Eighth Air Force Museum might lose their aircraft

[Firebird]

Since the plane was given specifically to Barksdale, wouldn't moving it to Wright-Patterson be a no-no. Maybe the Barksdale museum could give it to the CAF and the CAF could trade it for, I dunno', maybe an F-82.

Moving a Vulcan anywhere isn't an easy task - full stop.

The design doesn't allow them to be broken down and put back together again.
It's only been done once as far as I know, and that was the RAFM Hendon example, which was done immediately after RAF retirement with access to 30 years of RAF Vulcan know how from the 'crash n smash' teams.
The design also doesn't allow them to be easily sawn up into bits and welded back together again.

Wherever Vulcans were flown to is generally where they will stay till being scrapped after corrsion of the u/c support structure see them collasping onto the ground or it can be towed under cover and looked after properly provided they arn't already a lost cause.

[Ztex]

...fly the originals to a secret base in Texas, which will then declare it's independence from the U.S. ....

I like it!

[capt.grumpyly]

No offense but I wouldnt mind seeing a fiberglass B-24 replica left outside and the Ford built B-24 transferred to Yankee Air Museum for restoration to flightworty.

you at YANKEE AIR MUSEUM have a flying club, no one at this organiztion have any idea, how to handle this idea, 30 years this organiztion has been around, still don't have museum, you don't tell the nmusaf NO, go on to GOOGLE, MICHAEL B. DONLEY, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE V. YANKEE AIR FORCE, INCORPORATED AKA YANKEE AIR MUSEUM, if you pay your bill, wouldn't lose your aircraft on loan from AIR FORCE,

[Jesse C.]

No offense but I wouldnt mind seeing a fiberglass B-24 replica left outside and the Ford built B-24 transferred to Yankee Air Museum for restoration to flightworty.

you at YANKEE AIR MUSEUM have a flying club, no one at this organiztion have any idea, how to handle this idea, 30 years this organiztion has been around, still don't have museum, you don't tell the nmusaf NO, go on to GOOGLE, MICHAEL B. DONLEY, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE V. YANKEE AIR FORCE, INCORPORATED AKA YANKEE AIR MUSEUM, if you pay your bill, wouldn't lose your aircraft on loan from AIR FORCE,

Wow! Dude, you are replying to a post that is almost 3 yrs. old!! By the way, who are you? Did you do an intro somewhere with some info on who you might be? Just wondering!

[capt.grumpyly]

No offense but I wouldnt mind seeing a fiberglass B-24 replica left outside and the Ford built B-24 transferred to Yankee Air Museum for restoration to flightworty.

you at YANKEE AIR MUSEUM have a flying club, no one at this organiztion have any idea, how to handle this idea, 30 years this organiztion has been around, still don't have museum, you don't tell the nmusaf NO, go on to GOOGLE, MICHAEL B. DONLEY, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE V. YANKEE AIR FORCE, INCORPORATED AKA YANKEE AIR MUSEUM, if you pay your bill, wouldn't lose your aircraft on loan from AIR FORCE,

Wow! Dude, you are replying to a post that is almost 3 yrs. old!! By the way, who are you? Did you do an intro somewhere with some info on who you might be? Just wondering!

My mistake sir, I used to be a member of YAM for 18 years, right now the nmusaf is removing aircraft from the air park on loan, not looking good for future of this museum for refusing to pay a bill, lieing to metcalf, blaming a congressman, keeping secrets from the membership,

[bomberflight]

Hi capt.grumpyly ~ welcome to WIX !

You say aircraft are being removed right now ..... can you share with us which ones please ?

[capt.grumpyly]

Hi capt.grumpyly ~ welcome to WIX !

You say aircraft are being removed right now ..... can you share with us which ones please ?

well only one has been remove is the T-33 if this is truth about removeable of the aircraft on loan from U.S.AIR FORCE MUSEUM in DAYTON,OHIO, can answer any questions when or what is on loan,

[the330thbg]

Capt. Grumpyly.., what language translator are you using?

[Nathan]

Lies.

[Django]

Well, as long as the thread is live again, how is Barksdale doing 3 years later?

[walkerarmyairfield]

Sad news about the 8th Air Force Museum aircraft. Having been envolved with trying to establish a New Museum on the Pratt Army Airfield in Kansas the last couple of years I can feel the pain and furstration with these Museums. My work was on a very small scale compared to the 8th Museum. We have to face the facts that 99 percent of the public doesn't give a hoote about WW2 Aviation History. With the economy going into the tank and most likely will never recover, private funded museums will be on the decline.
My goal with the Museum that I was working with was to preserve the B-29 training program history but finding members to help that are really interested in the Army Airforces History are very had to find, let alone keep them envolved with a Museum.

Many of you know how it works, you get a loaner aircraft the Government Museum and a big local project is started to fund the hauling expense and to mount the Airplane on a Pole, Speeches and dedication and 5 years later the site is overgrown with weeds, bird droppings all over the aircraft, paint fading on the airplane and no interest in keeping it or the site in presentable condition.

Flying my own aircraft for many years I have witnessed a continued decline in General Aviation. Without new people getting into Aviation History, Museums have to where to go but on the decline.

When you are invited to give a speeh at a local function and you mention Aviation History just look at the frowns on the audience.

The WW2 Aviation History needs to be preserved for future generations. As many of you know when you mention WW2 aviation people give you a look that makes you wonder why you brought the subject up.

Best of luck to all of you who are working to restore an aircraft or working with an operating Aviation Museum, you are performing a great service to honor the Memory of many thousands that lost their lives giving us the Freedom we have today.

We need to honor the people that were envolved with all aspects of Military Aviation and never forget their sacrifices.
Just finished reading McCampbell's "Heroes" The story of the U.S. Nany's Most Celebrated Carrier Fighter of the Pacific War. "Fabled Fifteen". A group that I would never have discovered sans this book or a possible trip to the Naval Aviation Museum.

Keep up the great work,

Phillip Schulz

[CrewDawg]

I don't have time to write the full response that I would like to right now, however suffice it to say that they are working on getting a building to put some of the older/rarer aircraft in. Buck Rigg the founder and curator for nearly 30 years passed away recently and the new curator is taking the bull by the horns. I was the volunteer Director of Maintenance there while I as on active duty at BAFB from '88 to '92 (under the aforementioned Col. Dula's command). I was contacted by the new curator after offering to give them PDF copies of B-17 manuals to help with the restoration of the interior of their B-17. They are working hard, I still stay in contact with a few of the old gang there. The general public thinks that because the museum is on a military base that they have all the money they need to take care of planes and exhibits, this is far from the truth. All of our support came from private donations, gift shop sales (thanks to Wade Meyers aka Chicoartist, aka The Gift Shop Mgr), and funds raised by the non-profit museum association. The only time the base commanders cared about us was when it benefited them, before a base inspection or the annual air show. Col, now Gen. Dula was one of the better supporters of the museum, but it still wasn't enough. I was there when the B-29 was moved off of the east inactive runway and assembled, also when the then RAF Vulcan Display Flight members came over and installed a set of tires on XM606 to replace the dry rotted ones we had. Buck was my friend and in many ways one of my mentors that taught me a lot about history and specifically the 8th AF. That man had an amazing memory and knowledge of 8th AF, and USAF history in general. I will dig through my emails and see if I can find some recent pictures of the planes at the museum. I do know that there is a solid plan developing for construction of a building and possibly relocating the entire museum to the east side of the base where there is more space.