THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN 2014

[Steve Nelson]

I think it goes back to nautical standards. The blue portion is always supposed to face forward, as if the flag trailing from a mast in the wind.

SN

[tacoope]

Interesting idea, makes sense, thanks for the info.

Terry

[dc8jet]

K5803 the east side of the airport where TOM is held was a military base. There were units there who did a final inspection of the aircraft, made any necessary modifications to the aircraft and made a final test flight before turning over the aircraft to the ferry crew. At one time there were quite a few hangars and other buildings over there. I think that building is the last one left from the old base.

[chico]

Here are two interesting items of old airport architecture from my trip to Michigan, one mysterious and the other sad.

At Willow Run, over near gate E39, was this fascinating structure.

Although everyone agrees that Willow Run built in 1942, this has a prewar look to it. Presumably one of the original buildings, it is in the southwest corner of the field far away from the old bomber plant and terminal, and nobody could tell me what it was built for. Anyway, it's a handsome deco airport building and it is good to see it still in use.

That building is officially known as the "Packard Hangar." Active Aero still makes use of the facility. Not sure why specifically it is referred to as the Packard Hangar, though I'd have to assume Packard had some business interest at the field either during or after the war? Interestingly, I found this bit from a 1993 edition of "The Record" (A University of Michigan newsletter):

...The University acquired the hangar in 1961 from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare as surplus real property.

“For many years the Packard Hangar housed the U-M Willow Run Research Labs and subsequently was used until 1984 by the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, an offshoot of the Willow Run Labs,” Womack said. In 1985 the University leased the hangar to Ace Aircraft Services. Ace vacated the hangar last November due to economic constraints.

“Since the early 1980s, the University has negotiated with Wayne County officials to sell the Packard Hangar to the county. The hangar is situated on the Willow Run Airport and since Wayne County owns the airport, the county is the logical purchaser,” Womack noted.

After the war the University took over the "base" as a whole, though it appears some of the assets were spread out to various agencies. The airfield was sold to the airport authority in the 1980's, but some of the assets of the old base that were on the west side of Beck Rd. weren't included for whatever reason. Everything east of Beck rd. stayed with the University. Some of the other items I found while looking up information on the building indicated that this building became a point of contention between the University and the county, as its sale wasn't included in the original deal for the airport.

[k5083]

Thanks Phil for the tip. With a little research I've learned that Packard constructed "flight testing, shop and hangar facilities" at Willow Run in connection with its attempt to develop the J41 jet aircraft engine in 1944-47. It appears that the engine was flight tested on a B-25. The project seems to have been abandoned in 1948 or so. The 1944 article below references the breaking of ground on the new buildings. The existing building seems consistent with what the newspaper describes being constructed.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 501,144043

For more on the Packard jet engines: http://www.enginehistory.org/members/ar ... rbines.pdf

August

[kennsmithf2g]

Trainers:
AT11


Harvard





N3N


PT17


SNJ







SNV-1

T6





T34


Other views of the trainers Here: http://kennsmithf2g.smugmug.com/Airplanes/14080809-TOM-T6/43764946_CJQfTf

[k5083]

Nice pics. There were some pretty trainers there, even if the numbers were not what was expected.

T-6 "TA-144" is Butch Schroeder's, and it looks almost as nice as his fighters!

There were several T-6/Harvards there that I had not seen. Unusually, there was a Harvard pretending to be an SNJ (the white one, "JS-51", a Harvard Mk.II) AND a T-6 pretending to be a Harvard ("RCAF-407", Charlie Cartledge's T-6J, built in Canada to a U.S. contract for export to Italy).

Seems like T-6 owners still need to learn how to paint a U.S. insignia though. Less than half of the planes with stars 'n bars in your pics got it right.

August

[rcaf_100]

... a T-6 pretending to be a Harvard ("RCAF-407", Charlie Cartledge's T-6J, built in Canada to a U.S. contract for export to Italy)...

The dataplate will say 'Harvard Mk IV' though. There never 'officially' was a T-6J. (just ask Doug MacPhail )

The Germans called them Harvards and the Italians called them the 'T-6H4M'....'H' for Harvard.

[Roger Cain]

There never 'officially' was a T-6J. (just ask Doug MacPhail )

the just ask Doug part - That was the first thing that came to my mind also

[k5083]

Interesting info about the "T-6J" Harvard. I'd be interested in what they were called on the MDAP records from the U.S. It's hard to imagine aircraft getting a USAF serial number without some USAF-style designation, but that was probably easier to imagine in 1951.

August

[Mr. Scott]

Regarding the old hangar at Metro airport, The Detroit Free Press has a short article about it titled "This week in Michigan history: Detroit's airport is dedicated." Here is the link to it which includes a photo of one of the original buildings: http://www.freep.com/article/20140831/NEWS06/308310045/michigan-history-detroit-airport-dedication