Visit to Grissom AFB Museum

[mustangdriver]

[Pat Carry]

Enjoyed the photos Chris. Is the B-17 stripped out in the interior? Sure would be nice to see that collection under a roof one day considering the climate they live in.

[bdk]

Sure would be nice to see that collection under a roof one day considering the climate they live in.

Those are rookeries, same way an aircraft carrier becomes an artificial reef.

[mustangdriver]

The people of grissom are working very hard to preserve their aircraft.

[warbirdguy]

I have to make it back down there at some point. Last time I visited was back in 2000.

[mustangdriver]

Enjoyed the photos Chris. Is the B-17 stripped out in the interior? Sure would be nice to see that collection under a roof one day considering the climate they live in.

It's interesting, the B-17 is more or less empty, but when you go in the museum building it seems that they have a good bit of the interior on display and in storage. They are atempting to preserve these aircraft, and are adding more as we speak. When I was there last there was an A-4 just arriving.

[APG85]

I was just at the Armament Museum in Florida and the B-17 on outdoor display there is in pretty poor condition (on close inspection). I was shocked at how far downhill it has gone in the last few years. Corrosion is evident in numerous places all over the plane. They have used expanding foam to "bird-proof" places like the engines. Unfortunately this has "forced" panels out of alignment/place. Almost every piece of plexi-glass is yellowed and crazed. There is a 6x6 panel missing off of the top of the fuselage (aft of the turret area on the left side).
I realize they have no indoor space and the volunteers can only do so much, but this plane is slowly deteriorating away ( the C-130 - the first production model built - is looking pretty bad as well ). At one time they had some information on museum expansion plans which led one to believe that the collection would eventually be moved indoors. I saw no evidence of this now...

[mustangdriver]

I would love to see the first Lady moved to Dayton myself. I know what you mean though. That was a rough looking B-17.

[Ken]

I would love to see the first Lady moved to Dayton myself.

Saving her would be great, but I really wish the NMUSAF would get a regular-ole slick C-130E that's headed to the boneyard anyway due to wing box cracks and get her inside. Just like the C-141 is sitting outside and starting the downhill slide ... if they could get an airplane directly off flying status and sneak her directly indoors then, essentially, the airplane needs only to be preserved and possibly never needs "restoration". The C-130E's flew in Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, all the Middle East wars, and a heap of places the public has never heard of. The 1st Lady is an important artifact, no doubt, but getting a 2008 time capsule from Little Rock or Pope would make a far better museum piece for generations to come.

Ken

[6trn4brn]

Thanx a million Chris Dang...had ya been there a year ago when I was still in Indiana, I'd have loved to taken ya through the KC-97...very complete inside still! Unfortunately, any and all usable parts that were still on/in the B-17 were taken to get Shoo Shoo Baby restored a few years ago. Nice though that the NMUSAF let us have the ball turret...manufacturing tags still in place inside it. Yeah, she is stripped bare inside, but amazingly little corrosion to be found inside. Outside she is a different story As you put it, the museum staff are trying everything they can to get enough money together to take care of the planes on display, let alone finance a building to get them all out of the weather. If/when I win the lottery, a new building for the girls there at Grissom is at the top of my list!

Dang your pix bring back some wonderful memories of sitting out there admiring the girls at the end of the day...nobody else around...the fading sunlight washing over the ladies at times would almost make them come alive **sigh** I sure miss those girls...thanx for the memories!

[CAPFlyer]

I would love to see the first Lady moved to Dayton myself.

...but getting a 2008 time capsule from Little Rock or Pope would make a far better museum piece for generations to come.

Ken

Ken, I definitely agree with your sentiments, but having gone back through the records on a bunch of about-to-be-retired C-130Es a few months ago, Ramstein's got a few aircraft that would be better for preservation, especially considering those aircraft are also some of the last AWADS configured aircraft, so you'd get a "two-fer", an aircraft with distinguished combat history and an AWADS platform.

[APG85]

C-130E 70-1274, the first airplane to land in Hanoi after the peace treaty was signed. Just one of many C-130's with a neat history...

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php? ... 104&nseq=1

[CAPFlyer]

Thanks Scott, you came up with one before I could find my notes.

[Steve Nelson]

Great pics, Chris!

I've never made it the Grissom museum. We make regular runs from Battle Creek to Terre Haute to visit my girlfreind's family..one of these days we'll have to make a side trip over there.

SN

[mustangdriver]

It's well worth the trip. Any place you can see that many warbirds in one place is a good day. The people are all friendly, and you can sit in an F-4 and UH-1.