Warbird Information Exchange

Fellas, that's why I sent Scott that letter almost a year ago.
Katrina was two years ago and there is an enormous amount
of work remaining to be done. Two things slow progress down;
money and manpower. Of course if there was more money
there could be more manpower. There is ONE guy that does
the repairs to the aircraft at Battleship Park and he has made
great progress but he's still just one guy.


That Crusader is actually one the USN sent from AMARC to
replace the one Katrina damaged. It's in good shape, just
weathered.

Did your buddy get any pictures of the Blackbird recently
repaired and getting fresh paint? How about the planes in-
side the hanger?

Wow. There's only one man working on the aircraft there?! That seems crazy but like you said, more $$$ = more manpower. I can sure understand that.

So where is the RF-8 that was damaged by Katrina? Is it still there or was it taken away somewhere?

I visited the park in 2005 and there was an F-14 off to the side, next to the sub. Looked it it had just arrived from AMARC. Is it still there?

My buddy is supposed to send me a CDR with all of the pictures he took there soon. I'll post some of those when I get the disc. Here's another 3 that he e-mailed me though, including a shot of the A-12. It doesn't look like fresh paint to me but these photos are about a month or so old?

He didn't say anything about the planes in the hanger, I can ask him.

Just out of curiosity, does the museum own the Corsair and Mustang outright?

Today I borrowed a friend's digital camera and shot
some photos inside the hanger at Battleship Park so
folks see the aircraft that HAVE been repaired since
Katrina. Imagine the hanger with eleven feet of water
in it and all the planes in a pile at one end. Below
is the link.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5608700 ... host=rides

Now to the questions posed........

My understanding is that the USAF still owns the P-51.
I know the Corsair belongs to the USN. The OS2U
belongs to the park.

The RF-8 originally at the park is now over behind the
restoration hanger at NMNA in Pensacola.

You will see where the F-14 is now. The Blackbird still
undergoing repairs in your photos is now black again
all over. The last paint went on today. Tomorrow they
are going to start putting the markings on it. I should
have shot some pix of it but I was pressed for time.

Thanks for the pics, Owen.

Considering the scope of the damage, they've made amazing progress. I was lucky enough to visit the museum about a month before Katrina..the F-14 was outside then, and looking really rough. Looks like they've also put the YF-17 in a more accurate paint scheme..when I saw her she was overall gray, with "F-18 Prototype" stencilled on the nose.

What happened to the F-105? I thought I heard it was destroyed. A post-storm satellite view also showed the HU-16 about a half-mile away..was it damaged (and has it been returned to display?)

SN

The Albatross is repaired from Katrina. It needs to have
some paint work completed and its' markings reapplied.


The F-105 is outside awaiting its' turn for repair. My
understanding is that it will loose the V/N lizard camo
paint and once again be silver although it may have to
be silver paint instead of natural metal. It is the early
"B" prototype and will have Deke Slayton's name on
the canopy rail once again.

You know folks as we approach the end of the year
Battleship Park is a 501c institution. Anything you
give them is deductable and they could sure use the
help It's a good cause and the money won't be squandered.
Although the park is a state entity is receives NO tax
dollars. They are solely dependant on gate reciets,
gift shop sales, and donations. Since school started
the parking lot is pretty empty. I pass it every day.
Consider it........

Good to hear the Thud survived. I don't know much about jets, but I like the idea that the Museum is making an effort to put it in historically accurate markings. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen an F-105 in a museum that wasn't SEA camo..silver will be a welcome change of pace.

SN

I am posting a photo of the A-12 Blackbrid still showing
damage along the stbd side. Compare it to the photo
Viking73 posted a few posts up the thread.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2115320 ... 9707qddebu

Thanks for all of your current photos Owen. Sad to see the damage to the Corsair and Mustang Looks like the Blackbird has come a long way!

As for your comment Steve about the F-105, this was originally finished in it's natural metal test scheme. I agree with you, I'll be glad to see it back in a silver scheme. Here's a picture I took of this Thud back in 1989:



And here's a shot of the F-14 right before Katrina I took in 2005. Looks like it had just arrived at the park:

This morning the just painted Blackbird was parked outside in the
morning sun. I took a few photos of it to post but looking at them
they just don't do it justice. darn it looks good! I added them to
the ones I posted from inside the hanger.

Also shown in the photos is the ONE guy that does all the work.
Mike Thompson is the guy in shorts talking with a couple of visitors
about "his airplane".

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5608700 ... host=rides

The park recieved a great Christmas present courtesy of NMNA and the USN.
Yesterday an early "Alpha" model Hornet arrived for long tern loan and
display. This particular bird participated on the '86 strikes against Libya
in retaliation for the state supported terrorist bombinf of a German disco.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5617753 ... host=rides

http://wkrg.com/news/article/new_piece_ ... bile/8119/

You guys are making great progress down there. Great work.

_________________
Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Well, Now if a Couple of Congressmen and other Representatives could get together and come on board with the Navy, and pick up a surplus Aircraft Carrier, then the aircraft could be hangared, and protected during stormy weather and out of the elements. Granted, corrosion will always be a problem, but the impact of projectiles and other junk would be virtually minimized.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

I passed trough Mobile the other evening..good to see the Alabama sitting even keel with Christmas lights shining bright...