P-61 survivors

HarvardIV · **Joined:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:08 pm **Posts:** 1437

George Wrote:

Quote:

A couple of ghost widows seem to be unaccounted for on the west coast. One was seen parked for years in Northern California, I think, then simply seemed to disappear. I don't think its disposition has ever been solved. Then there is the one that could be in a remote structure near Blythe. Apparently, some major parts of this widow were found in an abandoned barracks in the desert.

Please tell us more on this George. I live a stone's throw from Blythe. A friend in the family who's one of the CAF pilots in the S.F. area told me that his friend has a Tigercat in a barn in Northern California! These things are entirely possible.

However, I flew over several old auxilarry fields out here in the Arizona desert. One near GIla Bend had quite a few B-25 there during the 2nd war, and still has various revetments standing. It's highly plausible that some spare parts were left somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if a few planes were buried in haste.

Flat 12x2 · **Posted:** Sun May 15, 2005 6:08 am

DaveM2 wrote:

kalamazookid wrote:

Wasn't the one in China bought by Paul Allen?

Rumoured to be, but still in China as of a month ago.

Dave

I am sure I read somewhere that another one was rumoured to still be in China (3 compleat P-61's were left behind) & that it is that one that Paul Alllen had brought, hence the Bejing one still being there & all the confusion

Martin

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

Regarding Chris' questions on the California widows, I was not aware Bean's plane was scrapped for sure, just that it was thought to be scrapped. Bean was apparently very secretive about what he had out in the desert. Who scrapped it, and where? The Northern California widow is really a mystery, since no one seems to have any info on where it went after leaving Santa Rosa muni in the 60s. One day it was just no longer there! What if the "Tigercat" is actually the Widow. Possible.

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

george wrote:

Regarding Chris' questions on the California widows, I was not aware Bean's plane was scrapped for sure, just that it was thought to be scrapped. Bean was apparently very secretive about what he had out in the desert. Who scrapped it, and where? The Northern California widow is really a mystery, since no one seems to have any info on where it went after leaving Santa Rosa muni in the 60s. One day it was just no longer there! What if the "Tigercat" is actually the Widow. Possible.

I came across this old thread while doing some searching in regards to the thread below at AAFO.COM. Can anybody add any information regarding where the picture was taken and when? An ex-Honduran P-38 and Corsair along with what appears to be a P-61 carcass could only be Bob Bean right?

http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=8637

gary1954 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 06, 2011 7:02 pm

Two, count 'em Two ... 1, 2 pages of talk talk talk, and not one (1) photograph.............where the heck did Jack Cook get off to?? :axe:

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

So is there still a confirmed P-61 in Bejing?

wingman1 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 6:56 am

#1 42-39417 P-61A Beijing China Beijing Aeronautics Institute 3 Black Widows were stolen from the USAAF by communist Chinese troops in the final days of WWII. This one is on display at the Institute’s museum outside of Beijing. Jeff Kolln has recently confirmed that the other two were destroyed, and also confirmed the serial number of the survivor.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61beijing.html

#2 42-39445 P-61B Reading PA Mid-Atlantic Air Museum Recovered in 1990 from a mountain in the south Pacific. Undergoing restoration to flying status.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61red.html (page has not been updated in some time. aircraft is closer to completion. google is your friend! :lol:

)

#3 43-8330 P-61C Washington DC National Air And Space Museum As of May, 2006, the Black Widow is on display at the NASM annex, the Udvar Hazy Center near Dullas Airport, after decades of storage at Silver Hills.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61nasm.html

#4 43-8352 P-61C Dayton OH US Air Force Museum On display in the WWII hangar, marked as 42-39468.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61dayton.html

wingman1 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:06 am

gary1954 wrote:

Two, count 'em Two ... 1, 2 pages of talk talk talk, and not one (1) photograph.............where the heck did Jack Cook get off to?? :axe:

i share your fustration! :axe:

have a beer on me! :drink3:

wingman1 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:09 am

wingman1 wrote:

#1 42-39417 P-61A Beijing China Beijing Aeronautics Institute 3 Black Widows were stolen from the USAAF by communist Chinese troops in the final days of WWII. This one is on display at the Institute’s museum outside of Beijing. Jeff Kolln has recently confirmed that the other two were destroyed, and also confirmed the serial number of the survivor.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61beijing.html

#2 42-39445 P-61B Reading PA Mid-Atlantic Air Museum Recovered in 1990 from a mountain in the south Pacific. Undergoing restoration to flying status.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61red.html (page has not been updated in some time. aircraft is closer to completion. google is your friend! :lol:

)

#3 43-8330 P-61C Washington DC National Air And Space Museum As of May, 2006, the Black Widow is on display at the NASM annex, the Udvar Hazy Center near Dullas Airport, after decades of storage at Silver Hills.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61nasm.html

#4 43-8352 P-61C Dayton OH US Air Force Museum On display in the WWII hangar, marked as 42-39468.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61dayton.html

thanks to John A. Weeks III, and his great website...

http://www.johnweeks.com/menu/av.html .....for the info!

Django · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:22 am

No pics on THIS thread.

Go here...

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... hp?t=13826

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... hp?t=13820

gary1954 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:21 pm

My at all the weapons on board, if..."IF" P.A. has bought said airframe and is returning it to its country of origin, will it too meet the same fate as the now infamous SkyRaider?
Frickin Gov-ment :axe:

DaveM2 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:22 pm

wingman1 wrote:

#1 42-39417 P-61A Beijing China Beijing Aeronautics Institute 3 Black Widows were stolen from the USAAF by communist Chinese troops in the final days of WWII. This one is on display at the Institute’s museum outside of Beijing. Jeff Kolln has recently confirmed that the other two were destroyed, and also confirmed the serial number of the survivor.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61beijing.html

#2 42-39445 P-61B Reading PA Mid-Atlantic Air Museum Recovered in 1990 from a mountain in the south Pacific. Undergoing restoration to flying status.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61red.html (page has not been updated in some time. aircraft is closer to completion. google is your friend! :lol:

)

#3 43-8330 P-61C Washington DC National Air And Space Museum As of May, 2006, the Black Widow is on display at the NASM annex, the Udvar Hazy Center near Dullas Airport, after decades of storage at Silver Hills.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61nasm.html

#4 43-8352 P-61C Dayton OH US Air Force Museum On display in the WWII hangar, marked as 42-39468.

http://www.johnweeks.com/p61/p61dayton.html

thanks to John A. Weeks III, and his great website...

http://www.johnweeks.com/menu/av.html .....for the info!

The survivors serial number was confirmed by Wixer BDK who took photographs of the data plate and posted them on the forum a few years back.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

wingman1 wrote:

#1 42-39417 P-61A Beijing China Beijing Aeronautics Institute 3 Black Widows were stolen from the USAAF by communist Chinese troops in the final days of WWII. This one is on display at the Institute’s museum outside of Beijing. Jeff Kolln has recently confirmed that the other two were destroyed, and also confirmed the serial number of the survivor.

Really? That isn't what the data plate says... :wink:

Back to lurking!

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