-36

http://grcimagenet.grc.nasa.gov/GRCDigi ... 24896L.jpg
http://grcimagenet.grc.nasa.gov/GRCDigi ... 24898L.jpg

hopefully these old EBAY auctions weren't already discussed, but in the completed auctions of ebay from seller AKACHUCK were some Soplata images. ebay auction titles:

25 Orig AIRCRAFT Photo Neg SOPLATA COLLECTION BONEYARD OHIO Winter Snow 1970 ++

14 AIRCRAFT Photo Neg SOPLATA BONEYARD F2G P82 Crawford Aviation Museum P51 1967

another soplata tidbit via the web...

Flying magazine, May 1963
Since 1945 I have been collecting military aircraft and engines for an educational and historical private museum of military aviation. I have the museum open every day, with anyone welcome.
Located on 17 acres here in Newbury, O., it consists of nine complete aircraft and 38 engines. One aircraft is a demilitarized F7U-3 (Cutlass) purchased in Boston, Mass., and transported here in three trips in a $100 cut-open school bus, and since welded together.
I would appreciate, and will reply to any letters from anyone interested, or for any infromation concerning location of missing aircraft such as the F47, SB2V, SB2C, SBD, TBM, or others in fighter or bomber class in non-flyable condition.
I am also a collector of aviation books and magazines, and have many old issues of your fine FLYING magazine.
Walter A. Soplata
PO Box 65
Newbury, O.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:12 pm 
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cooper9411 wrote:
At this time there are no plans to "sell" anything. From a reliable sorce I've been informed that the family in the not to distant future may decide to do something with the collection. There are no plans to sell things individually but rather keep the collection together if at all possible. When I learn of any new developments I will most cetainly share them with WIX members. :drink3:

IIRC, I was told by someone at the TSWM that when they asked about possibly buying a bare P-47 fuselage they had, they were given a quote for an inordinate amount of money. Something along the lines of several hundred thousand dollars.

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 8:16 am 
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The futur of this collection is perhaps impacted by some past events : is there the story of a historic racing Corsair sold with the restriction that the plane could be restored to static exposition only, and was put airworthy at the end ?

Of course, it's the Soplata familly right to decide the future of these planes, but i doub't the best way to insure their futur is to do a sale to one buyer : the plane will be kept in storage for decades.
Allowing individuals or museum to acquire one or few plane to take care of it would be the best way to maximize to see them restored one day.

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:55 am 
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Noha307 wrote:
cooper9411 wrote:
At this time there are no plans to "sell" anything. From a reliable sorce I've been informed that the family in the not to distant future may decide to do something with the collection. There are no plans to sell things individually but rather keep the collection together if at all possible. When I learn of any new developments I will most cetainly share them with WIX members. :drink3:

IIRC, I was told by someone at the TSWM that when they asked about possibly buying a bare P-47 fuselage they had, they were given a quote for an inordinate amount of money. Something along the lines of several hundred thousand dollars.



I remember that. I was having conversations with Paul at TSWM about another P-47 and he had told me that the asking price for the fuselage was 175K! I know a couple people from TSWM had went to the farm a time or two to inspect the fuselage.

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