NASM Park Ridge Facility

[Warbird Kid]

Sorry if this has been discussed before but I was reading an old article in an Air & Space issue and read this:

"The collection was stored at an unused factory at Park Ridge, outside Chicago... Garber managed to spirit away around 100 airplanes, both Allied and Axis, to a federal tract of land at Suitland. The rest went for scrap (a memory that today causes aviation historians to wince)."

Read more at http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-f ... F5F6BpX.99

So what aircraft were lost to the wrecking ball and history? What could we have seen eventually restored and on display? Or even released to the general public to see restored to flight?

[bdk]

Shusui rocket fighter for one. Remains were extant in a ditch for some years after I understand.

[Chris Brame]

So what aircraft were lost to the wrecking ball and history?

About 3/4ths of the Betty bomber, for one.
My dad was stationed at Orchard Place (now O'Hare Field) before he went over to Japan in 1947, and remembers one time when they had the hangar doors open and he was amazed to see all those German and Japanese aircraft.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Chris, Here's some info and photos featuring Park Ridges aircraft storage.
Jerry

https://books.google.com/books?id=WCKK2 ... is&f=false

[Chris Brame]

Very cool, Jerry - Thanks!
Isn't this the XP-51, 41-38, that ended up with the EAA?

[bdk]

The P-51D:

http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/su ... l/44-74939

[Jerry O'Neill]

Very cool, Jerry - Thanks!
Isn't this the XP-51, 41-38, that ended up with the EAA?

I believe it is, but I can't be 100% sure without confirmation. It certainly is an Allison powered P-51.
In the foreground is a P-51D, which is the one currently on display at NASM.

[M-62A]

So what aircraft were lost to the wrecking ball and history?

About 3/4ths of the Betty bomber, for one.
My dad was stationed at Orchard Place (now O'Hare Field) before he went over to Japan in 1947, and remembers one time when they had the hangar doors open and he was amazed to see all those German and Japanese aircraft.

I have been told that the first Fairchild PT-26 42-14299, (Cornell Mk.I, FH651) was last known of with the stored collection at Orchard Park.
42-14299 was in effect, the prototype Lend-Lease Cornell, first flown by February 1942, delivered for trials at Wright Field in April '42 - and the only example to serve with the USAAF.

This is the final entry on 42-14299 USAAF record card: "Chicago AMC 4803 BAS TRLH RC Class 32 PT26 J 42-14299 6.46 6120".
Approx Interpretation - Chicago Air Material Command 4803 AAF Base Unit ???? Recommended to Class 32 PT-26 42-14299, date June 1946.

Explanation of codes, etc., reference "Aircraft Record Cards of the United States Air Force" - Robert A. Mann.
"6120" is the AAF station code for Chicago.
"Class 32" - Museum exhibit.
"J" can indicate Reclamation/Cannibalization/Salvage or Survey.

4803rd (Specialized Depot) - May 1945 address: 211 E, Noth Water St., Chicago, Ill. (Source: http://ww35.usafunithistory.com/PDF/400 ... 20UNIT.pdf)

I would be interested to hear how this compares with the record of any other aircraft known to have been set aside for General Arnold's proposed museum.
Tony Broadhurst