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B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:52 pm

Here you go, Chris Brame. Hope these are what you were looking for. :)

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Edit: There, that's better.

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:52 pm

Thank you SO much! Still looks pretty complete inside - right down to the folding crew bunks. I didn't know this plane had an aft turret shell as well as a nose turret; did both of those come from 36-466 in Hawaii?

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:43 am

Ugh forgot one:

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Don't know the full history, but I'll find out. I did a little asking about it today. Seems the guy who's name is on the seat more or less restored this himself. He passed before he could finish the turret. That was like 20 years ago. I'll see what I can learn about its history. I do know that this is the only B-18 left (no A, B) and is the only one left without the shark nose.

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:06 am

Spectre_I wrote:I do know that this is the only B-18 left (no A, B) and is the only one left without the shark nose.

Well, the only one preserved anyway. The substantially intact wreckage of 36-446 on Oahu is also a plain ol' B-18 (no A, no B).

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 3:06 am

Here is a link to the story and pictures of the B-18 in Hawaii
http://pacaeropress.websitetoolbox.com/ ... 8&trail=15

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:17 am

Yes, I've been in touch with WIXer (and one of the property's co-owners) ypochris about 36-446, last time via PM in December (I check in with him now and then when there's been an earthquake or a storm that may have affected it). Nothing going on with it at the moment.

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:37 am

Great pictures. Any of the interior of the B-29...?

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 9:03 am

APG85 wrote:Great pictures. Any of the interior of the B-29...?


And the B-36, B-50, Vulcan, B-45, B-47 etc etc.! Would especially like to see interior shots of the B-36. Have never really been able to figure how the nose crew got to the nose section. Crawlway under, or around, the left side of the flight deck?

B-45 interior shots seem especially rare.

Agree the B-47 would be great as well. I recal that last flight was quite sporting!

Really love these interior shots spectre. Much appreciated! :drink3:

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:38 am

sandiego89 wrote:
APG85 wrote:Great pictures. Any of the interior of the B-29...?


And the B-36, B-50, Vulcan, B-45, B-47 etc etc.! Would especially like to see interior shots of the B-36. Have never really been able to figure how the nose crew got to the nose section. Crawlway under, or around, the left side of the flight deck?

B-45 interior shots seem especially rare.

Agree the B-47 would be great as well. I recal that last flight was quite sporting!

Really love these interior shots spectre. Much appreciated! :drink3:


Those are all accessible with the exception of the B-47. That one is a bit treacherous. I've been in all the others for one reason or another, and as I go out, I'll remember to do some. Our restoration facility is on the other side of the base, so I am not out on the museum grounds proper all that often.

All the other planes are in pretty good shape.

The B-36 main foreword entrance is a door near front gear, underneath. It's so tall that it is a reach more than a crawl.A small ladder pops down, and up ya go. The flight deck is three stories. There is also an entrance much higher up on the starboard / port sides, but that requires a very tall stand, and is meant more for getting out in a hurry. There is a separate door on the same side for the aft crew. There is also a tunnel, that runs from front to back, in case of emergency. The tunnel also accesses the wing tunnels, for in-flight maintenance, it's quite a set-up.
Last edited by Spectre_I on Thu Mar 26, 2015 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:40 am

sandiego89 wrote:
Agree the B-47 would be great as well. I recal that last flight was quite sporting!

You have a gift for understatement, sir.

"Barely made it" would be far more apt. :)

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:44 am

::: Shameless Plug Alert ::::

If any of you who want pics of the interiors can make it to California, our next Open Cockpit Day is May 24, 2015. All of our planes will be open. You'll be able to walk through, sit in, etc., and take pictures at you leisure. :)

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 1:07 pm

Spectre_I wrote:
sandiego89 wrote:
APG85 wrote:




and as I go out, I'll remember to do some.



That would be great! Love to see how they look today. Thanks for the info on the B-36.

So on the B-18, could one crawl under the pilots to get the bomb aimers window/nose turret? Is that a hatch on the floor right behind the co-pilot seat?

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:21 pm

sandiego89 wrote:
That would be great! Love to see how they look today. Thanks for the info on the B-36.

So on the B-18, could one crawl under the pilots to get the bomb aimers window/nose turret? Is that a hatch on the floor right behind the co-pilot seat?


Yup!

Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 4:57 pm

Here ya go sandiego89:

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Re: B-18 Bolo (37-029) Castle Air Museum.

Thu Mar 26, 2015 7:48 pm

here are some of the interior
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