Warbird Information Exchange

Airplanes don't make good outdoor displays unless you are willing to put a lot of work and money into them...constantly. The upkeep is non-stop. Without proper corrosion control, bird proofing, periodic stripping and repainting, they quickly become eye sores. This is a huge reason why the NMUSAF does not like "giving/loaning" retired military airplanes to towns for "park displays", etc. After a decade or so on display, they are easily forgotten, vandalized and fall into a sad state of disrepair. Even AF Bases struggle to properly maintain their static displays...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Yup, after decades of outside displays gone wrong you'd think we'd have learned our lesson by now?
Besides, if we a threw B-52 or B-47 etc. up there now...30yrs from now the future WIXers will be bitchin' 'bout what kinda dumasses we were back in 2014 for having done such a thing.

I say go with a couple of smaller glass or stainless replica's. Mebbee some neon...'Course it's not my property...

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The Tennessee Museum of Aviation bought a fibreglass P-51D. Purchase cost was $40K and had to be finished out. They painted it themselves and it looks great. Finished costs for display ran over $100k and that was 8 years ago.
Oh, they had to pay shipping costs to have it trucked across country, too. I'd rather have a real military aircraft and when it gets ratty the AIr Force will come take it back.

We have made a lot of good progress on the dismantling of the Lacey Lady. We should have her ready to transport to our hangar by the end of September. I will post progress pics later this week.

we will be looking froward to those pics for sure!

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I heard it said best when someone was griping about this bird and the condition she was in when someone replied, "Hey, if it hadn't been up there for all that time, it might have been melted down years ago!"
Amen.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

True, that's the other side of the coin. If the choice for the Air Force is scrap another -52 or -47, then 50 years on a stick may be a good thang. Let the future Wixer's bitch...at least they have a fresh set of bones to play with...

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

Heaven help them if when all is said and done they airbrush on the nose art...

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Keep 'em Flying.

Tho, I believe we're a bit off base here. Lacey Lady was a privately owned aircraft...I,m not sure, but I doubt the military would loan an aircraft to a for-profit display. I'd still rather see a hokeyed-up dime-a-dozen civilian twin as a "bomber" rather than the real deal.

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

For a replacement, I'm picturing a stainless steel 'wireframe' B-17, with solid 'wings' for cover, and liberal application of neon.....

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

....with hand painted noseart that looks like it was airbrushed!

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF