Warbird Information Exchange

New video from this past month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foUsstCTv24

drone usually directly overhead, showing how closely spaced many of the aircraft are. Many have wings removed, but nearby

some planes (MiG 25 fuselage, for ex.) moved to a new location. Don't see anything new, but others have better eyes...

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Kevin McCartney

The museum released another video two days ago. This one includes footage of the non-hangar storage: Storage Aircraft Restoration Projects and More NMUSAF Jan 2025

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

The restoration of The Swoose seems to be going in reverse.

What do we have here?

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45-47=-2

The bottom two appear to be the wings for the XP-81. The top one seems to have the type of wear and corrosion that comes from being underwater, so leftovers from the A-25 project maybe?

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

I was thinking A-25 as well, but there seems to be some differences. I presume this is the upper left wing.
I haven't been able to find a photo with the Star & Bar painted this far outboard nearly touching the wing tip.
I don't see the recess for the slat and if the slat is attached I don't see a crisp panel line for the slat.
Where the wingtip meets the aileron seems a bit short as well.
Missing nav light on upper middle wing tip.
I don't see the small inspection panel located just behind the insignia bar.

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45-47=-2

There is another new video, which shows racks of boxes and aircraft apparently in two buildings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgMiw4NP6vc

At the very end of the video, near the B-17, is something "new" at least to me: a Bleriot that needs restoration. This includes a fuselage and at least a portion of the wing(s). Anyone know the backstory on this?

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Kevin McCartney

There is another new video, which shows racks of boxes and aircraft apparently in two buildings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgMiw4NP6vc

At the very end of the video, near the B-17, is something "new" at least to me: a Bleriot that needs restoration. This includes a fuselage and at least a portion of the wing(s). Anyone know the backstory on this?

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Kevin McCartney

Both XP-81 carcasses were apparently hauled off a target ranges some years ago. I knew they had them in storage somewhere, but I think this is the first time I've ever seen video them. The camouflaged wing is definitely from a P-47 (sorry, I couldn't figure out how to re-size the image.)

SN

When I saw that wing, I thought maybe that might be part of the Neel Kirby P-47?

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www.spiritof44.com

When I saw that wing, I thought maybe that might be part of the Neel Kirby P-47?

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www.spiritof44.com

Just to answer my own question, the Bleriot at the end of the most recent youtube drone footage from the NMUSAF storage buildings, is not some recent acquisition from a recently opened barn, but rather the Bleriot that has been previously displayed, built by Ernest Hall in 1911 and donated to the museum in 1969.

The item has been withdrawn from display and needs some spiffied up (if not a total restoration) after suspended in the museum for a half-century or so. I guess we need to be reminded that time provides wear-and-tear to even those restored aircraft well preserved indoors.

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Kevin McCartney