Gas Station aircraft

Steve · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:48 am

This is the C-97 in Dodgeville WI. it's at the Don-Q inn on hwy 27

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/c97regis ... 22764.html

Steve

Steve · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:57 am

This is a better link to the Dodgeville C-97 with photos from our own Dick Phillips

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/WI/Airfields_WI_SW.htm

retroaviation · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:08 am

Any pictures of how they have the inside of the C-97 done up?

Gary

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:11 am

Map link to the BT-13 in Caruthers, CA, may be found via…
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php ... ,Region=CA

The B-17 at the restaurant in Oregon…
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php ... ,Region=OR

As for the Dodgeville C-97, it is not yet in the Locator, but will be in tonight’s upload. For those that can’t wait the coordinates are 42 59 32.74 N 90 08 25.80 W.

Mike

Canso42 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:05 pm

BDK,
Sorry, but I'm computer retro. I'd have to have one of the kids come do that for me. However, Dodgeville, Wi. the home of Land's End clothing maker is in the Southwest corner of the state in Iowa County about thirty miles due west of the capital of Madison. My in-laws live in Benton, right down on the Ill. state line.
I almost wrecked the rent car when we drove around the bend and that huge tail filled the forward view.
It was used in a Mercury Cougar commercial in the 70's or 80's and the latter day Cougar emblem is still faintly visible on the forward fuselage.
You can see a short video view of it on the website of Fantasuite Inns motel chain. This particular one was the 'Don Q' Inn, named for the owner of the motel and the C-97, Mr. Don Quinn.

Fly safe,
Canso42

Canso42 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:32 pm

Way to go team! I didn't have a chance to go inside the Don Q 97 and only have two pix from the end of the roll that day.
Another gas station a/c that took me a bit to relocate the source is in a book I just picked up cheap at a local civic club book sale. In TIME-LIFE Books "Epic of Flight" series volume: 'The Airline Builders'. On page 106-107 there's a late thirties photo spread of the 'sole surviving Fokker F-32' as the centerpiece of a Los Angeles gas station.
Anybody have any more info on this? Did it survive very long? The book said only two went into service and they were an overpriced white elephants. The gas startion photo has some bodacious late thirties cars in it. heh-heh-heh! CHOPDROPSLAMFLAME! My Sawzall itcheth.
Canso42.

Canso42 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:04 pm

Good report Steve. My wife (from Benton, Wi.) was glad to know there are some Wisconsin guys here. The first link's photo by Bill Stanczak was taken just a few months before I ran across it. Look close and you can see the pigeon wire on the cowlings and intakes. I'm going to go back and take a closer look the next time we're up that way.
I didn't see the airport as we passed by the place. Local scuttlebutt says "the developers got it." Didnt' look like they got all of it though.
'Unglamorous' is a charitable description of that place.

Floats up!
Canso42

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:53 am

The F-32 gas station also shows up in the 1937 movie The Stand-In in a scene where Leslie Howard is riding through Hollywood in a limousine and sees all the odd "theme" buildings in the area. The plane is seen in a zoom shot from head on - and it was rigged up to spin the propellors!

Another (or maybe the same?) F-32 shows up in the background of the movie Eagle Squadron dressed up as a German transport.

Air Classics had an article on the type in the mid-70s that showed a picture of another F-32 in Mississippi, minus engines, that was being used as a house trailer. Unfortunately, it was later washed away in a flood...

HELLDIVERS · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:38 pm **Posts:** 642

Hi,

Does anyone have photos of BT-13 Service west of Salt Lake City? It was also called Evans Welding and was located on North Temple a few blocks east of the airport. Mounted on top of the building the main gear supported over the gas pumps, this Bt-13 was my first warbird sighting. :wink:

Engineless with a very weathered wood prop attatched it was otherwise very much complete. It remained on display until the mid to late 70s when it was sold for $2,000.00. :shock:

lifted from its longtime resting place it moved back to the airport were not much was done to it.It was soon picked up by the C.A.F. who installed an engine and prop,new instuments resealed the fuel tanks,new fabric, and flew it home. If you check their web sight under BT-13 it gives a brief account of this A/Cs history and photos of it flying. I believe this is the same BT-13 destroyed with fatalities a few years ago after a very low pass over the airport resulted in the wing contacting a light pole with a very bad outcome. :cry:

I do have a great photo of it but my scanner is not working :roll:

Thanks Mike

Steve · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:59 am

I'm only 45 min. from Dodgeville and need to go thru there next week I'll stop and see if the C-97 is open yet of it is I'll get some photos of the inside.

Steve

Canso42 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2007 6:33 pm

Chris,
The F-32 photo i have was taken late thirties, judging from the old cars. The props are spinning in that shot. The source says that only two F-32's entered service. You said one was destroyed in a flood in Miss. I'm still curious about the ultimate fate of the one in LA. Anybody else have any info?

Canso42

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2923

HELLDIVERS wrote:

Hi,

Does anyone have photos of BT-13 Service west of Salt Lake City? It was also called Evans Welding and was located on North Temple a few blocks east of the airport. Mounted on top of the building the main gear supported over the gas pumps, this Bt-13 was my first warbird sighting. :wink:

Engineless with a very weathered wood prop attatched it was otherwise very much complete. It remained on display until the mid to late 70s when it was sold for $2,000.00. :shock:

lifted from its longtime resting place it moved back to the airport were not much was done to it.It was soon picked up by the C.A.F. who installed an engine and prop,new instuments resealed the fuel tanks,new fabric, and flew it home. If you check their web sight under BT-13 it gives a brief account of this A/Cs history and photos of it flying. I believe this is the same BT-13 destroyed with fatalities a few years ago after a very low pass over the airport resulted in the wing contacting a light pole with a very bad outcome. :cry:

I do have a great photo of it but my scanner is not working :roll:

Thanks Mike

Mike shot me the photo to share with you...
Good thing there aren't more of these around, I have a hard enough time driving by airports without getting into an accident...

HELLDIVERS · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:38 pm **Posts:** 642

HI ,

Thanks Bryan :wink:

The buiding still remains ,now surounded by huge hotel complexes I though it woud be cool to build up a static BT-13 and turn it into a bar/ restaurant :shock:

Close to S.L.C. international and only a short drive from down town it would be a money maker. There must be more gas station aircraft photos out there start digging!

Thanks Mike

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:16 pm

true americana..... all that's missing is goober & gomer!!

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:31 pm

Warbirdnerd wrote:

It looks like they’ve even designed the garage to look like a hangar with the round top roof.

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