B 23's

[Steve S]

Hi all-
A recent post spurred me to look up the remaining B23's on the Warbird Registry page, where I was actually amazed that there were several more than I was aware of, including one in Ak that looks to be still in flying condition

I was suprised to notice that pherhaps the most well known and discussed of all them, the CAF B23, is not on the registry list or at least I didn't make the connection to it from the others listed.

Anyone have any more info on this aircraft.

Steve S

[T J Johansen]

And it doesn't look like N747M which Taigh Ramey photographed at Ione is included either. I guess that Scott is burning a lot of midnight oil updating the registry which is a formidable task, so they will probarbly be there soon. There is a cool photo of N747M in Mike O'Leary's book Bombing Iron in the blue scheme with the green dragon on the tail by the way.

T J

[Scott Rose]

If there are aircraft missing from the registry (and there are alot of them) and you have information and/or pictures then this stuff can be sent to


Please put the aircraft type, serial number and/or N-number in the subject line.

Thanks.

[Pat Carry]

Scott, Did you get the update on the B-23 at the Natl Museum of the USAF I sent recently? The info stated the plane is now in storage.

[mustangdriver]

Hi guys. I am a new member, and volunteer at the museum. The B-23 is without a doubt in storage. I know that it was in need of some restoration work, and was in the shop for a long time. But since the Memphis Belle is being made the prime goal of the shop, everything else is on hold.

[Pat Carry]

Welcome to the WIX Mustangdriver! Here on the WIX the Natl Museum of the USAF gets alot of attention and I for one cant say enough good things about the museum! One thing that gets quite alot of discussion is the lighting or the lack there of. Why in the world is it so dark in the Cold War Building? Visits there would be so much more enjoyable if they would just turn on some lights.

[mustangdriver]

First off thanks for the welcome. As for the lighting, trust me I feel your pain. All of the buildings are kept kind of dark for a proper setting, adn for the most part it is O.K., but a little dark. But the Cold War building is the worst. The interior was painted black to be artistic with the whole Cold War theme, but try getting a pic of the Blackbird or the U-2 in there. I think they are going to provide some better lighting in there soon. As for the museum in general, we have some huge things in the works for it.

[Pat Carry]

Huge things! We can't stand the suspense. Fill us in please!

[mustangdriver]

Well, there is alot that the higher ups won't tell us, but some of the great things include-construction of two more buildings that will house the Presidential Collection as well as R and D and space flight. With the addition of these buildings, the entire collection at Wright Patterson will be indoors. No more riding the bus to go to the other side. We are getting a C-5 Galaxy. The serial number has been picked out, and it is soon to be leaving service. We have been slated to recieve the Space Shuttle Discovery once NASA retires it. The United States Air Force conference center is going to be built, and will be attached to the museum. It is supposed to be a beatiful building. That will have a main hallway open to the public. That is where the B-17G "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" will be placed on display when the Belle is finished. I think there is more, but I am just a volunteer so I don't get all of the news, just some of it.

[PhantomAce08]

Well, there is alot that the higher ups won't tell us, but some of the great things include-construction of two more buildings that will house the Presidential Collection as well as R and D and space flight. With the addition of these buildings, the entire collection at Wright Patterson will be indoors. No more riding the bus to go to the other side. We are getting a C-5 Galaxy. The serial number has been picked out, and it is soon to be leaving service. We have been slated to recieve the Space Shuttle Discovery once NASA retires it. The United States Air Force conference center is going to be built, and will be attached to the museum. It is supposed to be a beatiful building. That will have a main hallway open to the public. That is where the B-17G "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" will be placed on display when the Belle is finished. I think there is more, but I am just a volunteer so I don't get all of the news, just some of it.

That sounds great! How long till NASA retires the shuttle? Also, you said that the entire collection will be indoors, does that include all the aircraft in the air park? Don't they have an EC-135E? And what about the C-5 and C-141, will they be inside too?

[Amado Aguiluz F.]

Hi All,

Hope this helps out ...

Cheers,


B-23 — The Dragon Survivors
by John Weeks

The B-23 Dragon Survivors
Serial Number Aircraft Type City State Location Notes
39-028 B-23 Miami FL Lorenair Last remaining active B-23 (information is not confirmed).
39-031 B-23 Quito Ecuador Ecuador Aviation Museum Displayed outdoors (information is not confirmed).
39-033 B-23 Ione CA Private (Willa K. Bogue) Registered as of Sep 19, 2001.
39-036 B-23 Tacoma WA McChord Air Force Base Base not open to the public since 9/11.
39-037 B-23 Dayton OH National Museum Of The US Air Force Currently not on display awaiting restoration.
39-038 B-23 Midland TX Confederate Air Force Displayed outdoors, marked as 40-178 (information is not confirmed).
39-045 B-23 Atwater CA Castle Air Museum Displayed outdoors.
39-051 B-23 Tucson AZ Pima Aerospace Museum Displayed outdoors.
39-052 B-23 Loon Lake ID Crash site in wilderness area Crashed 29 Jan 43, was relatively intact, USAF recovered parts of the aircraft in 1999 to be used as patterns to restore 39-037.
39-057 B-23 Polk City FL Fantasy Of Flight Displayed outdoors (information unconfirmed).
39-063 B-23 Moses Lake WA Private (Robert Schlaeffli) Registered but unknown if plane still exists (information unconfirmed). [/i]

[chico]

That sounds great! How long till NASA retires the shuttle? Also, you said that the entire collection will be indoors, does that include all the aircraft in the air park? Don't they have an EC-135E? And what about the C-5 and C-141, will they be inside too?

Shuttles are slated to go out of service by 2010, though there has been some play in that number. The total number of missions to finish the space station was as low as 11 and as high as 30. 11 being the beancounter, scrap everything else and just finish the US portion of the station number and 30 being the number that factored in all the work left after the Columbia disaster and the typical "padding" that a mission would need time wise. 2010 offered time for about 26 more missions, and I think we've done four? since then.

The beancounters also want to axe shuttle mission to re-allocate funds from the shuttle program for the next generation space vehicles. We'll see who wins, but I'd bet Discovery goes to wright-pat sometime in 2010.

I wonder what kind of runway space the shuttle needs? It'd be interesting to see the bird come down at her new home. (i know, it won't happen. But it'd be a heckuva crowd draw.)

[C170BDan]

Here is a pic of the one at Castle. Pic was taken in Jun 2006.

[mustangdriver]

Well as for the shuttle, when it comes in, it will more than likely be on the back of the 747. It has been there before on the 747 when a hurricane hit somewhere it was going. I love the B-23 and can say that a great deal of interior work was carried out on the one in the museum. The aircraft in the airpark are only out there because they are going to be placed in the next building. There is an EC-135 with a laser cannon on in, a "potato nosed" EC-135, a YC-125, C-130A, C-119J, C-82, JU-52(being transferred), C-131, C-141, C-60, and I think that is it. they will all be in after the new building.

[wls3]

B-23 now indoors at Fantasy of Flight.

Bill