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aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:07 pm

I'm wondering what aircraft are out there that are UP for donation to a musuem. Huey's, warthogs etc? It doesn't have to be a plane that several musuems have been trying to get for some time now, just surplused ex military choppers and planes in the boneyard that the military doesn't mind going to a established musuem.

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:59 pm

VFM is getting an A-3 Skywarrior from the boneyard at Davis-Monthan through the Navy's museum program.

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:03 pm

Wendover is on the list for the Navy program and got our F-86L via the USAF museum program. It can be a frustratingly long wait for a plane though. I keep thinking that there has to be an A-7, A-6, S-3 that we could care for! Soon, sadly, the EA-6B will be a museum plane option as well. . . . :(

Tom P.

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:15 pm

Circa 1995 I was TDY to Davis-Monthan doing work on the loaned/donated aircraft program.
I met the gentleman who was responsible for the loaning and donation aircraft...he said he had hundreds of surplus A-7s he was trying to find a home for.

I thought they would make a nice display aircraft since they'd fit easily on a semi and there's a chance that the wings could just be folded limiting the amount of disassembly required.

Likewise T-38s might be a good type to display for the same reason.

Right now, it looks like Hueys are the "new" T-33s....a lot of them are out there.

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:18 pm

Who do you contact for a Huey, t-33?

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:39 pm

I doubt if many T-33s are left....back then many were being sent out to the Goldwater range for targets.
Any recent visitors to D-M see many?

As far a a Huey...I'd start with the NMUSAF Public Affairs office.
They'll refer you to the right people.
I don't know whether a Huey would have to be approved by the Army, or whether the NMUSAF and/or AMARG can allocate them.

Re: aircraft UP for donations?

Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:10 pm

Dont forget that the museum has to raise the coin for what is usually over sized shipping loads. We had an F-111 for Stratford but the shipping was 35K as well as the B-52 allocated to us back in '99. That was finally scrapped this past summer. We have 3 aircraft (T-37,38 & 33) all on loan from the GSA. You have to meet alot of requirements. Your best shot might be to get one of the T-33's up in Wallingford CT (I think thats the town) there is a guy with 2 display hulks for sale.
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