Warbird Information Exchange

Someone in the link in bdk's thread, PBY Radar Unit Offered?, said that Pensacola has 14 (!) SBD's in storage. Does anyone here know if that's true? The number seems a bit high to me.

Michael-

I think they HAVE that many (in terms of how many they own) but I think that number includes those that have been parcelled out around the country to various museums. I don't think that they have that many in their restoration queue. I do think they have a few in the queue, but not that many.

kevin

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FOUND the elusive DT-built B-24! Woo-hoo!!!

They have the 2 pulled up from Lake Michigan in restoration. They are also several more SBD's in the lake waiting to be raised.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

So the ones in the lake are considered to be in (wet) storage as well?

I don't know if this is current policy, but in the past Pensacola would cannibalize parts off several recovered airframes to produce one static...cheaper and easier than producing new parts. Examples would be F4F/FM-2, SBD, and SB2A. Scrapman typically got the leftovers.

14 total SBD airframes recovered is pretty close. The WIX "Warbird Registry" has nine or ten just listed there. I imagine there are others, perhaps already scrapped.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

And I would imagine if those examples were out on the open market, practically nothing would be wasted and we'd probably have like seven more SBD's in the air.

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

Its close to 14 in terms of parts. I visited there a few years back as we collaborate from time to time with the museum on part swaps; e.g. the left main gear leg on our SBD is from the musuem.

I saw at least 5 fuselages (including the SBD-1) and many sets of wings & parts stacked in the resto shops.

Its nice to know that through our friendship we can help keep our SBD flying.

BTW, their static SBD is a true gem. I thought our Dixie Wing team did an exceptional job on our SBD as a flier...the level of detail on their static SBD is amazing!

If someone can tell me how to post pics I'll try and put some out there...

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Rauhbatz
Commemorative Air Force
CAF Ohio Wing/Airbase Georgia Member
PT-19/26, T-34 CAF Pilot


Favorite quote from Wind, Sand & Stars - A. St. Exupuery "friends are like trees...when they are gone we miss their shade"