Aircraft pics

[SS427]

Bill,
I am not positive on the "Ole Gray Mare" TB-25J as I was not given a list of names by my brother and was only going on sight and features of that airplane. The other three are for sures however. I also failed to mention (I think) the T-6 in the middle. Can't tell for sure if that is what it is.

Ken,
My passion for Warbirds is only one notch below the musclecars and that is only because they are way more expensive and not as easy to partake in. I grew up in a warbird household and flew 10 times more in Warbirds then I flew commercially by the time I was 20. I also helped the CAF restore the P-51C Red Tail several years ago before it crashed and that was 100% volunteer. When I was 15 my father was considering purchasing a P-51D for around $50k (if I recall). For what reason I have no idea as he certainly did not have the money to maintain or fly it. Incidently, they are now well over $1m!
Rick

[68TopStock]

Rick,

That is neat, hope to see that '51 in the air again sometime. I've got a buddy up at MaryJane that is restoring the A25 for the USAF museum. I'm a 1/2 owner of a BT13 project, that I hope soon will be taking up alot of my time.

[SS427]

I just called my brother in Phoenix. It is in fact "Ole Gray Mare" and is there for fabric recovering on all it's appendages. The "T-6" is actually an SNJ (similar). He also stated that of the 5 aircraft on the apron, he rewired 3 of them. Interestingly enough when I called him he was sitting in the cockpit of a Mig-17 replacing the transponder amongst other things.
Rick

[SS427]

Ken,
I am pretty sure the P51C Red Tail is reaching completion on the re-restoration after the crash and death of Don Hinz.
P51C Red Tail
Rick

[427TJ]

Rick, here's the former "Dream Lover" that I confused with the B-25 your brother works on. "Dream Lover" is now named "Old Glory" and is still based at Stockton.

[PeteLeathersac]

Amazing stuff...love those Warbirds too!.

Anyone else catch the story in this months 'Air Classics' or 'Warbirds' or whatever mag it was of American Thomas W. Kendall and his family's 'vacation' trip to Saudi-Arabia in his converted Catalina back in the early 60's?.
The whole story appeared in LIFE magazine back then but here's a link below w/ a brief outline of the story...pretty chilling tale also the pics of what's still left there are something too!.

http://uk.geocities.com/kendo1938/catalina.htm

~ Pete

[427TJ]

Yeah, I read that! Just a little vacation jaunt through the Middle East with the family in dad's WWII PBY-5A flying boat and the bastards start shooting at them! I suppose that was pretty naive of them, even in 1960, to go meandering through that part of the world.

[SS427]

I have that magazine and it was a truly amazing story. Unbelievable that no one was killed with as much lead that was thrown at them. It is also amazing that the airplane has stayed there all these years and relatively intact.
Rick

[427TJ]

Changing the subject here. One of my favorite photos of the Thunderbirds: two F-105B Thunderchiefs cavort over their home base at Nellis AFB, NV in early 1964. Those were the days when jets had great names: Thunderchief, Sabre, Voodoo, Delta Dagger and Delta Dart, Starfighter, etc.



The T-birds only flew a few shows in the "Thud" before one crashed at Hamilton AFB north of San Francisco in May '64. The Thud had to be heavily modified for the Thunderbirds maneuvers and one of them broke apart during the arrival show at Hamilton and the pilot was killed.

[nuch_ss396]

Bill,

Makes you wonder why the Air Force would modify a
THUD for acrobatic service. Not my first choice

Didn't the Thunderbirds use F-100 Super Sabres for a while?

Steve