More Buried Planes

[jmkendall]

Running around the old Ravenna Arsenal in NE Ohio this summer I literally tripped over a piece of Aircraft aluminum sticking out of the ground. Looking around I saw a few other pieces here and there. Being on a mission for the Army I really didn't have time to do a real good look around. Later I found we had been on a part of the base which was still being cleaned up. We were told that this was where Nasa conducted crash test with aircraft from 1949 onward.

A quick check on the internet showed them using C-46 Commando's that had been used in the Berlin Airlift. There must have been other aircraft as they mention testing with jet aircraft as well.

I located an official report by the US Army Corp of Engineers. This report clearly shows an aircraft burial area with perhaps as many 15 to 17 aircraft.

http://www.rvaap.org/docs/pub/P1_RI_NAC ... l_Text.pdf

But then again we all know the Government NEVER BURIED AIRCRAFT. Don't we?

[gary1954]

I have a metal detecter

[Wildchild]

Taken from the link above:

NTA, designated as AOC RVAAP-38 (Figure 1-2), was in operation from 1947 to 1953 and consists of
an area of approximately 27.9 hectares (69 acres). The AOC is located in the southwestern quadrant of
RVAAP. The site was used to conduct experimental crash tests of excess military aircraft in order to
develop explosion-proof fuel tanks and fuel for aircraft (AGOH 1997; NACA 1953). Figure 1-4 depicts
the cultural landmarks and other reference points within NTA that will be mentioned throughout this
report. Access to the site is by Demolition Road. The AOC consists of an east–west trending runway or
crash strip, measuring approximately 495-meters (1,625-feet) long; the crash area at the east end of the
strip, measuring about 244 × 244 meters (800 × 800 feet); the plane burial area upslope (east) of the crash
area; and the plane storage area, which surrounds and overlaps DA1 (RVAAP-03). Although the concrete
runway and pad are still present, the crash barrier, timing poles, utilities, buildings, and other
infrastructure have been removed. Water lines or other utilities are possibly still buried beneath the crash
area. A small reservoir was excavated for water, presumably for fire control, southeast of the former crash
barrier. An out-of-service water well, enclosed in a concrete pit, is located immediately northeast of the
reservoir. An access road (slag or compacted soil) makes a loop around the crash area. Wetland areas
exist partly within the AOC boundary north of the crash area. Along the southern boundary of the crash
area, seasonal wetland areas are evident.

Excess airplanes were flown to RVAAP under their own power, taxied along installation roads, and
staged at NTA. The planes were fueled and then propelled under their own power on a guide monorail.
The planes were then crashed into a concrete barrier at speeds from 80 to 105 miles per hour. During the
tests, high-speed films were made to study fuel spillage, generation of ignition sources, flame front
progression, and toxic gas generation, among other parameters. Fluids from the burning airplanes were
generally found in a fan-shaped area beginning at the crash barrier and extending out in front of the
airplane up to 122 meters (400 feet).

Seventeen excess aircraft were used during NTA operations. Some were completely consumed by fire.
Those that were significantly damaged during testing were stripped of instrumentation and salvageable
parts, and the majority were removed from the site. However, some aircraft were bulldozed into an area at
the northeast end of the AOC and buried. Debris protrudes from the soil at some locations within this
former burial area.

[ZRX61]

Take a look at page 28 & 51 of that report...

[jmkendall]

If you read the history of this project by NASA they talk about the initial acquisition of 50 flyable Aircraft, and not 17. The history also says that this was in 1949, and that by 1957 they had expanded to include Jet Aircraft.

There is an incredible amount of material at Ravenna. Bomb casings are used as decorations. There is a no dig order out in the "cleared" areas because the Army is well aware they have not cleared all the materials from even those areas declared safe!

Kinda like at the old Mare Island Shipyard when after they declared a certain area clear they uncovered Civil War cannon while digging a trench for a sewage pipe.

I would bet those aircraft were bulldozed flat. Also remember that when this was done there was a glut of scrap on the market.

[Airlift48]

C-46 Commandos were not used in the Berlin Airlift.

The US used: C-47's, 330 C-54/R5D's, 5 C-82 Packets, a C-74 Globemaster, and a YC-97A.

Contract carriers (US Airlines) used Dc-4s.

Brits used everything they had, but they did not have C-46's.

[jdvoss]

Hello JM Kendall:

I've attached a couple of two rather "fuzzy" aerial shots taken at Ravenna in 1952. The first photo depicts 17 Fairchild C-82 and one mystery A/C lined for "testing". The second photo shows not a single intact aircraft but there is a pile of scrapped aircraft. Presumably this spot is probably where you found aircraft aluminum poking out of the of the ground.


After testing...

[The Inspector]

Just a guess, but isn't the aircraft sandwiched between the two topmost C-82's a B-25?

[gary1954]

Just a guess, but isn't the aircraft sandwiched between the two topmost C-82's a B-25?

I dunno Inspector, It looks like a P-61 in both photos to me in lieu of the B-25 type

[51fixer]

Just a guess, but isn't the aircraft sandwiched between the two topmost C-82's a B-25?

I dunno Inspector, It looks like a P-61 in both photos to me in lieu of the B-25 type

Looks like it could be P-61s amongst the larger C-82s in lower R/H of the photo.
What ever is parked between the C-82 on the top L/H seems to be missing an engine?

[shrike]

I think it's a mixed bag of C-82's and C-119's. P-61 is considerably smaller (and notably skinnier).

[51fixer]

I think it's a mixed bag of C-82's and C-119's. P-61 is considerably smaller (and notably skinnier).

I thought the same but didn't think they would be chunking that many C-119s in 52 if that is the date of this photo.

[jdvoss]

I sorta doubt that the aircraft are C-119's. Reason being is that 1952 was about the mid-point of the production run for the 119's (1948 thru 1955) and I really can't think of a reason that they would be scrapping any so soon. The C-82's were being surplused by then and were no doubt "available for dispositon".

I agree that the 'mystery' plane looks much like that of a B-25.

John

[shrike]

I sorta doubt that the aircraft are C-119's. Reason being is that 1952 was about the mid-point of the production run for the 119's (1948 thru 1955) and I really can't think of a reason that they would be scrapping any so soon. The C-82's were being surplused by then and were no doubt "available for dispositon".

I agree that the 'mystery' plane looks much like that of a B-25.

John

But the first batch of C-119Bs were much less capable than the C and later, they may have been diverted to testing

[Wildchild]

So, we have C-82's, C-119's and a B-25 buried here?