Warbird Information Exchange

Tulio, you got it ! Looks like the picture was taken while they were still moving stuff out there. In reality they are still not finished. Look closely and you will see a tank next to the driveway. The building closest to the white fence is a Victorian Farm house, the building past the farmhouse is a two story log house ( old build ) across from that house there is a small building that houses cars, and jeeps. The big building is full of tanks and the PBR. Look on the northest corner of the biggest building, see that long grey thing ? It is a 5 " casemate gun that was originally part of the Arizona's gun fit, then refitted to the Indianapolis. It was obsolete prior to WWII so it was removed for scrap, for some reason the gun wasn't scrapped and was covered by more junk. When the pile was finally cleaned up ( within the last 20 years ) the gun was uncovered and the serial numbers run. The preceding story was found in the record cards.

I believe this is what you saw, this is at
http://www.com-central.net/index.php?na ... st&p=36089

I will take this off here in a couple days


FRED HAS HERE ONE OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS I'VE SEEN ONLY IMPROVEMENT I CAN SEE, HE COULD GIVE IT ALL TO ME..

Those Ford GAA 1100 cubic inch V8 sure are monsters.

Rick told me that the PBR was the one used in Apocalyspe Now. They retrieved it from the Philipines and restored it, then ran it for a summer before putting it in the museum.

The little WWI looking tank was another item that was supposed to have been cut up for scrap during WWII. It too was covered by a pile and forgotten. For 60+ years it sat covered up. When the yard closed down and it was being cleaned up the tank was found. The optical sight was still on the floor in its case and it still works ! The little motor in it is a work of art with a copper and brass radiator. It seats one man and he gets in the tank through clamshell doors on the front.

here is the story on Fred's Six Ton Tank Model 1917, this is a newspaper article, the fight is going on right now.............



WWI-era tank sparks fight
CHARLESTON, W.Va., April 30 (UPI) -- World War I has been over 88 years but a tank from that era is at the center of a looming battle between opposing forces in West Virginia and Indiana.

The Renault FT-17 tank was displayed in Nitro, W.Va., from when Jack Moody acquired it from a VFW post in Virginia in 1987 until his death in 2005, The Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette reported Monday. But his family apparently sold it to the Ropkey Armor Museum near Crawfordsville, Ind., the newspaper said.

Nitro Mayor Rusty Casto says he's spent months tracking down what happened to the tank and wants it back.


I was told by the Moody family the tank was going to be taken to Huntington to be refurbished, he said. I hope the Moody family has a good lawyer because the federal government gave that tank to the city of Nitro.

A family member declined to comment, the Gazette said.

Fred Ropkey, 77, who owns the museum, says he's spent $100,000 renovating the tank and isn't letting it go anywhere.

We're very serious about what we do, said Ropkey, himself a former tank crewman who has restored armored vehicles for the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Va.

Thanks Tulio. I'll try to upload the new info tonight. To summarize the only aircraft in the collection is a UH-1B. Correct?

The Ropkey museum was previously the Indiana Museum of Military History in Vincennes. Correct? There were the following on site, but have been dispersed and there is nothing left; A-4, OV-1 and PV-2. Correct?

Just trying to clear-up my confusion over this one. TIA.

Mike

_________________
Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.

No, they still have the A-4, X-14, and at least one OV-1, but they also have an AN-2, O-2, Stearman, and a Fleet. I think it has always been the Ropkey Collection, not sure about your other reference. Next time I talk to Rick I'll verify.

The Ropkey Armor Museum owned by Fred Ropkey in Crawfordville IN, is NOT the same place as the Indiana Military Museum owned by Jim Osborne in Vincennes, IN . They are about 75 miles apart. Fred used to be in Indianapolis, but moved several years ago to Crawfordsville, IN.

Confusing to me and I've been to both places......I never saw any airplanes at Ropkeys, but I believe maybe someone said they saw a plane there. I really don't know if he has any planes or not. Jim Osborne does have this plane.