Lackland AFB Bombers

[bluehawk15]

After being lured out of my car by the C-123 to take a photo of it, I had to walk around
the parade ground to shoot the bombers!


The B-26 (A-26C) Invader.


Invader's nose art.


Nose of the B-25 which was once the CAF's Rowdy's Raider.


I think we should dig back and see if the person who signed title of the B-25 over to the
USAF was actually authorized to do so. Perhaps we might have to sue to get our B-25 back!


The Fiberglass Fraud B-24 mock up.


Another shot of the Fiberglass Fake B-24.


The B-17 at Lackland.


B-17's nose art


B-29 at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas


B-29's nose art


B-29's tail markings


Head on shot of the SR-71. Not sure if it's real or a mock up. The skin sure sounded like
plywood and fiberglass when you knocked on it, not like titanium.


The setting sun reflected on the inside of the vertical. I only saw one in person a long time
ago at Randolph's air show, but I thought the skin was slick, I don't recall the cell rivet lines.


Inside the left vertical. You can see the blocks installed to prevent movement, so maybe
it is the real deal?


But then there is the fiberglass crack on the horizontal tips edge. I don't think fiberglass
would hold up when the skin started to glow, would it?

[bdk]

If you were touching the chines, they are composite, not metal. I think they were made from phenolic resin and asbestos cloth.

[RyanShort1]

That SR-71's the real deal - but probably not complete. I believe that's one of the record-holder machines and it flew in... I'm pretty sure I saw it on it's last flight.

Ryan

[hercules130]

Ryan hit the nail on the head, I watched the old girl fly in and then take a road trip to Lackland. Thanks Dad.

[Nathan]

Not to be a critic but man that B-25 and B-24 look terrible.

[RyanShort1]

Not to be a critic but man that B-25 and B-24 look terrible.

The B-24's fiberglass - like they ought to consider doing with the other aircraft. For instance they could give the CAF a P-82 (with strings attached, of course) instead of it sitting there.

Ryan

[bluehawk15]

Yep, you guys are right, the SR-71 IS the real McCoy! I just received an E-mail from an Air Force source who knows, confirming that it's a real one! (The P-38 and B-24 are both replicas though)

[Obergrafeter]

How did you get on Base Cuz? Take your shoes off and submit to a full body cavety search?

[bluehawk15]

Hey Cuz, you forget who I work for? My ID gets me in, no problems! I had a rent-a-cop ask me once if I was there for personal or business reasons. I said business and he didn't ask anything else, just waived me through. I've even spent the night on base there before. I can't make a reservation though, it's space-A.

[Steve Nelson]

I notice the gear doors are missing on the Mitchell and Invader, and it appears the wheel wells are sealed up (to critter-proof them I assume.) Since the canopies are painted over anyway, all those aircraft would be better off replaced with fiberglass mockups, and the original airframes restored and displayed somewhere out of the weather.

I find it somewhat amusing that they took molds from the highly-modified EZB-24M, and then painted the replica up as a wartime aircraft, complete with fake painted-on nose and tail turrets (I know..the original was painted the same way while on display at Lackland.) If they were going to the expense of making molds for a replica anyway, they should have taken molds from an actual combat model (maybe the Barksdale airframe, or even the SB at NMUSAF.) Or did logistics require disassembling the aircraft to make the molds?

As much as I hated to see the B-24 go across the pond, at least she's much better cared for now.

SN

[Ken]

bump

[whistlingdeath77]

You could open your own museum with just those planes alone

[JohnB]

Lackland used to have a B-57A which some well-meaning (the commander wanted a Vietnam tribute), but clueless person painted in camo colors...along with a T-38 with its back canopy painted over and it was called a F-5.

[over/out]

Yup, the good 'ol days, I heard on the news that the SR-71 was flying in so I rode my bike on Groden rd. And along with alot of other nuts ( no cops! ) we stood RIGHT UNDER HER! Just outside the fence!! I have to find the slide pic.s I took. What could be like that today? Thanks for the pic.s, Bluehawk 15

[p51]

I saw these birds again in 2012, the last time I was in the area.
It surprised me at the time to see the nose art. I would have expected the USAF (arguably the most PC of the services) to not have put pinup art in fear of offending folks.
I'm glad to see they stuck with historical designs anyway.