More T-33s + One UH-1H + Pate Museum, TX

[viking73]

Here's a couple more Texas T-33s to go with the ones Steve posted:

This is 51-04380, preserved in the local city park in Sweetwater, TX. She's pretty well protected (notice the flat windscreen panel is missing) but the paint is starting to look kind of ratty. These photos were taken last summer:






This is 58-00621 taken at the Pate Museum west of Ft. Worth back in 2002. I am happy to say that's she moved on to a better home at The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum in Tyler, TX (but I haven't visited her there just yet).




And finally this is 51-09235, taken at the small local airport in Buffalo, MN back in 2003 (before winter time, ha!).




Aw heck, here's one more "cold weather" T-33. This is 53-6021 as she looked in 2006 in Elmendorf, AK:






Let's see some more of your T-bird photos!!

Last edited by viking73 on Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[steve dickey]

Hey those are great Viking, I been meaning to go see the one in Sweetwater for a while.

[viking73]

Hey those are great Viking, I been meaning to go see the one in Sweetwater for a while.

Cool, glad you liked them. The T-33 there in Sweetwater at Newman Park shares space next to a UH-1H Huey. The Huey is in much worse shape, having been heavy vandalized several years ago (all the plexiglass broken, interior items stolen). I’ve never understood the twisted mentality of a vandal, grrrrh but that's another story). I can post some photos of her if anyone wants to see them.

[cozmo]

I can post some photos of her if anyone wants to see them.

I would like to see them. Went to a funeral in Midland this weekend and tried to go by. Wasn't able to make it.

Though I was able to see Gary doing some work on Saturday. At least I think it was work, I mean, I think it was Gary.

And the ex-Pate T-33 looks nice nowdays.

[viking73]

Cozmo - here's a few shots of the UH-1H in Sweetwater, TX that sits next to the T-33 I posted photos of. She arrived there at the park sometime in the mid 90's with orange doors + a large white number on the boom so it's an ex- Ft. Rucker bird. I didn't take any pictures then for some unknown reason (I was young and dumb and still most interested in women I think which might have had something to do with it, but I digress)...

Fast forward to 2002 when I took these shots:







By now some $%^# vandals had really attacked the poor Huey. The plexiglass was all broken and as I slipped through the fence for a closer look, lots of cockpit items were missing. Sometime in 2001 I think, a local Vietnam vet took it upon himself to "patch over" the missing glass and give her a repainting of some sort. The paint didn't weather very well as you can see.

When I last visited her in the fall of 2007, she had again received a fresh coat of paint and was looking somewhat better despite the still lumpy looking chin bubble "repairs":







I'll be over there again for Thanksgiving in a few weeks so I'll drop by and see how she is doing this year.

I wish I knew the s/n of her - too bad I hadn't bothered to look before the vandal attack + repainting. There was a "500" painted in black on the tail in 2002, but in the 2007 photos it says "10014" in large white letters. Anyone here know for sure what her serial number is?

[Steven M. Dennis]

Anyone here know for sure what her serial number is?

Derek,

According to the resources I have, she is GUH-1H S/N 65-10014. So the numbers you see on her in the 2007 photos are correct.

Steve

[Connery]

This is 58-00621 taken at the Pate Museum west of Ft. Worth back in 2002. I am happy to say that's she moved on to a better home at The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum in Tyler, TX (but I haven't visited her there just yet).

Here's a shot of 58-00621 at the HAMM in Tyler, TX. This as taken earlier in the year when the Collings Foundation made their stop here.

[viking73]

Thanks for the T-33 pic Connery. I knew she was looking better so that makes me happy.

Steve - I'll bet you are right. She must be 65-10014 then, cool! What does the "G" prefix mean though? Don't think I've ever come across this one before?

[Steven M. Dennis]

What does the "G" prefix mean though? Don't think I've ever come across this one before?

I hadn't seen that designation before either, so I googled it, and this is what is listed for an answer:

"G - Grounded aircraft [1962-today] (”G” prefix is used for a flying airframe which is written off flying status and used as instructional support (i.e. GUH-1H)"

If you look it up on Joe Baugher's site, he has that s/n listed as being converted to a GUH-1H also.

I learn something new everyday.

Steve

[cozmo]

Thanks for the pictures from Sweetwater. It is good to see that some folks care enough about their community to repair the damage done by vandals.

The Pate T-33 looks much better now in Tyler. It would be nice for somebody to get that C-119.

Does anybody know where Pate's F-8 and F-9 went?

[viking73]

Thanks for the pictures from Sweetwater. It is good to see that some folks care enough about their community to repair the damage done by vandals.

The Pate T-33 looks much better now in Tyler. It would be nice for somebody to get that C-119.

Does anybody know where Pate's F-8 and F-9 went?

You are welcome. I too am glad that the city has done something about the damage and had it repaired. I'll be sure to post some 2008 shots of her after Thanksgiving.

I haven't been by the Pate Museum in ages. Is the C-119 the only one left? What about the HU-16 and the F-101? When I went to the museum for the first time in 2002, the F-8 was already gone. I'd like to know where it and the Cougar went myself.

Speaking of the Pate Museum, I've been meaning to post about it for sometime, so here goes...

I know the F-4, F-105, and T-33 went to Tyler.

The HH-43F Huskie went to Goodfellow AFB in Texas and is supposed to be looking great now.

The F-86H went to Barnes ANGB and is now marked as "22042" but is looking great in a new natural metal scheme.

The RF-84F went to the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale, NY. Not sure of what it looks like now.

Can anyone else fill us in about the others? I guess I should start another thread about this. Maybe some before and after pictures or something along those lines?

Thanks!

-Derek

[K5DH]

I passed the Pate Museum this past Saturday. The C-119, HU-16, and H-21 are still there, along with some kind of small patrol boat and maybe a couple of Army vehicles.

Cheers!

[RickH]

The patrol boat is a wooden minesweeper ! At one time it was the largest boat moved overland, so the Pate folks said.

The F101 was Canadian, wonder where it went ? There was a C-47 and T-28 too...

[Ztex]

As of my last pass by Pate a couple of months ago the F-101 was still there...hmmm

[Andy Marden]

Cozmo,
The F-8 (140448) went to the Vought restoration facility at Grand Prairie. It was still there in Nov07; restoration was complete but I don't know if it has since moved on elsewhere.
F-9J 131063 went to the Texas Air Museum Caprock Chapter at Slaton.
Regards,
Andy Marden

Author: USA Military Out of Service