Western Aerospace Museum Hawthorne -- Question.

[JBoyle]

Can anyone confirm if the Museum (still) has a F-89?
A photo on Airliners shows one in 2004 under restoration but it's not listed in their collection.

The airframe is ex-Carswell.

[bdk]

The museum is now in Torrance. The F-89 has been for sale for a while I believe and is currently located at Cable Airport in Upland, CA. You can see it on Google Earth near the airport main entrance.

[JBoyle]

How can they sell a plane that should be the property of the NMUSAF?

Anyone have a contact # for the owners?

BTW: I just looked at Google Maps..the satellite shot showed a F-84F...but the ground level Google Earth (which should be newer) doesn't show a plane at all on the traffic island where the satellite shows it?

It's official...I'm confused.

[JBoyle]

Bump...

[JDK]

Mike and Eric Presten here are both Cable regulars, I think...

[RareBear]

There is a round water tank on the east side of the airport, near Benson Ave. The Bing Maps photos show the F-89 fuselage on the east side of the tank, close to it. The Birds-Eye photos shot looking E-W don't show the F-89, but the ones shot looking N-S do show it. The overhead aerial shows it as well.

Walt

[JBoyle]

I'd love to know what they want for it, ...(as well as condition and proof of title before I hand over any money).
I wouldn't mind gifting it to a local Museum if the price isn't stupid...

"Let's see it cost the Air Force $800,000 in 1953, thats $5 million in today's money. Only now it's rare...so we have to take that into account.
P-51's go for $2 million, this is easy twice as fast as those, plus it has a second seat...okay, we want $4 million for it or else we'll send it to the scrapper..."
That's how a lot of classic restorable cars seem to be listed on ebay and craigslist.
They want stupid money which no one will pay, so the project corrodes into unrestorable condition because of some greedy owner's overblown sense of value.

[JohnH]

Here's a couple of pics of the F89 at Cable in January, when I was at the airshow. Sorry these are large as I haven't re installed my photo editor after a factory reset on my pc Just woke up and dont have time to mess with these.

[airknocker]

NORTHROP F-89 SCORPION JET • $54,500 • AVAILABLE • Needs restoration, less engines. Great military display aircraft. Own a piece of history • Contact Cynthia Macha - WESTERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT, Owner - located Torrance, CA USA • Telephone: 714-300-5524 . • Posted April 26, 2010 • Show all Ads posted by this Advertiser • Recommend This Ad to a Friend • Email Advertiser • Save to Watchlist • Report This Ad



LOCKHEED YO-3A "QUIET STAR" • $141,000 • AVAILABLE FOR SALE • Vietnam night reconnaissance aircraft, original logbooks & records needs final assembly to complete • Contact Cynthia Macha - WESTERN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT, Owner - located Torrance, CA USA • Telephone: 714-300-5524 . • Posted April 5, 2010 • Show all Ads posted by this Advertiser

[JBoyle]

$50,000+ for a plane they probably got for (close to) free?
Is it just me or does that seem like a lot of money?

At that price it better come wityh a tube of glue and a new canopy.

Seriously...I hope they sell it for a lot less rather than letting it rot in pieces uncovered (and without canopy) outdoors waiting for that kind of money to come along.

[XM152]

$50,000+ for a plane they probably got for (close to) free?
Is it just me or does that seem like a lot of money?

The museum / foundation had actually purchased this plane, in pretty much this condition, from a private party. Aircraft supplied by the government for museum display are reported on yearly to the responsible agency. In the case of Western Museum of Flight, the F-14A and YF-17 are on government loan.

And yes, unfortunately, the F-89 is for sale.