Warbird Information Exchange

I would have loved to pick up parts for some of our projects at War Eagles Air Museum, but insanity rules in the USAF today when it comes to preservation. Pylons, tanks, J65 for our F-84F, but I might as well wish for the moon. We would have been happy to provide a home for any of those Thuds.

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Wish that C133 could be saved

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Cheers,
Peter

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I think some of the "paranoia" is due to our wonderful legal system. Seems to me I remember a story about the Navy getting sued because somebody died in a restored Navy bird, a T-34 I think, which the Navy had nothing to do with after it left their registers....

Nothing new in the Rantoul Press; anyone been down there lately? It'd be interesting to see inside the C-133 while all the wasp nests are frozen...

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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, B-17G 42-102875

I drove through on the way home from visiting friends in Champaign today. There was a huge farm show going on, so it was kind of difficult to navigate around.

I did drive by the old museum ramp and saw no evidence of aircraft or parts anywhere. If the C-133 still exists, I didn't see it. The only evidence I saw of the museum was the old sign above the entrance.

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Matt

Thanks for letting us know - I've still been checking the Rantoul Press but it hasn't been mentioned lately. Wonder who got to cut it up and clean up the mess the other guy left?

R.I.P. 56-2009.

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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, B-17G 42-102875

Stopped by Chanute yesterday on the way home from Paducah, and sure enough:






So... The End.

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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, B-17G 42-102875

I meant to follow up with a couple pics from my last visit as well. I couldn't get very close to the ramp due to the farm and tractor show, but I did find this small display in what I assume used to be a park on base. I'm not sure whether it is intended to be a memorial or what it's purpose is, but it seems to be sliding into disrepair. I hope an organization can get involved to either relocate or preserve it where it is.

The inscription reads:

"We will have turned the corner when we reach the point where others turn and regard us as pacesetters."

IMG_0030 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/124970884@N02/, on Flickr

IMG_0029 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/124970884@N02/, on Flickr

IMG_0026 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/124970884@N02/, on Flickr

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Matt

That hangar & attached shops are over 200,000 sq ft, did the museum occupy all of it?

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Those who possess real knowledge are rare.

Those who can set that knowledge into motion in the physical world are rarer still.

The few who possess real knowledge and can set it into motion of their own hands are the rarest of all.

Kind of. There were missile training setups including a mockup control room with a concrete sliding hatch built into the hangar, so that took up a chunk of the space. The B-58 was the largest plane they had inside.

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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, B-17G 42-102875

Dang, that sure does look like the end. I guess the chances of my next beer can having a few C-133 molecules in it just went up a bit....