Warbird Information Exchange

http://www.lbreport.com/news/oct12/doug717.htm

Looks like the bulk of the original WW2 vintage Douglas Aircraft plant has been sold to a developer.

A couple of more modern office buildings remain, but the last old hangar most recently used as a test lab, is being torn down now.

Know how ya feel, felt the same watching Boeings Plant 2 come down- like watching the U.S. S. Constitution being cut up for firewood-see if you can grab a tiny piece of history. I've got a bottlecap sized round piece of concrete that used to be part of the King Dome.

The plant used to be such a beehive of activity with 3 airframes being built simultaneously and over 25,000 employees. Probably less than 5,000 now, much of that engineering.

Worked there for 3.5 years.

If this is the DC-10/MD-11 hangar, that is where I trained and my first exposure to big boys.
Cooooool.

I was happy to get to C-17 line instead. I hope they make a few dozen more. C-17 we need more of, MUCH more.
Yes, biased!

On the flip side, seems to be another example of the slow death of Aviation in the USA.

No, these were some of the test hangars. The ones on the east side of Lakewood Blvd. are still there. For how long I'm not sure. I thought the "Fly DC Jets" sign was listed as a landmark, so maybe they will stay for a while?

bdk wrote:No, these were some of the test hangars. The ones on the east side of Lakewood Blvd. are still there. For how long I'm not sure. I thought the "Fly DC Jets" sign was listed as a landmark, so maybe they will stay for a while?

Any luck in tracking down the big Globe?

There is a copy, but not the original on display in a roundabout near by.

Spending nearly Nine years as a Co-pilot on DC6/7 products-mainly DC7 in
Airtanker Ops I have soft spot for any Douglas product..
Sad to see.