Warbird Information Exchange

Short notice here, but this one's worth saving and thought I'd drop this out there in the event there's a museum or cockpit collector out there lusting for a nice piece of F-84...

City of Mesa, Arizona, is soliciting sealed bids on a F-84 G cockpit section as given to the municipality back in the 1960s by USAF. This is just the cockpit section only - as unbolted from the fuselage and pilot's station forward. No engine. Includes the nose gear. About 3,000+/- pounds of a/c left to work with.

City had used it for a number of years to train firefighters how to extract injured aircrew from a downed ship in the event of a crash or mishap. Before Mesa's explosive growth, it had partnered with USAF at the former Williams AFB to train fire personnel in a variety of different disciplines. The base was closed in the early 1990s, and this piece of equipment sat in storage near Falcon Field airport (KFFZ) until it was moved once again when the freeway expanded into the area.

Minimum open bid is $3,000. I'd contemplated bidding but have too many projects to complete in this lifetime. Bid closes tomorrow, mid-afternoon. I do not have any recent photos to post of this, nor am I going to be able to do so prior to bid close. You'll have to rely on the supplied photos and call the poor firefighter who's been assigned to handle phone queries.

To view the bid documents and a few recent pictures of the cockpit section, search for City of Mesa, Arizona on the web. Once you've found the home page, go to "City Departments" tab. Look for a listing of "all departments." Once you access that, go to "Purchasing." Once in "Purchasing" site will further direct you to "Sealed Bid Projects." It's the only F-84 sealed bid the City has, so it's not hard to find. In order to view the bid you'll have to type in some basic information about yourself or firm and once submitted and accepted it'll open the 16 page document.

The bid document leads one to believe that this had been used for "fire training" but the cockpit had NOT been set on fire. It's been awhile since I've seen the cockpit section but I do not recall seeing an instrument panel or data plates. E-seat is there. Armor glass is shot full of BB holes.

Neat piece. Somebody should save it....

From what I read, at this point bids would have to be hand carried since they need to be there tomorrow afternoon, no Faxes...............

I can say from one of the pics, that looking at the photographer's shadow, you guys really wear cowboy hats there...........

Mark H

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Fly safe or you get to meet me .......

Well, I either must've missed that part in the RFB for just overlooked it.

Seeing as I was the one who brought it up, I can also offer to be a solution to this part of the problem.

If someone is really, really serious about it, I can stagger over to Purchasing Department and turn in a bid before deadline tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure we can make something happen. PM me if and interest turns into a burning desire as you contemplate this during cocktail hour....