Warbird stills from movie Gas-s-s-s (1970)
Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:49 pm
I was digitizing some images of a '58 Edsel from this movie for the Edsel group on Yahoo, and I thought I'd throw in these:
Cut up F3Ds - possibly filmed at Socorro, NM:
What base had the AH code?
Tail fin from T-33 52-9399; can someone ID that logo?
And finally, that mystery SB2C Helldiver which I posted a while back (at Socorro?):
I've just found out this movie is out on DVD so I'll try to get it and get some clearer images.
-Chris
Cut up F3Ds - possibly filmed at Socorro, NM:
What base had the AH code?
Tail fin from T-33 52-9399; can someone ID that logo?
And finally, that mystery SB2C Helldiver which I posted a while back (at Socorro?):
I've just found out this movie is out on DVD so I'll try to get it and get some clearer images.
-Chris
Sat Jul 05, 2008 1:52 pm
The first two shots look exactly like Soccorro to me from when I was there in 1979 or so but the last two do not, for whatever that is worth.
At that time there were many B-29's (both US marked and a few British Washingtons) A B-36, F-84's, a Cutlass and lots of others. Somewhere in the rubble pile I have photos and whenever they surface again I will post them.
At that time there were many B-29's (both US marked and a few British Washingtons) A B-36, F-84's, a Cutlass and lots of others. Somewhere in the rubble pile I have photos and whenever they surface again I will post them.
Sat Jul 05, 2008 2:12 pm
Whats there now?
Re: Warbird stills from movie Gas-s-s-s (1970)
Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:12 pm
Chris Brame wrote:Tail fin from T-33 52-9399; can someone ID that logo?
That would be the TAC (tactical air command) Shield
Sun Jul 06, 2008 1:07 pm
ZRX61 wrote:Whats there now?
Kinda makes ya wonder...
I'll poke around the airport next time I'm in the area.
I went to an auction 2-3 years ago at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. They had some vintage WW2 aircraft support equipment, including unmodified B-17/B-24 bomb transport trailers and a derelict cletrac.
The institute does a lot of explosives testing for the military, and much of the property is restricted access.
Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:07 pm
The last time I went by Socorro all of the B-29's, the B-36 and most of the other aircraft were gone. I was told that they had a big scrapping/cleaning program a while back.
Many years earlier Pima got a B-47 nose, a B-45 nose and other parts. They were supposed to get the Cutlass but I don't think they ever did.
I got a lot of B-29 stuff for Duxford and several other museums. I have photos of B-29 wings stacked with B-36 wing sections. The B-29 wings looked like B-36 control surfaces in that pile.
I heard at the time that the nose section for the B-36 went to a museum but I never heard which one. Anyone know of a B-36 nose section in a museum?
I remember the aft gunner compartment sitting there in the yard at Socorro. It still had the crew bunks, gun sight mounts and blisters still inside.
The bomb bay section was sitting on its belly with the doors removed. I pulled a bomb shackle off of a bomb rack and the shackle was about 4 feet long. The tunnel with the tracks for the trolley was still there.
I heard a story at the time that maybe someone can verify. They had a pile of the radios, radar and other electronic gear in the yard that they were going to scrap. They discovered that there was gold in them thar radios. They did their own scrapping program and pulled enough gold from the radios to fund a new Physics building which they names the Gold Building.
I was pulling parts from a B-29 forward fuselage and I looked for the data plate mounted forward of the upper turret. Both plates were already gone. I dug in the rubble directly below its mounting and to my amazement there was the AAF data plate at the bottom of the debris. The person who removed it must have dropped it and couldn't find it. The serial number was 44-61929. Later I looked the number up and found that I had been inside of Honeybucket Honshos and she was a Korean War vet.
Here is a shot from http://home.comcast.net/~noseart/honeybuckethon.jpg
Sad that the old girl ended her days at the Socorro weapons test center with so many other B-29’s. At least some of her parts went on to make other B-29's more complete.
Many years earlier Pima got a B-47 nose, a B-45 nose and other parts. They were supposed to get the Cutlass but I don't think they ever did.
I got a lot of B-29 stuff for Duxford and several other museums. I have photos of B-29 wings stacked with B-36 wing sections. The B-29 wings looked like B-36 control surfaces in that pile.
I heard at the time that the nose section for the B-36 went to a museum but I never heard which one. Anyone know of a B-36 nose section in a museum?
I remember the aft gunner compartment sitting there in the yard at Socorro. It still had the crew bunks, gun sight mounts and blisters still inside.
The bomb bay section was sitting on its belly with the doors removed. I pulled a bomb shackle off of a bomb rack and the shackle was about 4 feet long. The tunnel with the tracks for the trolley was still there.
I heard a story at the time that maybe someone can verify. They had a pile of the radios, radar and other electronic gear in the yard that they were going to scrap. They discovered that there was gold in them thar radios. They did their own scrapping program and pulled enough gold from the radios to fund a new Physics building which they names the Gold Building.
I was pulling parts from a B-29 forward fuselage and I looked for the data plate mounted forward of the upper turret. Both plates were already gone. I dug in the rubble directly below its mounting and to my amazement there was the AAF data plate at the bottom of the debris. The person who removed it must have dropped it and couldn't find it. The serial number was 44-61929. Later I looked the number up and found that I had been inside of Honeybucket Honshos and she was a Korean War vet.
Here is a shot from http://home.comcast.net/~noseart/honeybuckethon.jpg
Sad that the old girl ended her days at the Socorro weapons test center with so many other B-29’s. At least some of her parts went on to make other B-29's more complete.
Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:19 am
Taigh,
Were those aircraft at the current Socorro airport?
I ask because there are a lot of abandoned Army Air Corps bases in New Mexico. Don't wanna go poking around the wrong field. Thanks.
Steve
Were those aircraft at the current Socorro airport?
I ask because there are a lot of abandoned Army Air Corps bases in New Mexico. Don't wanna go poking around the wrong field. Thanks.
Steve
Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:52 am
Tinbender:
There are NO warbirds at the Socorro airport.
The testing airframes, are with the New Mexico School of Mines, and the area where they are, is restricted (I guess, due to the use of explosives and such).
Last time I attempted to gain access through channels, I was politely but firmly denied access.
Saludos,
Tulio
There are NO warbirds at the Socorro airport.
The testing airframes, are with the New Mexico School of Mines, and the area where they are, is restricted (I guess, due to the use of explosives and such).
Last time I attempted to gain access through channels, I was politely but firmly denied access.
Saludos,
Tulio
Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:47 am
I heard that there was a small fence or maybe it was a bridge built out of B36 parts at the mining facility.
Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:57 am
Maybe Google Earth would show something??
Lynn
Lynn
Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:24 pm
Lynn Allen wrote:Maybe Google Earth would show something??
Lynn
It does if you know where to look.
Jerry
Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:10 am
Jerry O'Neill wrote:Lynn Allen wrote:Maybe Google Earth would show something??
Lynn
It does if you know where to look.
Jerry
Care to give any hints?
I'm presently only 60 miles away. Time to find an aircraft that needs a maint test flight.
Re: Warbird stills from movie Gas-s-s-s (1970)
Thu May 05, 2011 11:55 pm
F3H-2's in the movie that can be IDed are (4 of 10) BuNo 143430, 145229, 145245, and 145247.