Warbird Information Exchange

Just a few, as the kids were ready to get back to Ohio.



Doesn't it look like the ball turret's hanging rather low here?



The pld girl seems pretty stripped out. There seems to be nothing in the nose section, there's definitely no control panel or control wheel ( I think they were the ones on display inside), and possibly no rudder pedals as well. Upper turret's a shell.



According to the placard, they flew her here straightaway after she finished her role in 'Catch-22'.





Anyone know what this decrepit lass is, besides unhappy?

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"Anyway, the throat feels a bit rough...the legs have gone...but I'm still able to chant, so let's get going."

Joe Strummer, 1999

Cool pics. I haven't been there in probably 25 years. Thanks.

Speaking of Grissom AFB, when I was a kid my parents house was on the flight path for the ANG units flying patrols down to Terre Haute. F-4s, A-7s and A-10s twice a week was heaven for a 10 year old. With the base cutbacks, those days were long gone.

So this weekend I happened to be back at my folk's house. And I hear jets screaming in... What the? So naturally, I run outside in time to see 2 F-16s on the same old flightpath. Wonder how that came about? Cool nonetheless!

Looks like the tail of an F-89 Scorpion

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-Bill
B-17E 41-2595 "Desert Rat" Restoration Team

My Stearman used to be based there when it was NAS Bunker Hill - sometimes referred to by the students and instructors as "USS Cornfield".

Anyone know what this decrepit lass is, besides unhappy?[/quote]

Fuselage is the poor remains of a T-33.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

If the "154" on the tail is a buzz number, it could be F-89D 52-2154 which isn't in the Registry or Grissom's aircraft list, and a quick net search didn't turn up anything either.

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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)

Yes, unfortunately, the B-17 is picked very clean on the inside. I was told that when the resoration of Shoo Shoo was begun, NMUSAF people came to Grissom and stripped out her interior for the Shoo resto. I spent a LOT of time inside of her (pix on a dead harddrive ) cleaning and dreaming. No corrosion inside the fuselage. Was also told that a few years ago, the NMUSAF gave the ball turret to Grissom. When it was being installed, the Grissom people found some sort of factory inspection cards attached inside...brand new! The B-25 (Passionate Paulette) is pretty well gone on the inside. The T-33 fuselage and Scorpion tail are at the very back side of the facility...was told that they were being scrapped, but Grissom personnel got ahold of them and are hanging on to them for possible future trades.

Dan...I went through boxes of pix and slides searching for pix of any Stearmen aircraft from the Bunker Hill NAS era and found nothing. Sorry.

Speaking of the F-16s doing touch and go's...the runway at Grissom is very active the first weekend of every month! The F-16s stationed at Fort Wayne spend a lot of time around the Grissom area usually on the first weekend of every month. Had the pleasure of watching tankers and an occasional C-17 doing the same. Standing over by the B-58 watching the comings and goings almost in a direct line with the runway is very cool!

If you ever visit and are there late in the afternoon, sit on the bench over by the sign within the display area. From there, you get a nice overall view of all the aircraft...with the sun hitting them right, you would swear they all come alive. Yeah, I am kinda weird like that, but I have so many fond memories of just sitting and listening to the old girls talk amongst themselves.

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Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.