Kalamazoo Air Zoo pics

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:32 pm

I stopped by Kalamazoo Air Zoo on the way through to Thunder this morning. Here are a few pictures.

B-50 QEC

A bunch more here:

http://s807.photobucket.com/albums/yy36 ... an%202010/

cco23i · **Posted:** Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:46 pm

GREAT SHOTS! I especially like the 25 with the crew chief "calling" the number one motor clear for start.

Scott

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Sat Aug 07, 2010 7:40 pm

Hmm. I hung out there for awhile Friday morning too

I've been meaning to take a Restoration Center tour but haven't gotten around to it. Did you get over there? There was a lot of activity early Friday morning. Both of the doors were open and they were moving a lot of tools around but I couldn't see what they were working on inside.

Wish they'd put the S-3 in the new museum. It's such a shame to see it rotting outside in the Michigan weather. I've been inside and everything is complete, too. Kind of frustrating to see it outside when they have a carrier exhibit in the new museum :roll:

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Sat Aug 07, 2010 7:45 pm

No, I guess I didn't do enough homework before I went. I didn't realize there was a restoration tour available. Where is the restoration center from the main museum building? I'll be heading back that direction to go home Monday and might be able to swing back by there.

ChrisDNT · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 4:03 am

God, what's the purpose of this über-ugly painted P-40N ?

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:34 am

ChrisDNT wrote:

God, what's the purpose of this über-ugly painted P-40N ?

Welll, it's a girl pilot.

Quote:

Sue Parrish - Gone West

Legendary warbird and former WASP pilot Sue Parrish has passed away at age 87. Sue was probably best known for being one of the founders of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Museum and for flying her bright pink P-40 Warhawk at numerous airshows through the 70's, 80'sm and into the 1990's.

I saw Sue and her Warhawk at several of the Hamilton airshows back in the late 1980's and to say that her ship stood out in a sea of camo and polished aluminum warbirds is an understatement, but she was always a skilled and consummate professional pilot in her display flying. I remember being in a small group of enthusiasts and air show visitors who were gathered around her and her plane asking the inevitable questions about the paint scheme and she answered that it was based on an actual aircraft that served in North Africa that had weathered to a bright pink colour under the intense sun and heat of the desert and that many P-40's in Allied service had their paint schemes go the same way with time. She struck me as a very warm, friendly, and charming person who was more than happy to share her love of history, flying, and airplanes.

Goodbye, Sue; you'll be missed.
N.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/s ... 593&page=1

Also: http://www.wingsacrossamerica.us/wasp/r ... parish.pdf

I think she earned the right to paint her P-40 pink, and it's right it stays those colors in her memory.

My IMHO, of course.

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:35 am

It's painted in the markings of a P-40 owned by Sue Parrish. She was a WASP pilot and one of the museum founders. Not sure if this is actually her plane or is just painted in the markings of hers.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=36079&start=0

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:42 am

WIXerGreg wrote:

Not sure if this is actually her plane or is just painted in the markings of hers.

It's hers.

One of the warbird movement greats.

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 9:27 am

The restoration center building is directly north of the main museum campus. If you're driving down East Milham from Portage, Willoughby Avenue is on the left. If you take that, the road dead ends into the restoration building.

The tours themselves need to be booked at the main museum building, and the group usually meets in the main museum lobby before heading over. I'm not sure how often they're held throughout the day, but the cost is $5.

Last time I went over there was when they were working on the V-1, so it's been awhile. Most of the Cold War-era jet aircraft are housed in there, as is the Trimotor now that it's back from Alma. I think the major project they're working on right now is the Sopwith Camel.

Larry Kraus · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 12:37 pm

Thanks for posting these pictures.I do have one observation on the B-36 QEC.I can't tell if the QEC is actually set up for a B-36,but the prop certainly appears to be from a B-50.That might just be due to the fact that more B-50 props have survived than B-36 props and having any propeller installed makes for a better display.The only picture that I had handy showing a B-50 props is a bit non-standard.

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:15 pm

JDK wrote:

It's hers.

Looks like we posted at the same time just as I was running out the door back to Thunder. Thanks for the clarification! They also had a memorial wall upstairs with pictures and such, and also a bent P-40 prop blade from when she made a gear up landing.

Kalamazookid - thanks for the info on the restoration center. I'll try to hit it on the way back home.

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:22 pm

WIXerGreg wrote:

Looks like we posted at the same time just as I was running out the door back to Thunder. Thanks for the clarification!

Yup! I'd rather be heading to Thunder, too! I was heading to the home office for some warbird writing and marketing comms editing. :axe:

Great pictures, by the way, thanks for the post, have a great Thunder (I'm sure that's not right somehow...) :shock:

Dan K · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 10:52 pm

ChrisDNT wrote:

God, what's the purpose of this über-ugly painted P-40N ?

Certainly no European warbird would ever bear such a garish scheme.

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:44 pm

The B-50 in Larry's photo is the one that burned to the ground when the X-1s fuel tank ruptured.

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:39 am

Nice meeting you Greg!

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