Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak

[toniosky]

Hi there,


I am looking for more pics of the D-558-1 that was exposed at the National Museum of the Marine Corps (Quantico Museum) in the 80s. I am looking specifically for pics of the A/C in this state:



[size="2"]Src: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=28068[/size]

I found these pics of on this thread http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=273685, and of course I contacted the author.

I think this A/C was BuNo 37972, can someone confirm ?

Also, on the above pic we can see some king of blueish color (below the white and red), is it some kind of primer paint? Maybe due to combination of rain on bare metal (aluminium) ?


Thank you for your help,

Antoine

[The Inspector]

It was originally painted white for visibility reasons, I've seen color period pictures of it being painted red with what looks like a household paint roller(lots of white speckles showing through a very 'textured' red paint job). It might have been painted blue @ sometime during it's days spent collecting rain water and birds nests, and probably because the detail painting all the other display aircraft only had blue, and as soon as they were done, it was beer call, so, who cares right?

[Chappie]

Holy cow. Where is it now? Leaving an airplane like that outdoors is down right tragic.


Chappie

[Dan K]

Holy cow. Where is it now? Leaving an airplane like that outdoors is down right tragic.


Chappie

Pensacola


http://www.airliners.net/photo/1007610/L/

[The Inspector]

Then the plan is to preserve it Navy style in the gulf of Mexico for about 45 years to 'season it'

[old iron]

Actually, I believe this one is 37972, now at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte NC. 37970 is at Pensacola (37971 was lost with pilot during testing). All three D-558-2 survive, although one has been on outdoor display at a small community college in California for decades (anyone have pictures of the current condition of that one?)

[Jerry O'Neill]

There is another D-558-2 that survived and had a Bu.Aero Number. It was a static test airframe and was once a part of the New England Air Museum's collection/ it wasn't in good shape, but it was mostly there. They sold it back in the 1990's and I'm not sure where it is now.
Jerry

[DaveG]

sorry for the thread drift...

All three D-558-2 survive, although one has been on outdoor display at a small community college in California for decades (anyone have pictures of the current condition of that one?)

a buddy of mine who lives in Lancaster, CA posted these on his FB recently...I know that they are not very good, but I was surprised to find out that it was in such a low-key display...wikipedia says "Antelope Valley College" in Lancaster.

[Chris Brame]

Yet another was spotted in a junkyard back east (New Jersey?) in the early '70s, but it turned out to be a wooden mockup - probably crumbled away long ago; wonder how it got there?

Re the "tree-hugger" at Antelope Valley College: The producers of The Right Stuff wanted to borrow it for the movie, but it didn't happen for whatever reason and they had to make do with a Hawker Hunter...

[toniosky]

Whaooo, I was not expecting so many answers.

There are 2 of these A/C preserved. One at Pensacola and the other at Carolinas Aviation Museum. I contacted both museums but they dont have pictures of this bird before restoration....

All three D-558-2 survive, although one has been on outdoor display at a small community college in California for decades (anyone have pictures of the current condition of that one?)

Actually, the #2 prototype crashed in 1948 (http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/D-558-1/HTML/E95-43116-8.html), there are only 2 preserved

@DaveG,
thank you for the pictures but they depict a D-558-2 Skyrocket which is the rocket-powered brother of the Skystreak, but they quite look a like .


If you guys have any other information or pictures, please feel free !

Thanks for your help

Antoine

[mike furline]

http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum41 ... 00316.html

[Woodsy Airfield]

In response to Chris Brame's observation on the junkyard Skystreak: During a vacation in 1975, I came across the junkyard in Tullytown Pennsylvania and took 2 photos. The yard owner indicated that the D-558-II wooden mock-up was given to a school in Levittown by Walt Disney because a school was named after Disney. The children played on it causing damage and thus aircraft was sold to Tullytown Metal & Iron. As I recall, a railroad ran near yard site and a passenger on train spotted remains - later made a deal to purchase for C.A.H.S. On the tail of Skystreak - it said : 'Static Test Navy 37970 D-558-II'. The date of my stopping by was July 16, 1975...

toniosky - I also have photo of D-558 taken at Pensacola storage yard for the Museum during February 1974. I believe the storage yard was located by the seaplane hanger. I remember they also stored T-28's nearby as they were probably being phased out at that time....Date of photo was February 28, 1974...

Check your PM.........Leon C.

[toniosky]

That's a very helping forum ! I am going to be a fan !

@Mike
Thank you for the link, I will contact the guy who posted this pic.

@ Leon
Thanks for your answer, helping me a lot ! Check your PMs.

[Jerry O'Neill]

In response to Chris Brame's observation on the junkyard Skystreak: During a vacation in 1975, I came across the junkyard in Tullytown Pennsylvania and took 2 photos. The yard owner indicated that the D-558-II wooden mock-up was given to a school in Levittown by Walt Disney because a school was named after Disney. The children played on it causing damage and thus aircraft was sold to Tullytown Metal & Iron. As I recall, a railroad ran near yard site and a passenger on train spotted remains - later made a deal to purchase for C.A.H.S. On the tail of Skystreak - it said : 'Static Test Navy 37970 D-558-II'. The date of my stopping by was July 16, 1975...


Check your PM.........Leon C.

Indeed, the NEAM (CAHA) D-558-2 did come from PA, but I can tell you that it wasn't made of wood. It was metal. It was in rough shape, paint-wise, so it may have looked like wood, but I actually touched it and have color slides of it in storage at the museum. Metal all the way and an actual Navy Serial number, BuAero #37970. No engine was ever installed in the airframe.
Jerry

[reno64]

The following pictures were taken in August 1986 at Quantico. The paint layers appeared to be a base coat of blue-gray primer, gloss insignia red used for initial trials, and the final gloss white topcoat used during it's NACA testing. I hope this helps.