Dispersal of airframes at Former Chanute

[Spectre_I]

The B-58 arrived last Friday, 18-Aug-2017. It currently looks like a crash site surrounded by a fence. I'll have a bucket of pics tomorrow, but moving to a new host has become cumbersome. I'll figure out something.

Can't wait Spectre! Excited for your team. She going at the end by the Vigilante? Maybe across from the B-36 would be a better fit to be close to her CONVAIR sisters.

The loss of free photobucket is a real pain. Think I will go to imageshack which for a few bucks allows third party linking.

It's where we could fit it! LoL
It's next to the B-52, which is a premium spot in the collection.

[Scott Rose]

http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/view?auctionId=12434806

[Cvairwerks]

Only way they can be saved is get them pulled from the auction. Auction specifies that they have to be rendered into shredded scrap by the buyer.

[RAMC181]

The following are all up for auction through Government Liquidation as a single lot:

F-105B
F-105F
T-39
C-47
C-97
C-133
B-66
HU-16
LGM-30A

All to be demilled on site to codes C and D (Destroy item and components to prevent restoration or repair to a usable condition) before removal.

All in all, that means the NMUSAF will have had at least three F-105s scrapped this year alone, and we lose an already-rare RB-66 which would look great on display here at Alconbury.

[bdk]

If I can't have it, nobody can!

Was any of this even offered outside DoD?

[mustangdriver]

These have been offered to any museum willing to step forward for like 2 years.

[JohnB]

I'm not sure why the C-47 and T-39 would legally required to be shredded, they are not "weapons" since they're civil types.

Just the laziness and CYA paranoia of our civil servants I suppose.

Good to see that the NMUSAF got a lot of parts off the Albatross. I hate to see that one go.
It's serial number, 17200, was the one on the old Monogram kit I had as a kid (explained by this example being the prototype for the long-wing "B" conversion) and looked at for many years.

[bdk]

These have been offered to any museum willing to step forward for like 2 years.

Thanks Chris! Glad to know that.

[Chris Brame]

Well effing G D it.
I don't see the F-101 on the list; did the city of Rantoul get it, or...?

[Chris Brame]

What a shame. Saving the pictures now.
(Scott, do you want to maybe merge this with the other thread?)
Maybe more of them would have been rescued if the NMUSAF hadn't stripped them (what use did they have for all the parts that were removed, i.e. RB-66 landing gear and tail??).
Just as a heads-up, there is a large metal salvage company about 50 miles north of Rantoul on I-57 - don't have the name but maybe they'd be a likely bidder?

[Avnut]

Here is the link to the auction.
http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/v ... d=12434806

This makes me mad. There are museums that would love to have these in their collection, the only reason none were claimed any is the museums being told if you want them come get them on your dime, we the Air Force will not help in transporting them to you. We spend around $500 billion a year on defense and no money can be allocated in helping approved museums to preserve this history! Once these aircraft are cut up, they are GONE FOREVER. We are no longer producing a wide variety of different aircraft types, as a result in the future there will be fewer unique types to see in museums. Everyone and their mother will have an F-35 in their collection, but what about a YA-7F. There were 2 YC-15s built with one sitting on Celebrity Row for several years at AMARC within towing distance to Pima. It was scrapped, with no effort being made to transfer it.

Looking over the auction list, an F-105F not converted to a Wild Weasel, only 71 F-105Bs were built, only 50 C-133s built. How many C-97s are preserved, or B-66s, or even HU-16s?

I am sure we all agree that the ultimate stupid award for not preserving history goes to the Navy regarding the "Enterprise" CV-6. Dumb (insert color metaphor of your choosing).

[Avnut]

This makes me mad. There are museums that would love to have these in their collection, the only reason none were claimed any is the museums being told if you want them come get them on your dime, we the Air Force will not help in transporting them to you. We spend around $500 billion a year on defense and no money can be allocated in helping approved museums to preserve this history! Once these aircraft are cut up, they are GONE FOREVER. We are no longer producing a wide variety of different aircraft types, as a result in the future there will be fewer unique types to see in museums. Everyone and their mother will have an F-35 in their collection, but what about a YA-7F. There were 2 YC-15s built with one sitting on Celebrity Row for several years at AMARC within towing distance to Pima. It was scrapped, with no effort being made to transfer it.

Looking over the auction list, an F-105F not converted to a Wild Weasel, only 71 F-105Bs were built, only 50 C-133s built. How many C-97s are preserved, or B-66s, or even HU-16s?

I am sure we all agree that the ultimate stupid award for not preserving history goes to the Navy regarding the "Enterprise" CV-6. Dumb (insert color metaphor of your choosing).

[wendovertom]

I am not totally buying that the AF museum program has been actively asking museums about these. I happen to know Wendover Airfield museum is part of the program and this is the first I have heard about these particular air frames.

Having said that, the fact is that these are not small aircraft and are expensive to move - in the case of the KC-97 and C-133 they are downright HUGE and once you have moved them they are expensive to care for - I often wonder how much $$ Pima Air and Space spends OR could spend on taking care of all those air frames sitting outside in the Arizona sun.

Tom P.

[jamesintucson]

I am not totally buying that the AF museum program has been actively asking museums about these. I happen to know Wendover Airfield museum is part of the program and this is the first I have heard about these particular air frames.

Having said that, the fact is that these are not small aircraft and are expensive to move - in the case of the KC-97 and C-133 they are downright HUGE and once you have moved them they are expensive to care for - I often wonder how much $$ Pima Air and Space spends OR could spend on taking care of all those air frames sitting outside in the Arizona sun.

Tom P.

We spend well over $100,000 a year on paint at Pima.

[airnutz]

....they are expensive to care for - I often wonder how much $$ Pima Air and Space spends OR could spend on taking care of all those air frames sitting outside in the Arizona sun.

Tom P.

Considering the dry, relatively stable climate of Arizona....probably a lot less than repairing the damage occuring in Rantoul or Dayton.