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Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 4:47 pm 
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"These shots are closeups of Aberdeen Proving Ground from a 1957 aerial survey, in which you can see close to 250 surplus Boeing B29 Superfortress's as well as a smattering of smaller planes".
Source: Paul Faatz posting from a 1957 aerial survey.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 4:53 pm 
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Is that an XB-48 in the final shot?


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 4:58 pm 
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Sure looks like it.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 5:04 pm 
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Awesome shots Mark: thanks as ever. Let's hope some ground-based shots turn up too :)


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2026 5:56 pm 
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Sorry about the poor quality of these shots. They were scanned from 4x5 prints. This was circa 1981 from a Twin Beech departing Aberdeen.

ImageExpress Airways 110 by tanker622001, on Flickr

ImageExpress Airways 108 by tanker622001, on Flickr

ImageExpress Airways 109 by tanker622001, on Flickr


Last edited by Larry Kraus on Tue Jan 06, 2026 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 12:05 am 
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Sad to see the C-124s there.
A big part of my childhood.
I have some slides of them at DM in 1976...

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 8:36 am 
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John, one of those C-124s ended up at the Travis AFB Museum.

https://www.travisafbaviationmuseum.org/c-124c

There are some good videos concerning the overhaul and delivery flight on the linked page above

ImageIMG_0154 by tanker622001, on Flickr


Last edited by Larry Kraus on Wed Jan 07, 2026 1:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 2:33 pm 
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So many B-29s...

Were all of them there to be used as targets?


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 06, 2026 4:06 pm 
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N.E.A.M.'s B-29 came from there..

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 10:06 am 
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I see four B-24s and numerous B-25s also. Shame they didn't make it.

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 6:58 pm 
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And the practice of using retired types seems to continue...fairly recently.
Several USCG HH-52s were sent there after retirement.
I'm sure more recent types as well.

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PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2026 8:13 pm 
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From Leon Cleaver (Woodsy Airfield); storage area near Aberdeen from February 15, 1978:

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PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 3:03 pm 
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Excellent if rather sad thread... assume those are three B-47s in the first pic as well. One of the B-29s nearby appears to have tip tanks, assume that's some kind of anomaly or something on the ground...


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 08, 2026 10:04 pm 
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In the final photo...I believe the blue H-21s were VIP machines based at Andrews...(possibly to evacuate leadership in war), there was a similar machine at one of the salvage yards outside AMARC, (across from Pima) for years.

Also, A lot of Navy HUPs, a few H-19s.
And also in the last photo, what looks to be a 1963-64 Rambler Classic 550/660 station wagon. If it is former military, I have never seen a Rambler staff car of that period...

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 09, 2026 2:38 am 
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Hooligan2 wrote:
Excellent if rather sad thread... assume those are three B-47s in the first pic as well. One of the B-29s nearby appears to have tip tanks, assume that's some kind of anomaly or something on the ground...


Certainly B-47s, and that B-29 probably does have wingtip appendages (possibly the Tip-Tow aircraft?). I also see B-24s, B-45s, folded-wing Navy types, at least one F-89, F-86/F-84F and lots of other stuff which just makes you long for a time machine and a modern digital camera.

One of the three XP-86s was sent to Aberdeen and it's long been a wish that one day they'll have a major clearance and 'find' it.

Incidentally large parts of this area seem to now be in deep undergrowth/trees (compare with Google Maps), so I do wonder what might be left in those locations.


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