Warbird Information Exchange

Does anyone have any photos of the Soplata B-36 while the USAFM was scrapping it?

A shame the NMUSAF didn't keep this plane as it was historically more important than the B-36 they currently have in my opinion...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Yeah I never got that either? I mean the one we have is pretty historic, but not sure why no effort to save this one. Although it was a much different time.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Showing my ignorance here, but what's the NMUSAF's current B-36's claim to fame? Did she set some sort or record, or was the last one retired or something?

SN

Different time is the key. Some effort should be made to at least get the nose section to a museum...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

The current B-36 flew missions with SAC and went through the featherweight conversion. The flight to the museum was the last flight by any B-36.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Thanx! Did the museum's B-36 actually land at Wright Field after its final flight?

SN

Yeah it did.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Now THAT would have been something to see!

SN

Yeah I always wished I could have seen that, and the XB-70 land as well. I got to see the C-141 land as well as the Nc-131. I also hope that the B-36 nose(atleast) is sent to a museum. Imagine what a cool display that could be made out of it.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Sorry this was so late...

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Thanks for the pic, though!

SN

Sad pic. Doubly sad that the same fate, precisely, befell USAFM's record-flight B-52B "City Of El Paso" about 14 years later. Walt was less quixotic by then...but still rescued the nose section and a few other bits from the Stratofort.

Here's the B-36 as she looked in summer 1982...


...and on a similar topic, is there any recent word on NMUSAF's B-47E that was parked out by the Annex at Wright-Pat? Hoping she hasn't got the chop as well...

S.

There are a couple of museums interested in it, so it is going to a good home. With the addition of the Belle and the Swoose along with C-99 parts, there just is no room for the that other B-47. They hope to get it to a good home.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

MD--

Thanx...glad to hear that. (Haven't been to NMUSAF myself in far too long...the Beaufighter and the CF-100 were still under restoration last time...2004, I think it was.)

Cheers

S.