Warbird Information Exchange

the Yellow number on the F6F is the exact same number it wore in WWII during it's days in California. Never saw action except as a target drone much later.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

So then is the Hellcat in original paint/condition?
Thanks.

Next to the B-25H in the first picture is one of the few known T-9 aerial versions of the 75mm cannon. It's not totally complete, as it's missing some small parts and the breach, but it was decided to leave it out of the aircraft as it is a more interesting item to see next to the aircraft. Also, it would've added 900 pounds to the aircraft and no one would ever see it again. A replica cannon barrel is in it's place in the nose to simulate the look of the cannon. The NMUSAF has a version ofthe cannon on display, but it is an experimental out load version that was never put into service.

As a side note, the F-86 is the ex-Champlin F-86. NEAM got it in a trade with the NMUSAF for NEAM's 4th Fighter Group, Combat veteran F-86A.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

So as not to highjack this thread with my photos or comments I created another topic for this museum. Sorry TAdan.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=21363

Bill

It's been totally restored and re-painted, mainly by Larry Webster, but the colors she wears are what she wore back in the 40's. Later she was painted drone red, survived several missions, and had a gear-up landing. The Navy put her upside down on a pallet and left it that way until NEAM acquired it for restoration.
If you look closely at the photo in the thread, you can see a photo of it on the pallet on the info board in front of the aircraft.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Never saw a sea plane with props that had an arc that would put them under water.
Love this site. Always something new to see.

Woah,
I think it was like Deja-Rohr!

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"Hindsight is usually 20% off!"

I don't think it was never planned for it to work in the water, but if it did, it would've been in the short take-off mode with the props at some angle other than 90 degrees to the surface. I believe they were looking for a small twin with a high wing and the Grumman fit the bill!

BTW, those props on it now I believe are mock-ups, as the original propellers were complex and had short "ailerons" near each tip. They were also a bit fatter made of wood, so I think they are in inside storage.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Jerry thanks for your excellent description of each aircraft.

More pictures.

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

FYI:
The Triplane has been on loan from Old Rhinbeck since the mid-1980's. It was Cole Palen's first triplane that was not as strongly built as his second one. Once Cole retired the second triplane, NEAM got the first one that had been on display in the ORA museum hangars.

Also, if anybody would like to see more of the yellow and black Marcoux-Bromber R-3 actually flying, just rent "Test Pilot" with Clark Gable. They used the aircraft in the film as Clark's racing mount at the National Air Races. It's the real thing and fairly rare!

Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Cool, That one really caught my eye. It is a fantastic looking plane. Looks like it is going a few hundred MPH just sitting still.

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Is the blimp gondola one of the ones from the South Jersey scrapyard? I think the scrapyard owner's name was Mahalchick. If I recall, he had 8 of them sitting upside down in the yard.

I met Harry Doan at yard's the estate auction, I don't recall what happened to the blimp gondolas, I just remember that Harry did not get them.

Regards,

Art S.

No, it isn't.
It was the Navy K-16 during the war and was civilainized after WWII to become the Goodyear airship "Puritain". Goodyear flew it for a few years before storing it in Akron. NEAM acquired the gondola direct from Goodyear in the late 1970's and trucked it home to Connecticut.
A decision was made to restore it as it was first built, so the team is slowly locating all the interor fittings to bring it back to WWII Anti-Sub Patrol configuration.
I think Kermit Weeks has one or two of those NJ Blimp Gondola's, but I'm not 100% sure.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Any pics of the stearman?????? Whats the history on it????? Where did it come from? Did it come from VT and is it a actual Tuskeegee airplane?

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Ok I found that its a tuskeegee airplane..................Jerry, do you know if that airplane was donated to the museum from VT???? I think its previous owner was a friend of mine.

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005