Warbird Information Exchange

Thanks John, I visited with Mike the week before Christmas. They have made remarkable progress and they were putting an F-18 together that had just come in from Atlanta the day before. Didn't see the Corsair but didn't think to ask where it was. I knew that it, along with everything else in the pavillion, was heavily damaged by the storm surge.

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Thanks Rick, for your information it was orange today. I actually just got back from the NMUSAF. But my comments have little to do with the museum, but more the views of some that a static preserved aircraft is not important. If you can't figure out that some aircraft are too rare, historic, costly, or unable to fly or that certain museum collections like the branch museums and the NASM is out to preserve examples of aircraft, then that is just sad. But when I hear people say that an aircraft is murdered or a replica due to it being static, well that just isn't cool. There are many people here that work on restoring static aircraft. It is a slap in their face.
Rick you wouldn't like it if I starting bashing the CF would you? Of course not, because that is "your" group. Same with me and the places listed below my name, and the many other people here. All I am saying is have some respect for the others that bust their hump to put an old bird back together. Static is better than nothing, and in some ways just as importatn as the flying ones.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Thanks Rick, for your information it was orange today. I actually just got back from the NMUSAF. But my comments have little to do with the museum, but more the views of some that a static preserved aircraft is not important. If you can't figure out that some aircraft are too rare, historic, costly, or unable to fly or that certain museum collections like the branch museums and the NASM is out to preserve examples of aircraft, then that is just sad. But when I hear people say that an aircraft is murdered or a replica due to it being static, well that just isn't cool. There are many people here that work on restoring static aircraft. It is a slap in their face.
Rick you wouldn't like it if I starting bashing the CF would you? Of course not, because that is "your" group. Same with me and the places listed below my name, and the many other people here. All I am saying is have some respect for the others that bust their hump to put an old bird back together. Static is better than nothing, and in some ways just as importatn as the flying ones.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Thanks Rick, for your information it was orange today. I actually just got back from the NMUSAF. But my comments have little to do with the museum, but more the views of some that a static preserved aircraft is not important. If you can't figure out that some aircraft are too rare, historic, costly, or unable to fly or that certain museum collections like the branch museums and the NASM is out to preserve examples of aircraft, then that is just sad. But when I hear people say that an aircraft is murdered or a replica due to it being static, well that just isn't cool. There are many people here that work on restoring static aircraft. It is a slap in their face.
Rick you wouldn't like it if I starting bashing the CF would you? Of course not, because that is "your" group. Same with me and the places listed below my name, and the many other people here. All I am saying is have some respect for the others that bust their hump to put an old bird back together. Static is better than nothing, and in some ways just as importatn as the flying ones.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Hmmm,..I think if you will reread my post carefully you'll see that not only did I NOTbash anyone, I actually applauded the work currently being done by Mike Thompson and his crew. The job they've done to repair the damaged aircraft is wonderful.

What I attempted to do was point out the history of that particular Corsair as I understood it. The question is , is it better to keep them flying or slowly lose the flying breed one at a time to static museums ? How many formerly flying aircraft are now relegated to static duties ? I'm not talking about one onlys here, we're not talking about the real Spirit of St Louis, and we're not talking about the sole known surviving Brewster Buffalo. We are talking about aircraft that have multiple examples all over the world. Should Planes of Fame ground the only flying A6M with the only flying Sakae engine? I'm not really sure, but it's NOT MY AIRCRAFT so it's not my call.

As to the original point being made by other folks, they were bemoaning the fact that a flying Corsair, ostensibly in good condition was relegated to static, within literally a few feet of a body of saltwater, subjected to the salt air 24/7 for literally decades thereby reducing this once viable airframe and engine to a pile of corrosion held together by paint ! Thereby rendering it DEAD !

Howabout a TBM, flown to Fredricksburg Texas for the Nimitz Museum. Not a onetime ferry flight but a regular flyer owned by a civilian. It was bought or the owner donated said flying TBM. It was prompptly parked on the back lot with other large artifacts, outside for decades. The once running engine froze, struts and tires gone flat. The paint starts to fade, and the birds build their nests. Is this preservation ? I think not, at least from my perspective. Do the staff and volunteers work hard, absolutely, but they have no skill or expertise where aircraft are concerned. The aircraft has since been cleaned up cosmetically and has been installed into a diorama so at least it looks better than it used to.

As far as bashing CF, go ahead if you must. No organization is perfect but I think we'll just let our accomplishments and the aircraft we OPERATE over the last 20+ years speak for themselves.

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Not trying to further the debate, static or non-static, man oh man, I would love to have this aircraft in my backyard. In reality, I would love to have a bunch of them in my own private museum and… ok, that everybody could go and… ok, wake up!

Hey Rick, other than the Koolaide and the example of the Cf, that was not pointed to you but more the ones that feel the need to moan evert time the word static is used. The TBM story is not cool, although it sounds as if it is getting better care now. But a good example is the F4F donated to the Peal Harbor Museum on Ford Island. It is very important to have a museum here as so much of the history of WWII is right there. the Wildcat is also important in telling the story of those early years in the Pacific. I understand that it was a flying aircraft, but it now is serving a very important duty. Should the POF Zero be grounded? Of course not. There are other Zero airframes flying and in museums. Should Glacier Girl be grounded? No not at all part of what makes it's story special is that it is flying again. But there are people here that don't understand why NASM doesn't fly the Enola Gay, or why people would want to visit a static museum. They are just as important as the flying ones. As for the CF it is always great to share our ramp with you bombers.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Ok, stirring up the pot a little. I’m with mustangdriver. Flying or not, aircraft of the past are made to be seen and to remind others, and future generations, what machines really won the war and what sacrifices were made to win it. Not everybody gets to see an air show or have any interest, but a lot of them go to museums. And there is one in every corner of this country. Although we’re talking about people here that can differentiate one aircraft model from another, you can be sure there are a lot of folks out there that don’t. To have an a/c that can be seen, read about or even touched is a great thing. And that is the constant reminder for all of us with what our fathers, or whoever, had to cope back in those days to get things done.
Cheers,
Sean

I like them both. we need flying aswell as static aircraft. I do think it's a nice extra if static museum aircraft are in running condition. Running the engine(s) ones in a while preserves the aircrafts systems and it's a nice extra for the visitors to hear the sound. I do know this isn't possible with most aircraft and these are just fine as pure statics.

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

I think static museums have their place simply because there aren't enough people out there with deep enough pockets to keep every existing warbird in the air.

The way I see it, static display isn't necessarily a death sentence to the flying history of an aircraft. Museums close, sell off inventory, or owners change hands. Formerly static birds can be purchased and restored. A P-40 that sat on top of a gas station (not an ideal static display setting, obviously) one decade can be flying again a decade or two later.

Without static displays, a lot more currently flying aircraft would have been lost to time.

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EVERYTHING that CAN fly should be ALLOWED to FLY!
IWO JIMA'S best narative..."GOD ISN'T HERE"
http://www.amazon.com/God-Isnt-Here-Ame ... 0976154706


P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.

S: Took hammer away from midget.

No you called it a murdered airplane, and sad. To me that sounds like looking down on it. No one can even mention a static museum or aircraft without a smart ass coment. Look at your signature for example.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director