Warbird Information Exchange

How many Buccaneers survive?

I had heard that David Tallichet had three with one going to Pima, one going to the NMNA but I'm not sure what happened to the other one.

Whatever happened to the ones in Tennessee?

I also read that the NMNA had an additional airframe.

For the most part, the airframes bumping around ARE the ones that originated in Tennessee.

Yes, two airframes are currently at NMNA. In an advanced state of static restoration is the one that was formerly being rebuilt by ex-Brewster employees in Pennsylvania. Although tucked in rather tight quarters (and difficult to get a decent photo), the nice folks in the restoration hangar let me climb all over her during a July visit. The crumpled remains of another are strapped to a couple of pallets. Send me an e-mail and I'll send back some photos.

Our own Colonel Rohr has the skinny on some of the other survivors, but if he revealed all he knows we'd have to kill him.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

According to an Air Flassids article back in the 70's there were four airframes recovered by the Tallichet team. What happened to the others I have no idea, although one was at the Empire State museum in Schenectady(sp?) NY. I think this may be the one that ended up as the bitser at NMNA. There is still one at Tullahoma on display I think, but I am unsure of the remains of the fourth. Anyone know?

Cheers,
Richard

I'm pretty sure the one that was with Empire State is now at Pima, and that NMNA grabbed the last chunk of one from the Tullahoma Airport.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Thanks...

There are pics of the Buccaneer that is still in TN on airliners.net.

Can I get serial numbers of the airframes--especially the ones at NMNA and Pima.

Thanks for your help.

Wolverine,

What were the dates on those Airliner photos of the "last" Tullahoma airport Buccaneer?

The reason I ask is because last year I spoke by phone with a kindly old woman at the Staggerwing Museum about that very bird. Her response was that she used to look at "her" Brewster out the museum window every day, but that the Navy had hauled her (the plane--not the woman) away just the week before I called. I guess I took the woman at her word.

Can anyone from the Greater Tullahoma metropolitan area actually confirm that SB2A bits still remain (above ground) at the Tullahoma airport in September 2005? In July I photographed the tattered remains at NMNA of what I THOUGHT were those that used to lie next door to the Staggerwing Museum.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

2003

why were they all in tennessee?? was there a brewster plant their, or a collector compiling airframes & parts??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

hi rob, exclusively an raf training base or 1 of ours where they trained??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Hi Wolverine,
The only serial mentioned in the original Air Classics article was FF-860 on the one airframe that still had its tail feathers.

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

The Classic Wings article on the new stuff at Pima quoted a s/n for the SB2A--it was 733. That doesn't seem like a BuNo, however, which is what I'm looking for.