Banshees / Demons / Skyrays

[wendovertom]

OK, this is a dreamers list but hey - are there any of these airframe types in civilian hands anywhere? I read somewhere that the Canadians got a bunch of Banshee airframes in the late 60's (?) and wondered as to thier fate.

Thanks,

Tom P.

[tom d. friedman]

usmc banshee airframe in a woods 15 minutes from my house. it's in rough shape, thoroughly vandalized, & has tons of bullet holes in it as it used to be parked behind a shooting range. the guy that owns it is a friend of mine & he's nicknamed the western ohio walter soplata. you may be able to do a google earth to find it, it's on state route 18 clarksfield ohio. the usmc wanted it for their museum but the owner wouldn't part with it. along w/ the banshee are 2 f9f cougars, a t-33, 2 beech 18's & a sikorksy h-13 as well as a canadian yale. all aircraft are in derelict condition

[tom d. friedman]

i think there is a flying skyray out at some mojave desert california test facility that's owned by a private company that tests experimental aircraft components.

[wendovertom]

Wow, quite a collection! He wouldn't want to talk about donating a Cougar to a museum in Utah, clear out on the Salt Flats would he??

thanks for the info - i had no idea there might still be a Skyray flying!

Tom P.

[Steve T]

Tom et al--

Three of the Canadian Navy's Banshees (operated off HMCS Bonaventure 1957-63) survive, all in good static-display condition in museums: one at Shearwater (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia); one at CAvM (Rockcliffe/Ottawa, Ontario); and one at the Naval Museum of Alberta (Calgary). The latter collection also displays Canada's last Seafire.

S.

[daveymac82c]

Tom et al--

the Naval Museum of Alberta (Calgary).

S.

That just seems a little silly!!!!.... Having a naval museum in a land-locked Province and all.

Sorry, had to say it.

Cheers,

David

Aint no Skyray flying in US i can tell you. If it was it would be news and making it and airshows.... i assume?

[O.P.]

Hi Tom,

If it's cool, PM me about the cougars. I want one when I grow up.

[Swiss Mustangs]

http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/coll ... shee.shtml

http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/e ... elst_e.asp

[RickH]

Someone may have mistaken a Saab Draken for a Skyray.

The only F4D on the US registry is in fact an F-4D Phantom II.

[Chris Brame]

USMC banshee airframe in a woods 15 minutes from my house.

Tom, I remember seeing a photo of a derelict Banshee in Air Classics around '77 or '78; it was painted overall white with no markings - is this it? Is it the -3 or -4 version? Thanks!

[tom d. friedman]

hi chris, yep it's white, on it's gear with wings partly removed, cockpit gutted, no canopy or frame & the entire top of fuselage is open aft of the cockpit to the tail. no powerplant present. it does have some markings, i have a pic somewhere, i'll try to locate it & forward to you to post here as me & photo bucket don't get along to well. as to the a skyray out their in mojave....... as of a few years ago 1 was with a private aeronautical firm in mojave, as to why it's not on the register i have no clue, i saw it in air classics, this firm also operated a few b-66's.

[wendovertom]

Thanks to all - I did check the FAA as well - interesting to see that there is a gentleman in Ontario, Oregon that has a F6D "Skylancer" in his private collection - not flying though.

These jets would be neat to display - we have a couple of T-33s (The T-33s are privately owned and both fly) hangared here already but a Cougar or Banshee or (heaven willing and the water don't rise) a Skyray.

Tom F. - I'd like to see those photos too. . . .

Thanks again!

Tom P.

[tom d. friedman]

an update to the earlier posts........ i found the pics, circa 1989 or 1990. one correction to my description of the banshee, that being the tail is missing. if somedody will p.m. their email address i'll forward them to you to post here on this thread as i won't mess w/ photo bucket. they are 15 minutes from me, i'll be glad to take anyone out their for a look & a beer after!!

[K225]

That just seems a little silly!!!!.... Having a naval museum in a land-locked Province and all.

Sorry, had to say it.

Cheers,

David

During the Second World War and following the end of the war the RCN expanded greatly was the third-largest navy in the world, behind the United States and the United Kingdom. The RCN was a navy made up of men from all across the country, including many from the land-locked priaries who had never before seen a large body of water. At one time the flight training for many of Canada's navy aviators was at Canadian Joint Air Training Centre Rivers in Manitoba, as land locked as you could get, and many of those aviators were from the prairies. One of the best flight demo teams the Gray Ghosts using Banshees I ever saw was at CJATC Rivers back in the early 60's.