Warbird Information Exchange

Took a little trip yesterday afternoon to visit the WASP museum in Sweetwater. Never been here and it was really neat. They have a PT-26 that flys. Overall its really nice and they have big plans for expansion .

Monument to the 1830 woman who trained and the 38 who gave their lives for their country



First hanger built in 1929.

Original wishing well except for the statue







This hanger & the next are all thats left of original to the base.

It is a pretty neat little museum. Oddly enough Steve I rode past there on the motorcycle yesterday after noon, heading back to Altus from Big Spring. I almost stopped there but I was trying to beat the rain. That didn't work, I got caught in it right about Abilene!

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Brad

Yeah Brad they were gonna fly the PT to Breckenridge also and as I was heading back I saw that big ol storm and I hoped they made it back OK, or turned back???

Any pictures of the Bamboo Bomber project that was given to them by the CAF a few years back?

Gary

Gary I talked to a fella that ran the FBO after the PT left and asked about it, basically according to him it is in bad shape and according to him not worth restoring even to static! According to him you could go get another one cheaper than restoring that one??? I wanted to see it but he said it was too difficult to get to it?????? I guess it has a bunch of junk stored around it and its hard to see?? I didn't press the issue though.

Hmmm......Sounds to me that...well, I reckon I better just bite my tongue. All I can say is if it was that bad, then why did they beg us for it and then accept it? Even after they took the airplane, they kept after us for more parts, which we found a few for them. Yup....I better just keep quiet on the remainder of my thoughts.

Gary

Well at least you got to see the PT-26 Steve. I visited there the weekend I helped Gary on the Thud and the PT-26 was in one of the other hangers - closed off of course. The lady at the desk said they were working on her. My luck of course.

Nice pictures. The shots of the statue and the sign on the TSTC Campus are great. I remember passing it many times while I was a student there When I was going to school there, they still had one barracks building and the rec. center that were part of the base at one time. I am guessing that they dated from the 50s or 60s though, not WWII.

I didn't know anything about the Bamboo Bomber project. Get another one cheaper than restoring it?! What the...??? Didn't see it anywhere around the museum hanger. Wonder if it is in one of the hangers closer to the college?

It is a nice little museum and it will be good when they can expand so that they can incorporate some a/c!! Yes, it was a little warm the day I was there.

-Derek

If the spars are toast on the UC-78, it is cheaper to go get another one with good spars than to build new ones. The front spar is a very big, single piece laminated wood job that would be a very complicated glue-up and manufacture- the rear one is just a bit smaller feat. If the spars are toast, the chances are the rest of the wood in the wing is toast. By the time you are done, you would be over $100,000 into the wing of an airplane which sells for $80,000 to $100,000 tops. So the FBO might be right.

Gary, what did the spars look like anyway?

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

Cool.

I have driven by on I-20 many times but have never stopped. (In fact I was by there Sunday as well...@ 6:30 PM - funny)

Thanks for the pictures.

Zane

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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There's no question that the airplane would only be good for a static display, BUT, that's exactly what they wanted it for. I just don't understand it. I would like to see the museum myself one day, but I doubt I could keep my mouth shut about that project.

I wonder where it is?

Gary

Yes, the wing spars are toast on the UC-78. They were repairable, until one of our members took a wood chisel to them to see how deep the soft (rotted) wood went. He went way deep, not knowing the soft nature of the wood. He thought it was hard oak.

We had found a couple of possible repairs, but were looking at $10K, which the wing decided would be better spent on the Scatterbrain Kid II. The UC-78 supported the CenTex Wing a lot more than the P-38 ever did, but that's another story.

Poor old N64513 was close to a total restoration, but for the spars. I believe his name was Terry Sullivan, in Schreveport, LA, had taken the fuselage and bead blasted it, replaced some tubing, sanded and varnished the woodwork, and was ready to cover it whenever we got the fabric and dope to him. Then the project officer died (the same one who took the chisel to the spars) and the new one decided we needed to get all the pieces back together. Then the wing did nothing with it and eventually sent it to CAF HQ. After years of sitting around there, several members got a little money together and bought 64513 (sans engines and props) and donated it to the WASP museum. It was sad to think she would never fly again, but I was excited that at least she was going to get back together again. So sad nothing has happened yet. I was in the right seat on her final flight. That's another exciting story!

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Mike

Gary,
From my standpoint, having dealt with all kinds of projects, project owners, workers, and managers, aren't you giving the museum a bit of a hard time without details? I mean, it sounds like the UC 78 is inside, not in the weather at Midland, and in care of a museum that thought enough to operate a PT-19. I'm not affiliated with the museum, nor have I ever had contact with them, but it sounds like they may be moving in the right direction. Is there more to this story? Did they abuse a restorable airplane? I really appreciate your insight into what is really going on in various operations and usually agree with your analysis, but I don't see the basis for your criticisms of this one.

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

You make good points, and it is certainly highly likely that I'm out of line here. If so, I sincerely apologize to those involved. However, I got my feathers ruffled, I guess, because one of the guys that really pushed for HQ to give that airplane to the W.A.S.P. Museum, lives here in the Midland/Odessa area, and also just happens to be the one who said that "because of Gary Austin, FIFI will never fly again!" Soooo, yeah...I tend to be a little critical of just about anything that involves that fine fellow.

So, with that being said, along with what you said, I would certainly love to know the current status of the airplane. If it's simply located in some inside storage, out of sight from Museum guests until it can be worked on, then that's fine. However, if they're just putting it aside because it's too big of a hassle, then that kinda pisses me off...which I think isn't too unreasonable for me to feel that way.

Gary