Yankee Air Museum Pic's

CrewDawg · **Posted:** Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:37 pm

I was up in Michigan visiting relatives (unfortunately not in time for T.O.M.), but here are some pictures I shot at YAM.

I had no idea that they had a B-24 project going on! After talking to Scott (2nd Air Force) it seems that it will never be a complete airplane and the plan seems to be a life size assembly line diarama.

Here's the aft fuselage laying on it's side next to a Boeing 720 sim.

Inside the aft fuselage

Horizontal Stab center section

Fuselage just aft of wing and turret

Plethora of B-24 parts

Nose section

Beautiful C-47

There is a group with a couple of Soviet types sharing the hangar (forgive me I don't remember the group's name) this is thier AN-2 Colt project

And of course....

You don't see the bomb hoist in too many B-17's any more.

You also don't see too many waist guns with the sights on them.

Radio compartment

Mig-17 and a "left over" from T.O.M. - gee, I wonder who's that is? :roll:

While looking for YAM we stumbled across Jack Roush's hangar.

Ok, it's not a warbird, but Jack Roush had his Raytheon Premier painted to match his Mustangs.

Hope you like them. I consider myself a better A&P than photograher.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 4:35 am

Great pics! The Lady has got to be my favorite flying B-17..although as a native Michigander I'm a bit biased.

The B-24 project consists of a bunch of parts the YAM has managed to accumulate. Fellow Wixer YAF340 is involved with the project and can provide more details, but IIRC the nose glazing came from PB4Y Privateer tanker C30, currently under restoration by the Lone Star museum. The nose section itself is from an LB-30/B-24A. The cockpit canopy was salvaged from a B-24D wreck in the Aleutians, (which provided a bunch of parts for the Hill AFB Museum B-24 replica.) The tail section is actually from a PB4Y Privateer Tanker that was mostly consumed by a fire on the runway back in the '70s. The center fuselage is from a B-24J..I was told that it's been decided to preserve it as an artifact, rather than incorporate it into a rebuild.

I was told that the YAM hopes to build up a replica fuselage, and display it in an assembly line diorama to commemorate the Willow Run bomber plant.

Joe, please feel free to correct anything in this post!

SN

John Dupre · **Posted:** Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:15 pm

Years ago I was on a tour of the NASM Silver Hill facility. I remember that they had two B-24 nose sections stored up high on a wall. Could the section in these photos be one of those?

retroaviation · **Posted:** Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:26 pm

It's been said many times before, but while looking at the photos of Jack Roush's hangar, it's funny to note that very often in hangars where there are Mustangs, or Corsairs, or P-47s, or whatever...you'll also find an ol' Cub. :-)

Gary

hahnej · **Posted:** Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:28 pm

What's the history on the B-25 package guns? Is that a factory setp/field mod/?

CrewDawg · **Posted:** Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:29 pm

You can't see it in these shots but ther's a T-6 off to the left too.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

The B-24 center to waist gun section came from me (as well as a 40' semi full of stuff). It is from a Ford B-24L S/N 44-50022. It is the ONLY Ford B-24L that retains it's original WWII paint. I am happy they are going to preserve it as is vice restore it.

When done the B-24 at the YAM is going to be an awesome display.

Quest Master · **Joined:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 pm **Posts:** 387

The B-24 center to waist gun section came from me (as well as a 40' semi full of stuff). It is from a Ford B-24L S/N 44-50022. It is the ONLY Ford B-24L that retains it's original WWII paint. I am happy they are going to preserve it as is vice restore it.

When done the B-24 at the YAM is going to be an awesome display.

YAF340 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:09 pm

You did fine Steve, I see Van got the numbers on the waist section. The plan is to have an overhead display with the tail and center sections coming together. We hope to make it just like you are standing on the factory line as it is coming together. The one shot has the parts from the front turret for the PB4Y-2. We have moved outside for the summer, but had some sheet metal repair work on the Erco turret that is done and it is waiting for cleaning and paint. We have the complete hydraulics build up on a test bench that is about ready to test. You can keep tabs on us with the photo gallery at the lower left corner of www.yankeeairmuseum.org -JOE

GIJOE290 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:19 pm

nice photo's. Thanks for sharing.

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:05 pm

John Dupre wrote:

Years ago I was on a tour of the NASM Silver Hill facility. I remember that they had two B-24 nose sections stored up high on a wall. Could the section in these photos be one of those?

That was a very beat up nose section from a B-24D that I remember crawling all over when I interned at NASM back in 1984. No idea which aircraft it was from, however, it did end up at the American Air Museum at Duxford in the 1990's. They completely restored it to as-new condition, but sent it back to the USA when they acquired a complete B-24. Last time I saw the nose section (2005) it was in the 8th AF Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Richard

YAF340 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:36 pm

The AN-2 is our plane, it is in search of a crew for restoation to static display, any takers? JOE

SaxMan · **Posted:** Thu Aug 13, 2009 9:18 pm

Is the LB-30 / B-24A nose section from the Ft. Collins LB-30?

vernicator · **Joined:** Fri Apr 14, 2006 11:42 am **Posts:** 350

Quote:

Great shots. So what's the story on the 707 or 727 front section on the dolly?

YAF340 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:31 am

The one on the dolly is a 720 cockpit that we are doing as a KC130. It set outside and inside the cockpit was not good. We have a young guy that is working alone on it, so it is a snails pace, but forward movement, even slow is good. That is one thing about Yankee, we have plenty to keep us busy! JOE

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