N3N and other airframes - Crop Duster Strip, Arizona

[Larry Wielgosz]

I worked at Luke AFB, AZ as a helicopter mechanic. Co-workers of mine told another co-worker and myself of some aircraft sitting out in an open field. My friend & I took off with our cameras (Dec.1986). When we got there we took a guess that it was an old crop duster strip. It was like hitting a pause button. Everything just left there. We couldn't believe that in 1986 you could still find a gold mine of WWII aircraft with all the warbird movement going on. We saw Stearman, N3N, C-45s (JRB-6), and a F9F-8P recon Cougar. One airframe had Vultee rudder pedals but looked nothing like a BT-13. We didn't have time to investigate. We took only pictures and left footprints. My same friend and I visited this strip back in Nov. 1994 and all was gone but the F9F Cougar. I have seen these airframes several years ago sitting at Falcon Field Mesa,AZ on a WIX post. Some of the airframes matched up to my photos. I hope someone was able to piece a few aircraft together. I love the JRB-6 (C-45) in original Navy paint. The most puzzling thing to me was - what was a jet doing in the middle of nowhere? I have always took a guess and figured that it came from the closed down Navy aircraft storage facility NAF Litchfield Park not that far away. The recent issue of Warbird International has an article on NAF Litchfield Park and they show this same F9F Cougar stating it came from NAF Litchfield Park and is now in the hand of Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA.. My question was answered. Pick away and post what you see in the pile of airframes. The N3N lover who posts frequently will love this. Guys & gals have a blast. I did. Great time & a great memory.

If someone can tell me the history of this "crop duster strip" I'd appreciate it. Off or on Yuma Rd.

More posts with photos to come. Scrapyards, large piston engine aircraft, museums, military aircraft from the late 1970s though the 1980s. Hope that suites you well. Document what you see with photos and tell a story behind it. It makes it all the worthwhile & fun. I've had these pictures in my house all these years and now I can share them with folks. It's great.


Larry

Last edited by Larry Wielgosz on Wed May 12, 2010 7:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Pat Carry]

Kool stuff! Thanks for the photos.

[hercules130]

Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

[Matt Gunsch]

That is Turkey strip, owned by Don Underwood, he also has a A-26 at Buckeye.

[Chris]

Here is a fairly recent pic of Don's A-26 that Matt refered to

[vernicator]

FYI, here's what Joe Baugher's site says about the Cougar:

Grumman F9F-8P Cougar Redesignated RF-9J in 1962

141675 assigned civilian registration of N9256 and transferred in 1999 to Global Aeronautical Museum, Tucson, AZ. Now at town of Buckeye, AZ.

[Larry Wielgosz]

Thanks. Without a N-number your photo looks like the same aircraft I took a photo of at Buckeye back in Dec1986. Even had a chance to tour the insides. Not much change in all these years but at least it's still around. Has to be the same aircraft. Not much out there in 1986. Heck it was a 45 minute drive for me to shoot photos. There was also a Taylorcraft L-2 and a airlines marked Waco in a hangar at Buckeye.

Larry