Pumpkin anyone?

Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:27 pm

O.P. wrote:Dumb question,

Is that one of them newfangled marine landing tracks? It looks like the ones you see in the pictures of the Peleliu landings. If it is, I'd really like to have it, no place to put it though. If I only knew someone who had a place I could put it until I got some acres and a bitchin outbuilding.

Someone near Austin maybe, Austin rings a bell for some reason......

You could put it in my shop.

Looks like an LVT-4 missing a lot of hard to find parts and those cups you have bolt on the tracks always break off.

Mon Mar 30, 2009 5:28 pm

TAdan wrote::shock: "The A-bomb? Oh never mind that, that's just crazy grandpas stuff..."

Maybe the CAF should get it and carry it around in FiFi

When was it (1970s or early 80s, iirc) that the CAF got into a little bit of trouble by simulating an A-bomb drop (using explosives designed to produce a mushroom cloud) in front of a decidedly unamused Japanese delegation?

It's only been a few years since the CAF was extorted into changing their name by a bunch of pantywaist PCers (the CAF did the right thing, imho, in that situation). I'm pretty sure what would happen if a recently restored-to-flight FiFi were to come in low over an airshow crowd, and open it's forward bomb bay doors to reveal a Pumpkin shackled inside:

1.) Most in the crowd with any sort of historical knowledge about warbirds would go nuts with cheering and applause.

2.) Someone would get a picture of the flyby out on the internet and the CAF would make the international press in a very big, and bad way.

Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:40 pm

I am trying so hard not to pick up the phone and call on that Fat Man. I would gladly surrender both stones to have that in my hangar. That would be even better than the full size inert Polaris that was for sale on the East coast two years ago. Sometimes I really hate you guys for posting this stuff. :badpc:

Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:06 pm

Albert, how about I buy it and you haul and store it at your hangar? I don't think I could satisfactorily explain my need for that to my wife! :lol:

Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:12 pm

BDK, Do you think that would pass the kommifornia DOJ test ?

Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:28 pm

I actually know a guy that has a real one that is registered with the CA DOJ.

I wonder if this one is a dummy bomb or some king of training device? Could be deactivated I suppose.

Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:39 pm

bdk wrote:I actually know a guy that has a real one that is registered with the CA DOJ.

I wonder if this one is a dummy bomb or some king of training device? Could be deactivated I suppose.

Time to get edumacated via Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_bomb

Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:27 am

bdk wrote:Albert, how about I buy it and you haul and store it at your hangar? I don't think I could satisfactorily explain my need for that to my wife!

No problem BDK, let's do it! I'm thinking it would cost around $2K to ship it but what a piece of history! Think of all the fun you could have with this thing! Scare your friends, traumatize the neighbor next door, intimidate the local city government, my goodness, the list is endless. Inert nuclear air drop training aids are very hard to find on the civilian market. I only know of a few in private hands and none of them are as interesting as this one.

On a related note, I just finished The Nuclear Express by T.C. Reed and D.B. Smith. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. It has some interesting details on the B-29 "Pumpkin" missions over Japan. One of the Pumpkins had a note in it that was intended for a Japanese nuclear researcher. Interesting stuff.

Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:25 am

why is the thread locked???

Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:07 am

tom d. friedman wrote:why is the thread locked???

How can you post if it is locked?

Seems ok to me...

Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:03 am

I'm not familiar with how Craigslist works, but I wasn't able to get in touch with the guy, via the e-mail link on that page. Folks here are talking about calling him, but I didn't see a phone number. I'm probably too late anyway. Oh well.

Gary

Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:17 am

I've also sent the poster an email...

Ryan

Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:51 pm

I too have been e-mailing for a few days now without any luck. I offered quick money and quicker removal all without any response. If anyone knows how to get a hold of them please let me know.

What a hoot it would be just to drive it home on an open trailer. I would have a video camera running the whole trip just to record the reactions of officials and the public. Imagine the looks and questions!

How about a bumper sticker "TAILGATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:05 pm

Taigh Ramey wrote:I too have been e-mailing for a few days now without any luck. I offered quick money and quicker removal all without any response. If anyone knows how to get a hold of them please let me know.

What a hoot it would be just to drive it home on an open trailer. I would have a video camera running the whole trip just to record the reactions of officials and the public. Imagine the looks and questions!

How about a bumper sticker "TAILGATE AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

Tiagh,
You were the first one I thought of when I saw this ad! It would go perfectly withe B-29 Nose!
Jerry

Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:00 pm

Gentlemen,

Is it possible that this entire listing may be the efforts of someone who couldn't wait for April 1st to roll around?

As much as I'd like to believe that a Pumpkin bomb is for sale in Texas, the photo at Craigslist appears to have been lifted from this website:

http://wilhelm-aerospace.org/Airplanes/ ... lanes.html

Scroll down to "B-29", and the identical image is identified as being a Pumpkin on display at White Sands Missile Range rocket garden in New Mexico, as witnessed in March, 2002.

I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble. I just want WIXers to realize this may be more baloney than pumpkin.

Pumpkin anyone?

Fat Man

Let's do it!