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This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:27 pm

I have a soft spot for US planes that actually flew and were intended for production, but lost competitions to other designs or were never put into production but a few prototypes flew. I have had the pleasure of seeing many of these, and perhaps surprisingly quite a few of these "losing" designs still survive.

I have seen the following in person:
F-107, Dayton
A-9, both survivors at Castle and March
SkyShark- derelict at Chino in the late 1970's, since moved. Status?
F-17 Cobra, both survivors at Torrance and USS Alabama
F-23, Hawthrone and later at Torrance, and Dayton.
SeaDart, San Diego and Pennsylvania (PA one never flew)
X-32, Patuxent River
Hercules/Spruce Goose- when in the dome at Long Beach
XB-70, Dayton
XC-142 tilt wing, sole survivor of 5, Dayton
Curtis XB? Quonset Museum

Likely forgetting a few, especially at Dayton.

On my bucket list:
POGO- bring it to Udvar Hazy please!
Bell design that lost to the Blackhawk- Ft Rucker?
F-11 "Super Tiger"- China Lake?

What other US "losing"/cancelled aircraft still survive?

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:36 pm

I believe both the YC-14 & 15 are still around. Pima?
F-20 Tigershark California Science Center
XF-85 Dayton
T-46 Dayton, Edwards, AMARG
Last edited by Pogmusic on Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:50 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 2:39 pm

Planes of Fame has a Ryan FR-1 Fireball. pop2

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 4:20 pm

The SkyShark is currently sitting at the San Diego Air & Space Museum's Annex at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, CA. East of San Diego.

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 5:18 pm

sandiego89 wrote:What other US "losing"/cancelled aircraft still survive?

Douglas BTD-1 Destroyer. Now with the Hixon Museum of Flight in Rome, GA.

http://mofts.org/btd-1-destroyer.html

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 5:18 pm

Double post

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:46 pm

Fisher XP-75, Dayton.

I disagree with your word choice, many of the aircraft you name weren't "losers" (which implies a design fault) whereas many were built when outdated due to changing requirements(XB-70) or good ideas that predate the technology necessary to make them perform like today's equivalents (XC-142).

Re: Surviving "loser" US warbirds

Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:13 pm

Consolidated Vultee XP-81 - both prototypes were derelict on the base photo range at Edwards until the NMUSAF recovered them in the 1970s; they've been stored at the museum since then.

Wikipedia:
Image

Enigma Enterprises "Range Rats" page 3:
Image

NMUSAF:
Image
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