Warbird Information Exchange

No problem. The CF-100 is on display in the Cold war Gallery now, and the Beaufighter is in the WWII gallery next to the B-24.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

It'd be nice to be able to salvage some parts for the Soplata B-36 from a couple of the crash sites in Canada; especially the nearly intact nose of 51-5729 in Labrador -

http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20wrecks.htm

I wonder if there are enough pieces around to put together one last Peacemaker?

(Piece-maker! Thanks, I'll be here all week )

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

LOVE the way you think Chris! What a wonderful idea...gather up all the pieces and parts from the Canadian wrecksites, maybe do a little horse-trading with Pima for some airworthy parts and off we go into the wild blue yonder Seeing, hearing and feeling a Big Stick do a couple of fly-bys at Oshkosh and my life would be complete!

If yer gonna dream, dream BIG!

(OK...now I will have to go and watch Strategic Air Command for the B-36 scenes and try not to drool on the end table agin )

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Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.

The one at Pima would probably be the starting point if such a thing were possible.

In fact, back in the 70's when the aircraft was still in Fort Worth, a group was trying to do just that. They had gotten all six engines running, though not at the same time. (They had only one set of engine instruments.) At the time, the cockpit looked like this:



The effort was abandoned in the late 70's when the USAF put its foot down and said that the aircraft would not fly again under any circumstances. Work shifted to preservation. The aircraft was disassembled, moved to another outdoor location, reassembled, disassembled again, and moved indoors in the late 80's where volunteers restored the interior:



The story is told here: http://www.prowebfortworth.com/

Sadly, local efforts to raise money for an indoor display of the entire airplane never gained enough traction, and the USAF moved it to Pima in 2006.

It looks like they're doing right by the grand old lady: http://www.pimaair.org/project.php?rid=1 But I do wish they'd acknowledge the heroic work of the Texas crews who put in so much effort over so many years.

Actually the B-36 landed at Patterson Field (Area C), as did the XB-70.

When the new museum building opened (1971) they had to be moved to Wright Field. There is some neat footage of the collection slowly being towed down Rt 444, in front of Huffman Dan and the Wright Bros. Memorial, to Rt 4 to Harshman Rd. Quite the operation.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

you can forget anything made of magnesium on soplata's 36, it's all pretty much toast.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Thnanks. I didn't realize the B-36J arrived while the museum was still at Patterson.

SN

Last September I sent a proposal to the Peacemaker Museum that they should try and buy the Soplata B-36 remains and begin salvaging any wrecks to rebuild a B-36. Don Pyeatt was the only one that responded back. It would be a long term project with much hand made, but could be done.

What did Don say to your idea?

On the first day of A& P school , a friend of mine said the instructor asked the class, what makes an airplane fly? He exclaimed MONEY!!!

Don thought it was an 'Interesting Idea'.