Pima Photos (Image Heavy!)

[C VEICH]

My brother and I spent a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon at the Pima Air and Space Museum this past weekend. I had not been to the museum in near 10 years and was VERY surprised with the changes. The museum has always been a great place for "airplange geeks" but it has really turned into a first class facility. I'm happy to say that there were very few empty parking spots left on Saturday which must mean they are doing something right. Congratulations and kudos to anyone associated with the operation of the museum.

I'm using an inexpensive point and shoot camera and the conditions inside were not always condusive to good picture quality so they are what they are. Also, we were on a bit of a hurried schedule so I did not take too many pics of the outdoor displays. If you're considering a trip to Pima I don't think you will be disappointed!

In no particular order:

[67N20]

Thanks for posting.

[peter]

Wow that F4 is stunning! Wouldn't that be an amazing sight to see in formation with the present day thunderbirds??

[the330thbg]

Wow.., I forgot what an incredible collection they have.., and also what great shape they keep those birds.

Thank you so much for posting!

What an incredible job they do!!!

Best,

Smiz

[Speedy]

Wow that F4 is stunning! Wouldn't that be an amazing sight to see in formation with the present day thunderbirds??

For the past few years I've been thinking how cool it would be to have a Thunderbirds Heritage Flight that would travel with the team....T-38, F-4, F-100, etc. Same thing with the Blues.

[dropctune]

What's the weird "tri-motor" looking bird in the 25th pic?

[m charters]

Nice to see progress with the aircraft getting indoors, i was there about a year ago and the red beech-18 was outside.

[RickH]

What's the weird "tri-motor" looking bird in the 25th pic?

Northrop YC-125 Raider

From the NMUSAF

The Northrop YC-125 was a military version of the Northrop N-23 Pioneer commercial cargo aircraft. The YC-125 series was intended to satisfy two types of missions for the Air Force: troop and equipment transport to forward combat areas and Arctic rescue. The YC-125 was designed to operate from rough, short airfields and to be easily maintained.

Thirteen YC-125As were ordered in 1948 to test the aircraft's ability to haul troops and cargo. Ten additional aircraft were ordered, slightly modified as YC-125Bs, to test their capabilities in the Arctic rescue role. The first flight of the YC-125A occurred on Aug. 1, 1949, and deliveries to the USAF began in 1950. The tests found the aircraft to be significantly underpowered for the intended missions. Furthermore, helicopters were recognized as a better solution for moving troops into forward areas and for performing rescue missions. As a result, the YC-125s were sent to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to be used as ground maintenance trainers. They were declared surplus in 1955.

The aircraft on display is painted to represent the YC-125B used for cold weather testing and based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in 1950. It was placed on display in 1995.

TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: None
Engines: Three Wright R-1820-99s of 1,200 hp each
Crew: Four
Maximum speed: 207 mph
Cruising speed: 171 mph
Range: 1,856 miles
Service ceiling: 12,200 ft.
Span: 86 ft. 6 in.
Length: 67 ft. 1 in.
Height: 23 ft. 1 in.
Weight: 41,900 lbs. maximum

[Steve Nelson]

Great pics! I just visited in 2004, and they've made huge progress just since then.

Interesting..there are now two museum with B-18s displayed on stilts.

What's that yellow radial-engine crop duster looking thing? I remember seeing it out behind the restoration building when I visited.

SN

[steve dickey]

"What's that yellow radial-engine crop duster looking thing? I remember seeing it out behind the restoration building when I visited".


http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=253

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Aeronautical

some interesting background:

http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/ayres_thrush.php

[Tiger Tim]

Thanks for posting the pics, it's nice to see inside a museum I'll likely never get to tour in person. I think someone is going to have to re-rig the ailerons on the Fleet hanging from the ceiling...

-Tim

[dropctune]

What's the weird "tri-motor" looking bird in the 25th pic?

Northrop YC-125 Raider

From the NMUSAF

The Northrop YC-125 was a military version of the Northrop N-23 Pioneer commercial cargo aircraft. The YC-125 series was intended to satisfy two types of missions for the Air Force: troop and equipment transport to forward combat areas and Arctic rescue. The YC-125 was designed to operate from rough, short airfields and to be easily maintained.

Thirteen YC-125As were ordered in 1948 to test the aircraft's ability to haul troops and cargo. Ten additional aircraft were ordered, slightly modified as YC-125Bs, to test their capabilities in the Arctic rescue role. The first flight of the YC-125A occurred on Aug. 1, 1949, and deliveries to the USAF began in 1950. The tests found the aircraft to be significantly underpowered for the intended missions. Furthermore, helicopters were recognized as a better solution for moving troops into forward areas and for performing rescue missions. As a result, the YC-125s were sent to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to be used as ground maintenance trainers. They were declared surplus in 1955.

The aircraft on display is painted to represent the YC-125B used for cold weather testing and based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, in 1950. It was placed on display in 1995.

TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: None
Engines: Three Wright R-1820-99s of 1,200 hp each
Crew: Four
Maximum speed: 207 mph
Cruising speed: 171 mph
Range: 1,856 miles
Service ceiling: 12,200 ft.
Span: 86 ft. 6 in.
Length: 67 ft. 1 in.
Height: 23 ft. 1 in.
Weight: 41,900 lbs. maximum

Thanks! And I thought I knew everything

[JohnB]

I love the place...I was one of the first visitors back in 1976 when the museum consisted of a fenced in area filled with AMARC escapees and a small trailer for the money taker to get out of the sun.
An early F-94 was lying wingless on the ground and a B-50 was disassembled with its fabric rudder in pieces (I took a sample which I still have...I'm pretty sure the statute of limitations has passed by now.

I'm heading back in mid January...looking forward to it.
Seeing the Bungay buckaroo is special to me...I've ben to Bungay many times...home of the interesting Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.
Also the 390th Museum...I've been to their airfield at Framlingham a few times and toured the museum made out of their old control tower.

Both locations were very close to RAF Bentwaters/Woodbridge where I served.

[maxum96]

Is this the sole surviving PBM?

[JohnB]

Is this the sole surviving PBM?

At least in one piece.
Why it isn't at the navy museum I don't know. You'd think they'd want it.