What Warbird item did you throw away you wish you hadn't ...

[Franklin]

What Warbird memorabilia, part, item, ride, event, photo did you have at one time and either threw it away because at the time it had no value to you or you gave it away or sold it and later wished you hadn't. Me? I believe I had this, just the trigger part, and remembered playing with it as a kid in the garage and throwing it around for many months until it either broke up or got lost. What a shame



Not sure where it came from or how we acquired it, but it seemed to languish in the garage for many years. Remember playing "war" in the neighborhood with it. Is it me or didn't it seem there was a lot of old Military parts and pieces laying around all over the place in the 60's and 70's and not just at airports, junkyards and Military surplus stores but in old garages, farms, barns, neighbors backyards, basements etc. ....

[corsair166b]

When my grandfather, Blaine Morris, worked as a commercial artist and draftsman for Vought during the war, he did the artwork for a brochure on the F4U Corsair and some portrait paintings of Greg Boyington for the brochure also, so he got to paint AND interview Boyington for the brochure. I had some of those brochures until they got thrown out like the proverbial baseball cards somewhere around the time I was 12. Luckily, I still have some of his original artwork from his Vought days.

Mark

[b29flteng]

A Coca-Cola poster with a B-17 on it from WWII.

[jdvoss]

OK, it was 1965 and I didn't know better but I ( picture a WIX'er with head held in shame) parted with a pristine maintanence manual for a Douglas A-20G Havoc. All is not lost as it was given to the Tallmantz Aviation Museum at the Orange County Airport (California).

[Jerry O'Neill]

I don't think I've ever thrown any warbird or airplane part out, on purpose or by mistake!
I did lose an official 10 foot wide, 1940's Pan Am route map that was in three setcions and designed to be put on a large wall. It was in a tube and in perfect condition. I have no idea what happened to it but I haven't seen it since I was about 12.
Jerry

[Franklin]

Here's another question for you ... What Warbird, warbird item, etc, are you aware of over the years, not including scrapping after the war, that was purposely abused, thrown away, discarded, destroyed, etc.

I can tell you that any warbird that sits outdoors in the elements for any great length of time is "Warbird abuse". It's a shame that many of the rarer warbird types are still sitting outside in various locations. I understand why in some locations ($$$$$$) but I can only hope that someday the powers that be will find indoor homes for these warbirds.

[Bearcat SA]

About 15 years ago, my wife owned a hairdressing salon. Anyhow, a customer mentions that he has a Spitfire tail wheel at home... and do I want it. Sure I says ... thinking that I have heard these stories before...
Anyway, about a month later, said customer is back for a trim ... with him he brings a NOS Spitfire tail wheel rim, a NOS tail wheel tyre and some wheel bearings still in their original greased packaging

Anyhow, a friend of mine was building a Jurca (full size) wooden replica of a Spitfire so I give him the parts ... only for him to sell the entire project some months later ...

[Django]

Not Warbird, but I had an original copy of "This darn Tree Leaks" by Bill Mauldin that was my great uncle's. I have not seen it in 25 years. I HOPE it is somewhere in my parent's house.

[Rossco]

Here's another question for you ... What Warbird, warbird item, etc, are you aware of over the years, not including scrapping after the war, that was purposely abused, thrown away, discarded, destroyed, etc.

I can tell you that any warbird that sits outdoors in the elements for any great length of time is "Warbird abuse". It's a shame that many of the rarer warbird types are still sitting outside in various locations. I understand why in some locations ($$$$$$) but I can only hope that someday the powers that be will find indoor homes for these warbirds.

Two original RAAF Canberra bombers sitting outside Willowbank Caravan Park..Owner wont part with them or let anyone touch them.By the time he passes away,so will the airframes..

[Jerry O'Neill]

I do have a list of things that shouldn't have slipped through my fingers, but did, usually because of a lack of funds! (should've taken a loan out!)

TBM Fuselage w/complete bombay doors (1977)
A recently restored Aeronca L-3, for $7K (1988)
Piece of the Hindinburg (uncle threw it out)
Box of new A-11 flying helmets for $5.00 each (1984)
BT-13 ferriable for $25K (2008)
PT-19 in barn complete and ferriable for $14K (1993)
The list can get longer, but you get the picture...
Jerry

[Franklin]

My two autographed photos of P Boyington and George Gay from Oshkosh ... gone! lost somewhere. All my warbird photos from the many years I went to Oshkosh ... gone! thrown out long ago ... All my great model airplanes from when I was a kid ... gone! gave them away to the local library which I'm sure trashed them soon after.

Maybe this isn't such an interesting thread after all .. lol

[jaldo]

I had a brand new piston for a P&W R2800 engine that my grandfather gave to me long time ago,and a nephew of mine sold it recently for scrap not knowing what it was.

[Sully]

4 sets of RR cam racks. Worn out, nobody would rebuild them.

1 RR cylinder sleeve with a small hole that resulted in an exiciting moment.

About 15 yrs worth of aviation magazines because they were too bulky to move again.

All the neat burnt pistons and valves from years of working on aircraft.

I don't want to remember the rest.

Sully

[tom d. friedman]

i sold 3 mk 88 1000 pound practice bombs. filled with sand or water of course, but empty as they were & still in girdered crates they weighed around 250 pounds. they were 44 inches diameter & 10 feet long. i bought them cheap, but didn't make alot of money when i sold them after the wife told me to get those things out of the garage so we could get both cars inside. my neighbors thought i was nuts!!! i wish i would have kept at least 1

[tom d. friedman]

well....... it just popped into my head the late great collector walter soplata never threw anything away. just goes to show you can't take it with you. my dad's best friend who is a multi millionaire says it best.......... anything collectable or valuable, you only own it for a limited time before you croak.