Found this exciting news today on FB:
Quote:
The American Heritage Museum is proud to announce the upcoming transfer of Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless BuNo 36177 for display in our Pacific War Gallery in the AHM. We are currently raising funds to support the long-distance move of this amazingly original aircraft from Hawaii to Massachusetts later this summer. Read more at:
https://www.americanheritagemuseum.org/2021/06/rare-and-iconic-sbd-5-dauntless-of-world-war-ii-coming-to-the-american-heritage-museum/?fbclid=IwAR3fCyKR0AvklD-QerlGRCDTM6tKTwb9nDZ_yBSsVLhMZkPOWLy7KHF6-mkWhich got me thinking, The Pearl Harbor Air Museum isn't just going to loose an important aircraft like the SBD to there collection. So they must have another one coming to fill the space. And then I found this:
Quote:
"...The museum had receive a generous donation to support the locating, recovery, restoration, and presentation of the aircraft from Fred Turner. Mr. Turner made the donation in honor of his longtime friend Admiral James “Jig Dog” Ramage.
A Hawaiian ceremony was performed during the lift-out to honor the aircraft’s history, which included time stationed at Pearl Harbor, and its likely future home back in Hawaii. Under an agreement between the Pacific Aviation Museum and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, SBD 2173 was to undergo an extensive restoration soon after she was recovered. When SBD 2173 was recovered from Lake Michigan in 2009, the plan was to immediately bring it to the Restoration Department of the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida for restoration. The estimated time required for restoration was 3-5 years. Upon completion of restoration the aircraft was to be shipped to the Pacific Aviation Museum for display. Another restored SBD was shipped for display until 2173 was finished."https://www.airzoo.org/news/posts/sbd-2p-recovery-and-restoration So it appears 6177 was just a place holder until 2173 is finished by the Air Zoo. I had my bet originally on the early Marines SBD-1 that was at the Flying Leatherneck Museum. But a special photo recon SBD (1 of 12) is pretty good too.