Warbird Information Exchange

This is an awesome collection. The B-29 is stock and went to the boneyard complete, ended up as a gate guard at DM, and then the Pima Museum got it.
The only draw back to the museum is the lack of indoor display space. As a result, aircraft are restored and then put outside in the blazing sun where paint fades and birds do their worst. I believe they have a long range plan to construct more hangars. It would be nice if the town and state would push a little money their way....

I hope that most of the smaller aircraft being restored will be put into a hanger. I'd hate to see the A-20 & B-26 left out side. I can't wait to get back down there in a few years. That is and will continue to be one of the best museums in the world in my opinion.

The only reason I'd like to see the B-36 out side is that you will be able to view it. I love the one at Castle, you can really take in the whole aircraft. Too bad its not the best for the aircraft.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

sasnak,

Thanks for this information and the link.

Do you have any details about where the B26-B 41-31856 they are restoring came from and how Pima acquired it. This serial number is not in my database and I sincerely appreciate any information you may have about this Marauder.

many thanks, ww2john

It is /was a David Tallechett aircraft that was being restored at the Empire State Aeronautical Museum in Schenectady New York. It was move about 2 years ago to Pima

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b26regis ... 01501.html

I have several shot on my webshot page, under General Aircraft or something like that (it has a B-24 tail turret picture on the main folder)

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

You don't know the half of it.

Since I visited in March they have finished a Beech C-45 and the BD-5J (which was in storage at the time). They've added a new V-1, B-36, C-9 since then. What a Museum. Just wish I was closer and could visit more than once a year.

Jim

C-9 in a museum. That seems funny but...

I remember we would rip on the aircrew in A-school and those who flew us around the west coast. Your going to get stuck on a C-9. Not a P-3 or something like that. As the saying went "Coffee, Tea or Me?".

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

We will be putting the A-20 and B-26 inside when they are finished. We acutally hope to build a building to house all the Talichet aircraft we've gotten on loan. The Marauder, by the way, is a real Frankenstein airplane made up of the parts of at least four aircraft. It will be restored as one of the aircraft recovered from Canada by Talichet since the wings are the early short version and we have most of an early tail gunner's compartment to work with.

Next year we will be breaking ground on a new 50,000 square foot expansion to the entrance hangar. The PBM, B-18, SR-71, A-10, F-107 and possibly a couple of more will be going inside. We'll also be redoing the existing part of the hangar and moving some things to other buildings. We'll be adding a few new planes to the collection too, but I'm not allowed to tell you what just yet.

James

I was under the impression that the B-26 was one of the aircraft from Canada, and that it was one aircraft just missing a few pieces. Any idea on what kind of B-26 parts you have?

The plans for the museum sound great, I also wish I lived closer so I could visit more. The last time I only got to see ½ the museum in the 3 hours I had. I real heart ache I could not have a whole day or two.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

The only parts of our B-26 that came from Canada are the wings. I think the rest of it went into the one Kermit has and the other one that is undergoing restoration right now. The nose we have was one of two that a guy in California was going to turn into a camper, the rear fuselage and tail came from junk yards in California and Oklahoma. Basically we have a complete airplane except for cowls. If anybody knows where a pair in half way nice shape might be I'd love to hear from you.

James

Thanks for the updated information on the B26 project at Pima. I figured it was, as you call it, a "Frankenstein" aircraft: nothing wrong with that...always glad to see one more rare aircraft come back to life. Will they unveil this one during a thunderstorm?

Here's what I know of the seven existing "complete" B26's (below), not including the Pima restoration project. Please, anyone, update me if I have missed any B26's.

40-1370 Hill AFB Museum, Provo, UT (restoration)

40-1459 (N4299K) MAPS, Canton, OH (restoration)*

40-1464 (N4297J) Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, FL (airworthy)*

40-1501 (N4299S) Empire State, Schnectady, NY (partial display & restoration)*

41-31773 "Flak Bait" NASM, Washington, DC (partial display & remainder in storage)

44-34581 "Shootin' In" NMUSAF, Dayton, OH (display)

44-68219 MAE, La Bourget

* = these 3 aircraft were recovered in 1971 from Smith River, British Columbia after a forced landing in 1942.

40-1370, the oldest known complete B26 Martin Marauder airframe, was recoved from a 1942 crash site in King Salmon, Alaska in 2000 for the Hill AFB Museum.

I have seen six of these B26's: haven't made it to Provo yet and now have to visit Pima, again...what a chore, eh?

The one in ESAM in NY is the Pima Aircraft. There is no longer a B-26 at the musuem.

_________________
www.tailhookstudio.com

Someone please let the NMUSAF know that their transportation woes for the XC-99 have just been solved. All they need to do is figure out how to pay those guys to move that wing up. I really like that dolly, and am happy that the guys at Pima found someone who could move it without cutting it.

dave

Jim, Has the entire B-36 been moved to Pima or is there still more to move?

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

It's all here now, the wing was the last piece we needed to move. We've begun the preliminary restoration survey and started work on some small parts of the wing leading edge. We're going to take our time planning out exactly how we're going to do the reassembly. We don't want to hurt anybody or break anything.