Warbird Information Exchange

Most of that outta buff right out.

Congratulations on the new bird, and best of luck. My grandfather flew in Avengers in WWII, so they definitely have a soft spot in my heart as well.

LOL

Congrats Mike! Let me know if you can use a hand unloading your new project...

Congrats mike............its about time someone saved that ole girl.........She has been there a long time! Did you get wings???? I remember a wreck that was at FLL in pieces. The airplane was recovered from the everglades. Dont know what happened to it, I will ask my dad, he would know.

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

Its sad when people talk about scrapping all of this sort of stuff.

How many DC3, B25, A26, Avengers etc are /were in danger

Be kind of cool to think about some sort of a bone yard for these in the desert and just dump them in rows until a time comes - as it surely will- when they are valued enough for someone to restore them in the future. Just use rudementary corrosion control and leave them.

It is only a matter of time until a B25 is needed back down here in Australia and I am sure the new A26 will interest people in that as well as when an A20 flies - if it all gets scrapped then it is hard to make something out of nothing. We have already lost too much and as for all the ex Canadian Firebombers well..............

Regards
John P

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Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce

Good for you. I know the feeling. Its rough, has corrosion, and its all mine.

Mike,

Congrats and good luck with the restoration!

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Matt

THANKS FOR ALL OF THE POSITIVE INPUT I NEED LOTS OF PART AS THE PAST OWNER HAD PLANNED TO SCRAP IT HE TOLD ALL HIS TBM FRIENDS TO COME AND TAKE WHAT THEY WANTED AND THEY DID .ALLOT HAS GONE MISSING BUT WITH SOME HELP FROM THE FELLOW WIXERS IM SURE WE CAN GET ER DONE ANY ONE WANTS TO SEE HER IT SHOULD BE IN MN. IN ABOUT A WEEK IVE MEET SOME VERY NICE/HELPFUL GUYS WHO HAVE HELPED ME ALLOT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.MIKE BROOKS IS ONE VERY NICE GUY AND I THINK HAS TAKEN OUT MORE SCREWS AND BOLTS THAN I HAVE ,HARLAND HAS BEEN HERE BUSTING HIS BUT TO HELP IT BECOME A REALITY.CHARLY CARTLEDGE HAS BEEN RIGHT IN THERE HELPING BLAST IT APART AND A VERY GOOD SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE,EVEN THE LAST OWNER HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND GIVEN ME LOTS OF STUFF HE HAD IN HIS OWN INVENTORY!!I EVEN MET FELLOW WIXER CHUCK GARDNER THANKS FOR POSTING THE PHOTOS HOT OFF THE PRESS MORE PHOTOS TO COME!!THANKS MIKE

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

Mike.....

Mind me asking a question ? I am asking just out of curiosity.

I do understand that for some the passion is in the doing..I.E. restoration work is actually more fun than flying. There is a lot of folks out there that do just that out of sheer passion. Once the project is done, they sell & start right back again.

There is also the case like you, where a specific project means more than the other one available next door whom might be in better shape. Like your dad's car or your first love.

Also is some case, due to $$$ you have to start with what you can afford today.

Now the question. Is one wants to fly a TBM. Is it more $$$ sensible to get one from courtesy at 200-250K $ already up and going or at the end of the day if you do it all yourself ( like you will be doing ) are you better off to start from the ground up ?

Do you have pics of her when she was last flying ?

Congradulations again.

Here's to you (a class act) and the TBM -



I've been waiting for a good reason to use that one! Any ideas for markings yet?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Hi yes you can buy a tbm for around $200,000.00 but I dont charge enough I guess this a/c has more than monitary value to me.I could not sit around and see it scrapped.Way too many a/c have suffered that same fate and once gone there gone for good the a-25 was a childhood dream as much as the tbm,I never thought that either one would really happen but as we all know if you put your mind to something the posibilitys are unlimited Well its off to work thanks Mike

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

It can be repaired. ALot of work but can be repaired. I looked inside and it is not so bad it can't be fixed. Did it come with wings? I thought I saw some laying around at one time. The H-34 that was there was real bad . What happened to it?

Does anyone have know the U.S. Navy Bureau Number of this TBM, N4172A? The FAA Civil Aircraft Registry lists its serial number as 6810. Is this a Constructor's Number? Thanks. Todd

Here's an update:

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....

OK then....

Tks Chuck for the pic.

I have one for you all......

I do have some pics of this bird that do date back anywhere from 2 to 5 years.

So Mike. How long was she parked there ?

And........................

Let's try to see how many can come up with pictures of her through different period of her life.... Most will be at Reilley's place I am sure.

In my case when I get back to have access to a scanner I will gladly send what I have ( which is fairly recent )

I am pretty sure WIX can come up with some gems for Mike.

Cheers

Which prompt a TBM question. Is a TBM a she or he ?????? Sorry for asking such a weird one as such a question is obvious in French.

HI SHE HAS BEEN SITTING THERE FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND IT WAS A ROUGH 20 AT THAT! I WOULD SAY ITS A BIG BELLIED GIRL BUT AS TOUGH AS ANY GUY SO CALL IT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE.SHE CAME APART THIS AFTERNOON NOT AN EASY TASK BUT NO CUTTING WAS INVOLVED IT ALL UNBOLTED THE WAY GRUMMAN SAID IT WOULD.IT WILL BE ON ITS WAY HOME IN THE MORNING TO A MUCH BETTER LIFE THE WEATHER HERE IS GREAT BUT I DONT LIKE SPIDERS AND SNAKES WHICH IVE SEEN MORE THAN MY SHARE I HAVE 2 PHOTOS OF HER IN AERIAL APPLICATORS COLORS ONE IS FROM A TBM/FIRE BOMBER WEB SITE THE OTHER FROM A OLD AIR CLASSICS FROM 1973 DOES ANYONE HAVE MORE?PLEASE SHARE IF YOU DO THANKS AGAIN CHUCK FOR THE FAST PHOTO POSTING IT WAS GREAT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON!!ONE MORE DAY OF HARD WORK AND SHES OUTA THERE!! YES THERE ARE WINGS BUT IN THE SAME SHAPE,KEEP YOUR EYES N EARS OPEN FOR BITS N PIECES.THANKS MIKE

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT