Warbird Information Exchange

Can anyone identify the airport?

Santa Monica. The distinctive Cloverleaf Aviation clover-shaped hangars nearby. That is the now deceased Douglas plant across the runways to the North.

Mark, you have scored again. A lot of questions on this thread have been answered by these pictures.

Thanks!

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Rob C

Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. “

– Michael Crichton

Good find! The newest cars in the shot are 1957 models (Chevy truck, Olds, Lincoln and Cadillac).

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

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"Bacon Super Six" UPDATE (6-15-2016):

N66J sitting in open tie-down at Whiteman Airport (KWHP) (latest google earth 2014)

N66J registration cancelled/expired 10/29/2013, was still registered to Bill and Betsy Leasure

Bill Leasure parole denied again 4-2-2015 (incarcerated since 1991, sentence was 15 to life on two murder counts)

OOOOOOOOOOOK... got my curisity...

There is a book out on Bill Leasure: https://books.google.com/books/about/Murderer_with_a_badge.html?id=3ei8yr2r4XcC

NT Times review of book here: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/07/books/in-short-nonfiction-866693.html

Listed among "ten Top Evil cops: http://listverse.com/2013/01/31/top-10-evil-cops/

Nothing I saw mentions the airplane but he apparently stole quite a number of luxury yachts and cars. Pleaded guilty to murdering two (likely a third).

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Kevin McCartney

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...Bacon Super T-6 specs from 'Janes All The wor1d's Aircraft 1958-59'...

ERLE L. BACON CORPORATION Head office AND works: Municipal Airport, Santa Monica, California. This company has built an extensively modernized version of the North American T-6 (Navy SNJ) training aircraft, which it has named the Super T-6, primarily for sale to foreign air forces.

The prototype began it's taxi tests at Santa Monica Airport on December 31, 1956, and flew for the first time in Apri1, 1957.

THE company has now taken over the Thermal, Ca1ifornia, Airport where shops and hangars are availab1e for the remanufacture of the Super T-6 on a large sca1e.

Its principal features include an entirely new tricycle landing gear, a modernised power package with jet stacks and augmenter cooling, and a one-piece streamlined cockpit canopy. The cockpit and instrument panel have been modernised, and the airframe has been cleaned up generally to reduce weight and drag, including a 4 ft. reduction in wing span. New lightweight Goodyear wheels with spot-type single-disc brakes and Bendix shock-absorbers are fitted.

Although the origina1 centre-section fuel tanks have had to be deleted to make room for the relocated main landing gear when retracted, the total fuel capacity has been increased slightly by substituting two 50 U.S. gallon wing-tip tanks.

Because of this, and the generally cleaner design, cruising range is increased by approximately 20%. Cruising speed is increased by 45 m.p.h.

0ptional equipment includes .30 in. machine-guns, bomb racks and rocket launchers.

span 38 ft. 6 in. Length 29 ft. 6 in. Height 11 ft. 8 1/2 in. wheel track 8 ft. 6 in.

Max. speed approx. 225 mp.h. Cruising speed (64% power) 215 m.p.h.

Rate of c1imb at S/L over 1,750 ft./min.


...the WIX registry...

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/texanreg ... 82028.html
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Has anyone directly asked the wife, or her husband...he should be easy to find...if they want to sell.
Somebody must be paying parking fees....If not, perhaps the airport will sell it.


If I were to see it on the ramp (without looking at the wing platform), I'd guess it was a Yak or Chinese copy.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Is the rudder falling off or is that some weird trick of the light?

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ATC: "Oscar 2, cleared to engage wildlife at your discretion..."

Looks to be barely hanging on.

Another close up of the front landing wheel.

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“Knowing what’s right, doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right.”

What is the gear out of?

The Rudder framework has complete corroded through and the hinges have broke and no longer secure the rudder to the vertical. There are two cables that quasi hold it on to the vertical around the area of the two hinges. After one of the storms we had, it was nearly off the plane altogether, but someone resecured it two days later.


The company I work for has an office/hangar at Whiteman, which I spent 6 weeks at, looking at it every day from mid April until Memorial Day weekend. It's parked in the same row as the C-45 that has literally rotted away out there as well. A few rows down there is a blue and white T-34 that presumably was retired after the spar AD came out and there are at least 3 flying T-28's parked in the open and at least one hangared (and currently for sale) T-6 as well as a BT-13 owned by the same guy. There is also another B18/C45 on the field in pieces.

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

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Tyler Pinkerton
Active Member of Air Heritage Inc. of Beaver Falls, PA.
Aircraft: C47B, C-123K, Fairchild F-24, Funk Model B, L-21B, T-28B, T-34B
Static: F-4C Phantom II, F-15A, T-3 Provost

Early Cessna 310 (pre-D) tip tanks?

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Parked in Dec 15 at Whiteman looking a tad sad.

The guy in the sports coat kneeling down looks like Jack Conroy...

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.... Chino 18 November 1972 ...