Chanute Air Museum

[kalamazookid]

This has always been on my list of places I'd like to take a road trip to see and I never got there. I may need to make that a priority between now and December.

Here's an article I found: http://www.illinoishomepage.net/story/d/story/chanute-air-museum-closing-for-good/34873/j76_FGQ4SEGr9uO-fnW4-w

[Ethan]

Are ALL of the aircraft owned by the USAF or are some of them owned directly by the Chanute Air Museum?

[flightsimer]

looks like only the O-2 may be owned by them. It is listed as coming from a maintenance school.

[carseneau]

I can answer some of the Chanute questions. The C-133 is still there, not relocated. Please send me a PM about relocating aircraft. I am NOT the person responsiable but can direct you. The Navy owns 2 (I think) of the aircraft, all the rest are Air Force. None are owned by the museum. The F-105 is still there but outside. The SA-16B Albatross is still there. Located outside.

[RickH]

The 105 is still there but in very sad shape with holes corroded through some of the panels and the horizontal surfaces. It's a gutted shell.

The B-58 is inside the hangar.

[armyjunk2]

A couple of pics from Chanute

Aircraft at Chanute
http://www.cdsg.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=163

Minuteman silo at Chanute
http://www.cdsg.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=162

[bdk]

I can answer some of the Chanute questions. The C-133 is still there, not relocated. Please send me a PM about relocating aircraft. I am NOT the person responsiable but can direct you. The Navy owns 2 (I think) of the aircraft, all the rest are Air Force. None are owned by the museum. The F-105 is still there but outside. The SA-16B Albatross is still there. Located outside.

Even the civilian aircraft (homebuilts)?

[Mustanger55]

Adding to my good friend Curt's (carseneau) comments.....
All of the military aircraft except the EC-131 and A-4A are owned by NMUSAF. The other two are Navy. Several static restoration efforts are ongoing, but will be curtailed by the closing. Those of us who volunteer time to work on the aircraft are saddened by the news. We hope to hear which a/c's are moving and which will be scrapped in coming month's. The civilian a/c's are held as part of the museum's collection.
It is our hope that the P-51H Mustang goes to Dayton. Curt and I put a decade of Saturdays into that one.

More here >>> http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/p51h/mrp/mrp.htm

[Pat Carry]

My gut feeling is, many of the aircraft will be scrapped. I hope I'm wrong

[Django]

Oh no! We'll have to make a plan for a trip down there this summer.

What a shame.

It would be tough to see any of the aircraft scrapped in this day and age.

I agree, the P-51H would look great at Dayton. I don't think they have an H on display do they?

[samsirsam]

I was stationed at Chanute from Jan.1952 to May 1952. I went to aircraft instrument school. still working on instruments at 81 years young. What will happen to the instruments I sent for the P51? I don't want them returned just put to good use. sam campbell

[Chris Brame]

I agree, the P-51H would look great at Dayton. I don't think they have an H on display do they?

No, they have an A-36A and a P-51D.

[Warbirdnerd]

The city of Rantoul would like to keep the P-51, F-86, and AT-6:

RANTOUL — Chanute Air Museum will close at the end of the year, but three of the aircraft exhibited there are expected to remain at Rantoul National Aviation Center.

The village of Rantoul is asking to be able to retain the aircraft — on loan from the Air Force.

They include a restored P-51 Mustang fighter, an AT-6 Texan and an F-86 Sabre fighter.

Village Administrator Jeff Fiegenschuh told the village board that former Airport Manager Rune Duke felt the three planes were in the best condition and "ones he felt as a professional had the most historic significance."

Fiegenschuh said the P-51 and the AT-6 Texan would be stored inside and be brought out for special events, while the F-86 will be stored outside.

The village would ask to retain the aircraft on loan, and if the Air Force determines the village is the best choice, it would be allowed to borrow the three.

Curator Mark Hanson said the museum was not involved in the selection process. It involved only the village and the Air Force.

"Once the museum declared those aircraft in excess, the museum is out of the loop," Hanson said.

Hanson said all three planes have been at the museum since it opened.

The P-51 is a vintage World War II fighter. Its restoration by Curt Arseneau and Norm Meyers was completed in 2013.

The AT-6 Texan is a vintage World War II-era trainer that "was used for a lot of different things," Hanson said. "Some export versions were used for a little while in an attack role."

The F-86 Sabre "is kind of the Korean War iconic fighter," he said. "I would say it is the Air Force's first really successful jet fighter. It set the bar, especially during the Korean War."

Found it here:
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/ ... useum.html

[Chris Brame]

I hope the NMUSAF doesn't agree to having the F-86A "stored outside" (their words; note it doesn't say displayed outside) - as an A model and one of the oldest survivors it deserves better.

Norm, Curt - if I'm wrong about the way they want to store it I'm sorry; could you tell us what they mean?

[kalamazookid]

I would be interested in hearing about where these aircraft would be stored as well. It would be neat if there was some sort of local historical museum or society that might have space for them. Nothing turned up in a quick Google search, but maybe there is a public space that these aircraft could be displayed. I think it would be a nice gesture on the part of NMUSAF to let the area keep some local history if a suitable display location could be found.