Warbird Information Exchange

By the way, I have a few photos of Slot MM F-86s with the dirty tail, so no major mystery there.

My MinuteMen research for each F-86F is as follows:

51-2826 Right Wing (Lt. Robert Odle, also used Capt. Cherry and Walt Williams)
51-2827 Solo (Maj. Wynn A. Coomer)
51-2855 Right Wing (Lt. Robert Odle, also Lead, flown by Col. Williams)
51-2867 Lead (Col. Walt E. Williams)
51-2868 Left Wing (Capt. Robert C. Cherry, also Slot, Capt. Ferrier)
51-2884 Left Wing (Lt John France, also Solo a/c)
51-2900 Slot (Capt. John T. Ferrier, also Left Wing, Capt Cherry)

I think it's reasonable to assume therefore that all aircraft were used in all positions at some point. Not included in these are the F-86Es used occasionally in practice sessions.

Nice summary of the planes and pilots. Thanks!
51-2868 also flew Lead after Walt had to quit due to a heart attack. I wasn't aware that John Ferrier ever flew this plane but, I'm sure every pilot flew every plane at some time.

Here are some more pilot details...
Lt.Col. Walt Williams - Lead, Commander
Maj. Ranger Curran - Right Wing, A.F. Advisor to the 120th
Maj. Warren Harvey - Left Wing, a full time Air Guard technician
Lt. Dick Hueholt - Slot.
Solo aircraft, usually a T-33, flown by Wynn Coomer, a United Airlines Pilot.
Capt. Bob Cherry - left Wing; also flew right wing, slot and lead
Capt. John Ferrier - Slot.
Lt. Bo Odle - Right Wing
Capt. Ron Jankovsky, slot replacing Captain Ferrier
Lt. Gobel James - slot
Lt. John France Left Wing.

No discussion of the Minute Men would be complete without mentioning Ed Mack Miller, a United Airlines Instructor Pilot who was the team's narrator and publicity officer; Bill Koger, a Denver attorney who was the team's intrepid support pilot and alternate narrator who flew the team's aging C-47 from Alaska to Panama and throughout the continental U.S. without a single incident; and, the expert and totally dedicated crewchiefs who worked many 18 hour days to insure that enough Sabres
were always available for every show.

I have this colour slide of 51-2826 reportedly at TOCO, Texas in 1978. Advertising the Flying Tiger Museum.

Thank you very much!!! I always enjoy getting new info on the GunVals!

Do any other GunVal aircraft survive?

Here is the status of the ten planes as I know today...

The GunVal F-86F-2s that the COANG got and flew with as the Minute Men. I'm still in search of 51-2819. Its out there somewhere but all the files and paperwork are messed up. The last photo I have of it is on a flat bed trailer without wings being used as a recruiting tool somewhere in the Midwest.

Here are the ten GunVal plane numbers
51-2803, 51-2819, 51-2826, 51-2836, 51-2855, 51-2861, 51-2867, 51-2868, 51-2884, 51-2900

51-2803 Lost 30Apr53 over Yellow Sea after cannon firing caused engine stall. Pilot (Lonnie Moore) ejected and picked up by rescue helicopter.

51-2819 3515 Trng Squadron at Randolph TX, to SAAMA McClellan (Sacramento Air Materiel Area) 21May57 where it was Struck off Charge (SOC) (or deleted from the Active Inventory to be slightly more accurate) on 12Jul57 to “Class26” which normally means Ground Instruction. Nothing further known on this one. This is the one I'm trying to find. There are lots of pieces of wrong information within the AF on it. I have photos of it in Wisconsin in late 1958 at the state fair. It has never been officially written off.

51-2826 To SAAMA McClellan (Sacramento Air Materiel Area) 31May57. To 120FIS Denver 20Feb58. To 155CLMSq Cheyenne, WY where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 05Nov59 HOWEVER this is still in existence at the Military Museum in Boise, Idaho which acquired it from Ontario Airport in Oregon from a private owner, Merle H. Maine, ex Paris TX and Casper WY – which would tie in with it being SOC at Cheyenne. Is currently being restored and is in pretty good condition. Repainted to Korean War colors; gun ports have been restored to the nose. Would love to see it get Minute Men theme and Walt Williams name attached -- he created and lead the Minute Men in the early '50s and this was his plane.

51-2836 336FIS/4FIG. Lost 20Jul53, shot down by Mig, Pilot baled out. HOWEVER there are official record cards which show ths aircraft as being with the 3320 TTAWg (Technical Training Wing I would guess), at Amarillo, TX (these days it is Sheppard AFB) where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 16Aug57. A bit of a problem here, perhaps the Record Card has an erroneous aircraft serial number. Another mystery but in either case, this one was lost or scrapped. Not available

51-2855 SAAMA McClellan. To 120FIS Denver 14Feb58. To AASBR (Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch, Now AMARC) at Davis Monthan 14Jul59 where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 10Mar60 Turned to beer cans

51-2861 336FIS/4FIG. Lost 25Jan53. Engine stalled after cannon firing at Mig. Pilot (Murray Winslow) ejected over sea.

51-2867 SAAMA McClellan. To 120FIS Denver 20Mar58. To AASBR (Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch, Now AMARC) at Davis Monthan 14Jul59 where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 10Mar60. Turned to beer cans

51-2868 SAAMA McClellan. To 120FIS Denver 10Feb58. To AASBR (Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch, Now AMARC) at Davis Monthan 14Jul59 where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 05Mar60. Turned to beer cans. This was my dad's plane.

51-2884 120FIS Denver. SOC 08Feb60 as Donated. To Seattle initially I believe. Nicely restored; not flyable

51-2900 SAAMA McClellan. To 120FIS Denver 22Feb58. Lost 07Jun58. Crashed at/near Wright Patterson AFB, OH where it was SOC for reclamation & scrapping 10Aug58. Turned to beer cans however a reconstruction of this plane has been restored to flight ready status!! Yes!! It isn't a GunVal or this plane but its nice to see this plane becoming flight worthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsurL3uxmYA

I meant other than the Sabres,

Here’s a 2013 photo of the Sabre at the Idaho Military Museum in Boise.

Is this 826?

Yes it's the ex-Merle Maine aircraft. It's a shame it couldn't have been restored in an accurate colour scheme.

Answering my own question, I did a bit of digging. It seems that none of the other GunVal aircraft survived past the late 50s/early 60s. The F-89s were converted back to stock and flew with ANG squadrons before scrapping at Davis Monthan. Not sure what happened to the F-84Fs but at least one F-94 saw ANG service and was presumably scrapped too.