Warbird Information Exchange

I heard today that the NMUSAF was not all that happy that the Stratolina is still around -- they ordered it destroyed years ago.

The problem is, they and the navy are fighting over which group ordered it destroyed first, and how come it was not done, and who is responcable now. The AF claims the fuselage and the navy is claiming the wings, but both are saying thier parts are the most important and critical to the national security..............

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

But these were all owned by a flying museum so I am sure they were all given the attention they deserve.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

I want to thank all of y'all for the humorous comments! I was having one of my days where I was feelin' like heck today, but I just sat down and read what y'all posted here and it put a big ol' smile on my face.

Randy, I just about spit up my diet coke through my nose when I read your comment!!!

Gary

Actually, I believe only the PBY was owned by a flying museum, and when it comes to corrosion, there are times no matter how much money you throw at a plane, it can't fix bad metallurgy. If you look at the pics of the PBY, most of the corrosion I saw was intergranular corrosion, and there is no repair or prevention of it, unlike the exfoliation corrosion that is occuring on a certain P-38 in NJ,

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Matt Gunsch, A&P, IA, Warbird maint and restorations
Jack, You have Debauched my sloth !!!!!!
We tried voting with the Ballot box, When do we start voting from the Ammo box, and am I allowed only one vote ?
Check out the Ercoupe Discussion Group on facebook

Very very cool!

I loved seeing that Cat in Harlingen when we would go to Padre every summer. I remember seeing it forlorn outside sitting on its tail sans engines long after the CAF left.

Good to see her saved.

Here is the PBY in happier days, Airsho '84:





Scott

For those of you newer to WIX, there are two or three old threads in the archives here somewhere (too lazy to find them tonight) that explain how the PBY was saved from the scrappers by WIX and Mark Pilkington, and then brought to Austin Acres.

Gary


http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... highlight=

It was a joke Matt, but your sword down for just a second, OK

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

By request (from a couple of folks), here are some interior shots of the "Stratolina's" cockpit section. Clearly, there is a lot of work to do here before it can be made into something the little kiddos (and I) can play in.............










(Notice how, in this picture, whoever stole the instruments out of the engineer's panel, was kind enough to bust the remaining instruments with a ball-peen hammer before they left the scene of the crime. ).........










Oh, and Kevin....there are actually still a couple decent windows left in this thing (apparently whoever shot at the other ones were bad shots ), so if you come down and take out what want, you can have them for the Berlin Airlift's C-97. All I ask is that you eventually send me something back to "fill the hole" that's left behind. Your old, crazed windows will be fine.

Gary

When I was younger we used to take a boring rod and twirl it between our hands so one end stuck in a tarantula hole. This would lure spidey out of his hole eventually and we would stomp his hairy ass, then take the carcass and toss it on the engine block of our humvee to cook. Tastes just like softshell crab!

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Awww, tarantulas aren't that bad. They're kinda like dogs.....you just don't mess with the mean ones.




Gary

Mmmmm!

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Good job Gary. Might as well use it and have fun with it. Needs an upper gun turret, maybe with a brace of twelve guages mounted. Heck just make a tail with whats around.
When Gary decides on a paint scheme, we should have a painting party.

And what kind of derelict fork lift is that? One of those Ford conversions like a 320 or 445 or something? I pity you all by yourself working with that boat anchor.

carry on,
Doug

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

Gary whats the rope hanging down in the cockpit for? Hang yourself the next time you have one of these ideas coming on? The funny farm is just one short ride away!