Warbird Information Exchange

On the tv show "Wing Nuts" on the Discovery channel, the guys went to National Aircraft, Inc in Tuscon (which I assume is located close to AMARC).

When the truck pulled in to the driveway, I thought I saw a 2-seat A-10 cockpit sitting close to the fence. Is there any WIXer in Tuscon that knows anything about that? There were only 2 of those things made...that would be a real find if that is what it actually is...

I didn't notice that, the items in the scrapyard that caught my attention were the Mohawks.

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Dan Johnson

I saw some of this show when it was broadcast and while I have a fondness for art and found it partially interesting, I also became concerned that this little outfit could potentially destroy some important relic.

For those who have not seen it, the show follows a struggling "art" business that crafts industrial-type art using items from aviation scrapyards. The entertainment, if you can call it that, forcused more on the struggles of the business and the drama between the employees and their personal lives (I really didn't care about one employee's divorce problems, but he was happy to share it with viewers, etc....)

What struck me was that it appeared that they had no idea what parts they had (with a few exceptions) and were quite happy to put a buzzsaw and polishing compond to whatever they could get their hands on for their next project. It is their right to do so, but I was troubled by it nonetheless.

You mean like that C-54 elevator last night that appeard to be airworthy and recently covered?

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Dan Johnson

I only saw most of the first episode, which left them cutting and polishing away on a DC-9 horizontal stab. (Mostly, I found the show's focus on the discontent between the employees to be boring and I found something else to watch.) So were they cutting up a C-54 part?

Sorry if I'm overly critical of their efforts, but they didn't appear to have much knowledge of the parts that they were getting and I wondered to myself if they could be cutting up parts that are worth more as-is on the vintage market than as funky art in a dentist's office.

Hello Everyone:

I live in Tucson, and Nat'l aircraft probably does have a two seat A-10.. They have a lot of odds and ends. They know about aircraft, and in fact are very knowledgable. They are probably cutting parts, because noone is buying their stuff. Not too many people who can do anything with the front portion of a Canberra, or an engine pod from a learjet, etc.

In addition they don't have T-6 parts. Anyone got T-6 parts?

Thanks,

Chris

Chris -

Any possibility of you getting a photo or two of it at your leisure? Again, it's a rarity since there were only two 2-seat Hogs ever built.

Hey Randy:

It's on the way out to the airport, and I'll try to do that. I don't think I've seen it before.

As a side note. Three years ago, around 13 civilian owned F-8's were scrapped. The scrappers said they'd sell one for $ 5000 as is...Too late now..

Ok Mr. Rohr:

I'll do some digging for that info. Their phone # is 520-790-7373.

Chris

Hey Folks:

I went out to Nat'l aircraft, and I didn't see any A-10s. However, it may be tucked away behind some scrapped up birds. I did see a couple partially scrapped F-4s, B-57s, C-130s, Mohawks, and some old helos. Nothing too exciting.

There are five other such yards, one is Aircraft Restoration and Marketing, the other xxxx Aircraft #1, another xxxx AIrcraft #2, KTech Aviation, and Western International Aircraft.

xxxx Aircraft #1 scrapped 13 F-8s 2 1/2 years ago, and has probably 100 engineless S-2s right now.

xxxx AIrcraft #2 has about 3 P2Vs, old helos, and a couple C-130s. They scrapped 2 T-2 Buckeyes 3 years ago, and left the wings for a couple of months.

KTech Aviation used to have the Planes of Fame C-46 3 years ago, and now had a bunch of C-141s they are demiling and trying to sell, and then scrapping. THey also have about 10 UH-1s, and 2 CH-53s they are about to scrap

Western International Aircraft has 2 P-3s, 2 DC-6s, 2P2Vs, C-130s, 6 Albatrosses, and a T-37.

Lastly, Aircraft Restoration and Marketing has 10 F-86Ds, 4 A or F Models, Several A-4s, and about 30 square tail ex Navy DC-3s.

THat's about it, nothing great..

Chris

Chris -

Thanks for the report! The 2-seat A-10 cockpit that I *thought* I saw seemed to be parked right up against the fence pointing at the road, so you should have seen it if it indeed is there. Guess it was something else!

No Problem Randy..

Chris

We'll probably have another crack(or 2 or 3) at the Tucson Boneyard
next week to look for the A-10 deuce. They re-ran Wingnuts #1 Friday
and Sat. at least 6 times..probably the debates have cut into their
"numbers". So, possibly next week we'll have several chances to
peruse the "old mans" stuff in #2....well...at least what was there 6mos,
or a year ago.
So, if havad iv comes up dry...we'll be able to torture ourselves with
what is gone...or what we may next pursue!!!

Gotta fly, Malta Story...againnnnnn....1953...Alec Guinness...Old planes and stuff...next.

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The show's on again. This time they built a table out of a C-119 crew door, and a cooler/boombox out of a Constellation beverage cart. And worst of all, a desk with a glass top made out of a B-25 elevator with a horrid apple green powder coating.

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Dan Johnson

One of the guys from the show, Tim (the baldheaded one with an attitude) evidently died Monday.

Yeah that apple green was horrid, but I liked the cooler/boom box idea from the beverage cart!

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Victory By Valor (Motto of the 20th Fighter Group)