ID me...

[RyanShort1]

So just for fun, I thought I'd post a photo of undisclosed origin on here and see who can figure out where it is, etc... first.



Hope you all have a blessed 2014!

Ryan

[Jim MacDonald]

Mitsubishi Ki-57 Topsy, "somewhere in the Pacific"?

[Steve Nelson]

What's left of a Howard 250. I'm assuming it was "shot up" while being used as some sort of film prop.

SN

[Chris Brame]

Either that or it was on a shooting range - and was the target of a machine gun that could swing left and right but not up and down!

[RyanShort1]

No winners yet as far as I know...

[Jerry O'Neill]

Looks like a modified Lockheed Lodestar.

[planenutti]

Modified Lodestar: nose cargo door, cabin door, the elongated passenger windows.

[Randy Wilson]

Something about that image's lighting and perspective make me think it is a photo of a model in some sort of diorama setting - but I could be wrong.

Randy

[Robbie Stuart]

I'm with Randy on that one???

[Tiger Tim]

I'm guessing it's this one:
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(Commemorative-Air/Howard-250-(L-18)/0734217/L/
Belongs to the CAF, had an accident on takeoff in 2004 according to the site above but I have no explanation for all the holes. I assume it either got sold as a movie prop or maybe all the bullet holes are just a Texas thing.

-Tim

[CAPFlyer]

It's not the CAF Lodestar unless that was how it looked in the 1970's or something because the CAF Lodestar after the accident clearly shows more aft fire damage and further forward than the damage in the first pic.

I'm thinking that was taken at either China Lake or the Goldwater range (in Arizona) looking at the scrub brush.

It *is* a Howard 250. What's a Howard 250? It's a Lodestar with a modified nose and 2 panoramic windows per side. It may or may not have a tricycle gear conversion. If someone told you it's something other than a Howard 250, then they misidentified it. The Learstar conversion only has 1 panoramic window and the DAL Dalaero had standard windows and no modified nose.

[dinghao]

Howard, prob not tri-gear.

[Randy Wilson]

If the photo is real, it might be the remains of the C-60 crash mentioned above, which I think has been used as a fire fighting target by the CFR crews at MAF. I have not bothered to see if it is still out there for some time but it might explain the holes, etc. I think Ryan has been flying to/from MAF recently. My last 2 cents on the ID.

Randy

[CAPFlyer]

Yep, it's the Howard at Midland (the ex-Mile High Honey).

I had to look several times, but I can match up both the white paint on the dorsal and the melted skin panels over the aft panoramic.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Howard-2 ... 0692294/L/

[Obergrafeter]

Well that clears up half the mystery.......................but why all the holes. Was the plane trying to escape and the guards stopped it?