Newest restoration project at the NMUSAF

[Pat Carry]

The De Havilland C-7A Caribou has been moved into the restoration area for a paint job. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/exhibi ... /index.asp

[Steve Nelson]

Is the current camo not original military paint? I kinda liked her looking beat up.

SN

[Ken]

I used to work with the Flight Mech from the crew who delivered that C-7 to the Museum. He said that the staff that met them were adamant that they leave everything behind, all pubs, checklists, etc. They were even asked to leave the patches from their flightsuits, IIRC. I would assume that most of the paint is original, but the AFRES markings were apparently painted out at some point. I'd much rather see the plane given a thorough cleaning, while preserving as much of the original paint and stencils as posible. Would sure like to crawl up in that C-7 one day. I'd estimate I worked with at least 35 former 'Bou guys from the Maxwell unit. They transitioned to the C-130E in 1983 and received 8 C-130H2s from the factory in 1986.

[Dave C]

What an awesome aircraft! It is nice to see she is getting some attention. Every time I go to Cape May NJ I think of all the stories the Caribou stored there could tell.

Dave In NJ

[Dave C]

For a good laugh go the restoration page and then the link for the caribou for more information. Not exactly the aircraft we are talking about.

Dave in NJ

[Pat Carry]

For a good laugh go the restoration page and then the link for the caribou for more information. Not exactly the aircraft we are talking about.

Dave in NJ

Yes, that is confusing. I emailed the museum telling them of the error.

[hahnej]

Which CAF unit did that come from.......?

Sorry, couldn't resist, too good a setup!

I'll be good now. I promise.

[APG85]

One of the things I really enjoyed about the PBS Kee Bird Documentary B-29 Frozen in Time, was all of the footage of the C-7 flying in and out of the Kee Bird site. That plane looked fantastic all worn and beaten up. Last I knew, it was stripped of paint and sitting someplace...maybe Florida?

[b747cf]

Here is the C-7 used to go after the Kee Bird it was at Opa Locka last I saw it it was being striped as it had been damage in one of the storms going through South Florida.



Mark Fidler

[Ken]

If you google N124DG some info pops up. Photos on airliners.net show her stripped to bare metal as of 2001. Would love to hear about her status today.

Besides the C-7 Brad has flown with in Heritage Flight, are there any other ex-USAF or Army C-7s still operated?

Also, google the C-7 Caribou Association. There's a sobering honor roll of USAF crews lost flying a very unarmed airplane in angry skies. Crowds cheer the P-51s, but the C-7 is also every bit a Warbird.

Ken

[andyman64]

funny on the kee bird documentary the caribou flights were my favourite part as well i cryed at the end of that documentary!!!

[phil65]

Prop looks nice, I wonder if the nose tires still have propane in them!

Phil

[gary1954]

Prop looks nice, I wonder if the nose tires still have propane in them!

Phil

Man, I have been in the woods......please tell me about the use of propane in tires,,....

[CH2Tdriver]

It can be seen in the documentary. During one of the landings the Caribou's nose wheels got stuck in the mud and appear to have been ripped off the rims. The result was that they were deflated. There was no air compressor at the Kee Bird site, so they mounted the nose tires and filled them with propane from the campsite tank.

On arrival at Thule one of the mechs laughs as he deflates the tire from the valve. The propane smell obviously accompanying the hiss!

[B29Gunner]

Besides the C-7 Brad has flown with in Heritage Flight, are there any other ex-USAF or Army C-7s still operated?

Mine still flies...down the road, on a trailer! Army and Air America vet, Vietnam ~ Laos ~ Thailand