NMUSAF airframe histories

[mustangdriver]

I am trying to get a bunch of the histories down of each aircraft in the museum. The ones painted in their actual schemes are pretty easy, but I am looking for the history of the airframes that are painted to represent another aircraft. If there are cool pics of the aircraft that wear their actual schem and storeis to go along I'd love that as well. Also would love to see pics of any of the NMUSAF before they came to the collection. Thanks in advance.

[JBoyle]

Please try to sort out the H-19. Not only is it painted to represent a different aircraft, it's a B model painted up as an A.

Most world-class museums would frown on that.

[mustangdriver]

Is there any difference besides the engine and a 100 horsepower? I think with that airframe being somewhat rare, they went with a paint scheme to tell a story. Actually most world class museums DO have aircraft painted in markings not always there own. Go to the NASM and look around. Alot of aircraft painted to represent another aircraft and sometimes another model. I agree with you though that I like to see them in their own markings. Now the NMUSAF in recent years is very into putting these aircraft into their own markings.

[N3Njeff]

Chris,
Let me see if I can find some pics of the B-57 when she was on the flightline here in BTV. Next time your at the museum, pat her nose for me!!

[mustangdriver]

One of the big ones I have been looking for is if the A-26 Dream Girl is the real Dream Girl and some wartime pics of her. Everything I have seen including the registry shows it as the real airplane.

[Shay]

One of the big ones I have been looking for is if the A-26 Dream Girl is the real Dream Girl and some wartime pics of her. Everything I have seen including the registry shows it as the real airplane.

The wording on the Museum's display would lead you to beleive that it is not that actual aircraft. I know there are more than a few ME262 enthusiasts (some who have gone to extreme research efforts) who would like to see the ME262 displayed properly.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[mustangdriver]

Well after some research the A-26 "Dream Girl" in the NMUSAF is the real deal.

[Shay]

Well after some research the A-26 "Dream Girl" in the NMUSAF is the real deal.

By "research" you mean verifying the data plate for the Serial No.?

Shay
_____________
Semper Fortis

[mustangdriver]

Yup. I didn't myself I am at work, but there is an A-26 Invader site that lists all of the survivors with their displayed serial numbers, actual serial numbers, and N numbers. if I can find it again I will post a link.

[JBoyle]

Mustang Driver,
Yes there is a visual difference between a H-19A and B model.
The B has an entirely different tailboom....it is rather obvious if you know anything about Sikorskys...(which admittedly, most people don't... ).
Still, I think it's rather sloppy for a great museum to do something like that.

[mustangdriver]

I can without a doubt see your point. Keep in m ind many of the aircraft in the Korean War Era section are getting moved around, and attention where needed as the area is being redone. maybe a markings change is in the works for the helicopter. I am not sure how likely it is though, I will ask.

[Django]

Was this the site with the A-26 serials?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_su ... 6_Invaders

The Registry also lists it as accurate.

[Misterg97]

I'm going to have to dig back in my photos as my first ride in a helicopter was in a Chickasaw while stationed at the Koon-ni (Suwon Bomb & Gunnery) Range. When I fist visited the museum in '99 while still living in NJ it looked to me like the one I flew in.

However, I will readily admit I don't know one model from another .... if I can find the old slide and scan it then perhaps you can enlighten me as to the model ... I would find it most interessting ...

[mustangdriver]

No I was using a site from an A-26 researcher. There were no pics on the site just Serial numbers and notes about the aircraft. I also found the old pics of the museum moving the aircraft to the new facility, and even there it was still painted as Dream Girl, although the markings were not as accurate as they are now. Makes sense now.

[lmritger]

Well, their Bf 109G-10 actually served with II./JG 52 on the Eastern Front; I believe it was coded "black 2 + -", although I need to go back through my notes to see if it was that one or the one up at Evergreen. Either way, both 610937 and 610824 (the NMUSAF bird) were II./JG 52 aircraft, and when it came time to repaint them after their "restoration" by Evergreen, the Museum director at the time decided to have it painted as "blue 4" from JG 300... because he said he wanted an aircraft that was representative of the 109s faced by the USAAF over Europe. Authenticity be damned, I suppose.

**facepalm** Guess he wasn't aware of either the 15th Air Force or Operation Frantic.

So if you get a chance to bend an ear, that's one I'd dearly love to see sorted out and painted properly at some point. Hell, I'd do it myself, except the largest 109 I've painted is in 1/24 scale.

Lynn