Warbird Information Exchange

I thought this was pretty neat. The Cabela's in East Hartford, CT is built on Rentschler Field, the former Pratt and Whitney airport.
They've got this Aeronca Champ hanging from the ceiling. An electric motor spins the prop.
I only hope it was not an airworthy airframe!
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Many Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops have a static Aeronca. I'd guess they have taken a hundred or more airframes off the market. Given that I *want* to buy and rebuild a Champ (or Chief), this ain't a good thing in my eyes.

It only gets worse when I imagine what'll happen to these airframes when it comes time to redecorate the stores...

Hopefully I'll be the first in line to get it when they "re-decorate"!
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

The Cabela's here in Glendale, AZ has a Super Cub hanging up over the food court.

The Cabela's in Buda, Texas has a Cub. I let a couple of employees there know my opinion of their bush plane decor too but they seemed utterly clueless.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

The plane at the Fort Worth location is a very well made replica. I was told that it was made out of a scrap hulk. It has a fiberglass "engine" in it, but the fact that it's using a piece of iron pipe to turn the propeller is obvious from inside 20 feet.

Every Cabela's I've had the pleasure to expend money at , have all had a Super Cub.....I haven't seen one with an Airknocker before....I stopped in the Cabela's in Hamburg, Pa. twice last week....(bought my reloading outfit there!) I had to go stare at the Cub....everyone of them seem kinda funny looking for some reason...To me, they look too small to be a real Cub...I wondered if they could be replicas, like some of the ultralights...If I'd of had a step ladder, I would have found out for sure....You can't see any type of data plates...
The only thing I've seen in Bass-Pro, are the 53 Chebby pick-ups, like they have at Old Navy...That's where they need the airplane dangling from the ceiling...Old Navy....I'll see if I can lease out my Poon to them!

The one in Post Falls, Idaho has a very nice J-3.
Don't know the history but it's in classic yellow/black w/cub decal and a Cabela's logo on it.
IIRC, it has a wildlife radio finder antenna on the left wing struts...or is it a set of antlers? Sorry, haven't been there much.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Went thru E Hartford today...was wanting to stop in at the Cabela's there and get some pics of the plane there, but it was raining, and I hate getting off the interstate with my 18 wheeler if I can't get a good visual on my destination...

The new Cabelas I visited in Boomtown just outside of Reno NV last fall doesn't have a plane in it. Changing times?

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Roger Cain
www.sfahistory.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Stearman/


We must limit politicians to two terms:
one in office and one in jail.

Stopped in Cabela's in Wheeling WV Teusday...nice Super Cub on floats..
Stopped in St Louis, MO. Cabela's...No plane at that location, but they do have the Chebby pick-em-up!....