A favor requested: This Friday at the USAFM @dayton: P61

[henning]

Hi there folks,

I've got a favor to ask, the USAFM (NMUSAF) is having a friday night event this
coming friday evening where they are opening up several planes for viewing
the cockpits. One of them happens to be the P-61 Black widow. I'm
wondering if anyone on the WIX board may happen to be attending, and
if so could they get me some hi res photos of the P61 cockpit, from
whatever angles are allowed? The event runs from 6-10 PM.

these are the planes they are opening up:

Consolidated B-24D Liberator
Northrop P-61C Black Widow
North American RF-86F "Haymaker" Sabre
Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor
Lockheed SR-71A
Lockheed AC-130A Spectre

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/night.asp

Any chance anyone's going with their favorite piece of photo artillery?
I'm here in WI and hoped to go, but can't make it now with some things
happening here at home.

thanks guys! Happy to trade some pics or something for your efforts!

PM me!

henning

[mustangdriver]

I am stuck working. I wish I could have switched off.

[Steve Nelson]

Somewhere I've got some pics I snapped through the canopy of the P-61 when it was sitting outside the barricades a few years back (late '90s I think.) Unfortunately, the interior had a lot of stuff missing. I don't know if it's gotten any attention since them, but here's a pic from the NMUSAF website. As you can see, the panel is empty. I think the rear compartment is pretty well stripped as well..it also has a replacement blister that's way too short.

SN

[skydaddy61]

I'm going; I'll see what I can do.

[skydaddy61]

They had a stand rolled up to the starboard side, so I shot through the open window. My camera took its dear sweet time recharging, and folks behind me were getting impatient. I'll post what I got on Monday (didn't bring the USB cable).

[henning]

thanks there skydaddy! very much appreciated... can't wait to see
see them.. how was the event in general? this was the first time
I had heard of them doing this.. what did they do in the case of the
B24? did they let folks up into it?

henning

[wacoykc]

I had a couple friends who "attempted" to go but the crowds were unbelievable. The traffic was at a standstill all the way out the front gate and down Springfield St. This was at about 6:30pm. They waited and tried to come back at about 9pm and by then there were cars parked everywhere. The parking lot was full. They gave up.

[thundergull pilot]

A huge disapointment. I got there early before the doors opened and even then there was a quarter mile line of people waiting to get in. Once inside there were long lines of people waiting for a short glimpse into a cockpit. Many years ago the EAA sponsered after hours visits to the AF museum which allowed access inside the planes but I do not think that will ever happen again. Carl

[Holedigger]

Too successful an event? Perhaps they should take note, this is something people want and if they did it more often it wouldn't be such a zoo when they do it! ....waiting patiently for pics!

[mustangdriver]

I am hoping that this is something that they will do every month. The Air Zoo does something like that, and it goes over pretty well.

[carguy671]

I attempted to go at 8pm but the line was about 1 1/2 miles long. All the way up the driveway, down Springfield street and then onto Harshman almost all the way to the Army Reserve compound. I used to go all the time when they had the after hours open cockpit nights. They kept them pretty quite and did not do much advertising. You would normally see only 100-200 people through out the night. The last time that I went I got to sit in the P-40, P-51D, P-38, P-47, B-17 and B-24. This time I believe they took out newspaper adds and it was talked about on every local newscast. With the amount of cars that I saw parked in both lots and on the grass , it had to be packed inside. It is good that the museum got some exposure to alot of people that might not normally take their family to the museum, but this was definately not set up for the enthusiast.

[skydaddy61]

We arrived at five PM. I waved to the young fellas in orange vests (as though they should know that I knew where I was going) and parked in the area that visitors normally park in. I noted that most of the vehicles around me had event parking passes. "Hmmm..." thinks I...

We drifted around the outdoor exhibits (fewer since the last time, it seems) until a quarter to six, when we make our way to the main entrance.

There's a *long* line of cars waiting to get in and be parked in the Other Parking Lot. I'm really glad we got there early.

We had planned to catch the 7:30 IMAX show. The young man there told us to come back at 6:30. We came back at 6:20; they had closed the theater doors. For the 8:45 show, they said to come back at 7:30. We were there at 7:00. At 7:15 they started seating. By 8:30 the "8:45" show was over. I think they did a third show.

We were in the first group for the P-61 and B-24. At the end of the evening I waited in line for the SR-71 while my son checked out the A-10 (a huge highlight, since there was a guy in the cockpit flipping switches and operating systems).

It took me a whole to glom onto why they had kids in alien suits and folks in "Men In Black" kit... then I remembered the whole Area 51 / Roswell ?Project Blue Book thing.


We got there WAY early and had a good time. Folks who came on time, or late, waited (and waited). The museum staff told me that while they had hoped for a good turnout, they were overwhelmed.

I hope they do it again.

*removed gripe about the F-22. Turns out it was one of the test flight articles, not a mockup. Cockpit sure looked bare, though.

[skydaddy61]

Here's the photo set for the P-61.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28491752@N04/sets/72157618387471141/

[mlenoch]

*removed gripe about the F-22. Turns out it was one of the test flight articles, not a mockup. Cockpit sure looked bare, though.

Even the current active duty F-22A cockpits look bare!! Couple of switches and a few levers.......the rest is flat panel display!!
I am seriously from the old generation (gulp!!).
VL

[mustangdriver]

The P-61 has had some gear added to it over the years.