Norton AFB aircraft collection late 1950s-early 1960s

[aerovin]

As part of my looking at the International Flight and Space Museum (IFSM) material at Tallmantz Aviation, I put together a page on the little-known aircraft collection gathered at Norton AFB in the late 1950s through the early 1960s. There were some rare aircraft held in the collection, including an F-107A, an XF-85 Goblin, an NAA B-45C, and one of the XT-37s. When it was disbursed around 1964, most went to the IFSM, to The Air Museum at Ontario, or were evidently scrapped on site. There's not much out there about this collection so if anyone has any photos or further information, I'd sure like to see it and add it to the story.

The Norton AFB aircraft collection: https://www.aerovintage.com/tallmantz-aviation/norton-afb-collection/

I also updated the IFSM page to reflect some new information: https://www.aerovintage.com/tallmantz-a ... ce-museum/

[mike furline]

"Boeing B-29 ??? Hunt reports incorrect serial of 43-24725 (P-40N serial). Scrapped at Norton???"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1a.html

42-24670/24769 - Boeing B-29-45-BW Superfortress

24725 Delivered to USAAF 31Dec44. Assigned to 2750th Army AF Base Unit, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Accident 27Dec48 due to mechanical failure 3 miles W of Springfield, OH. Reclaimed Oct54 Noted on display at Norton AFB, CA 1965

[aerovin]

Okay, thanks for that. Good to know and I'll add the information.

[mike furline]

"Boeing B-47B 50-045 scrapped at Norton???"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1950.html

50-026/050 Boeing B-47B-15-BW Stratojet

045 to TB-47B-17-BW. w/o 14 Aug 1958 Fire at McConnell AFB, KS

[quemerford]

"Boeing B-29 ??? Hunt reports incorrect serial of 43-24725 (P-40N serial). Scrapped at Norton???"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1a.html

42-24670/24769 - Boeing B-29-45-BW Superfortress

24725 Delivered to USAAF 31Dec44. Assigned to 2750th Army AF Base Unit, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Accident 27Dec48 due to mechanical failure 3 miles W of Springfield, OH. Reclaimed Oct54 Noted on display at Norton AFB, CA 1965

Something not right here if it's 42-24725; though it spent a lot of its life at Wright Patterson (as an EB-29 or XB-29), on 30 December 1953 it was assigned to Edwards and was still active there as a test support aircraft into 1955. There is no evidence of it being reclaimed (or recommended for) prior to that date.

[aerovin]

"Boeing B-29 ??? Hunt reports incorrect serial of 43-24725 (P-40N serial). Scrapped at Norton???"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1a.html

42-24670/24769 - Boeing B-29-45-BW Superfortress

24725 Delivered to USAAF 31Dec44. Assigned to 2750th Army AF Base Unit, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Accident 27Dec48 due to mechanical failure 3 miles W of Springfield, OH. Reclaimed Oct54 Noted on display at Norton AFB, CA 1965

Something not right here if it's 42-24725; though it spent a lot of its life at Wright Patterson (as an EB-29 or XB-29), on 30 December 1953 it was assigned to Edwards and was still active there as a test support aircraft into 1955. There is no evidence of it being reclaimed (or recommended for) prior to that date.

I need to look at the record card but it makes sense that the B-29 was last at Edwards as that is where many of the aircraft at Norton came from. The statement that it as seen at Norton in 1965 is what directly interests me, and the serial was one fiscal year away from what is shown in a 1970 listing of aircraft at Norton.

Edit: Obviously, quemerford looked at the record card already and the last entry on the ACR reel is the 1956 entry showing it assigned at Edwards AFB to Research and Development as an XB-29. No final fate shown I think all clues point to this B-29 the one with the Norton collection.

Last edited by aerovin on Tue Dec 05, 2023 1:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[aerovin]

"Boeing B-47B 50-045 scrapped at Norton???"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1950.html

50-026/050 Boeing B-47B-15-BW Stratojet

045 to TB-47B-17-BW. w/o 14 Aug 1958 Fire at McConnell AFB, KS

From here at WIX at the Forgotten Jets pages:

Boeing B-47B-15-BW Stratojet/50-045
Redesignated TB-47B.
1954: USAF 3520th CCTW.
USAF 4347th CCTW.
8/18/1958: Written off as Class 26 status.


I'm not sure about Baugher's source but again, the aircraft record card would answer some questions. There is little doubt to me, though, that based on the photo, 50-045 was at Norton in the early 1960s.