P-63 in barn story

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

The "plane in a barn" story that really intrigues me is of the King Cobra that won the Tinnerman Trophy Race, then was stored in a barn in Arkansas and forgotten. There was an article on this a few years ago, but I can't remember the magazine it was in. Maybe it was also discussed here on WIX. I think the crew chief for the plane when it raced was the one telling the story. The dirt strip is long abandoned and has become a forest. Does this story ring a bell with anyone?

Wildchild · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:29 pm

Never herd of it, but i believe it could be real

There's a mustang being restored right now that was pulled from a barn after sitting in it damaged for 30 years

Speedy · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 7:31 pm

george wrote:

The "plane in a barn" story that really intrigues me is of the King Cobra that won the Tinnerman Trophy Race, then was stored in a barn in Arkansas and forgotten. There was an article on this a few years ago, but I can't remember the magazine it was in. Maybe it was also discussed here on WIX. I think the crew chief for the plane when it raced was the one telling the story. The dirt strip is long abandoned and has become a forest. Does this story ring a bell with anyone?

I think all of the P-63 airframes that participated at Cleveland have been accounted for, one way or another.

Dan K · **Posted:** Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:04 pm

Speedy wrote:

I think all of the P-63 airframes that participated at Cleveland have been accounted for, one way or another.

You don't say? :wink:

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... p?p=259651

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

I did a google search, and found the story. And BDK originally told us about it here a few years ago. I would assume its still there, since a road would have to be cut through the forest to remove it. Unless Speedy knows its status.

http://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2009 ... cobra.html

muddyboots · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:43 pm

CH47 and a sling. No problem.

12XU2A3X3 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:45 pm

george wrote:

Does this story ring a bell with anyone?

rings a Bell alright, ding dong :lol:

Wildchild · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:35 pm

george wrote:

I did a google search, and found the story. And BDK originally told us about it here a few years ago. I would assume its still there, since a road would have to be cut through the forest to remove it. Unless Speedy knows its status.

http://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2009 ... cobra.html

This makes no sense though. Ive scanned over Arkansas using texaco stations as a starter point for towns, but they dont show any overgrown forests. I do have one more trick i can pull though...

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:52 pm

But are you using a late 1960's Texaco station map? The foliage in Arkansas can thicken up pretty deep without the appearance of a "forest".

Wildchild · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:24 pm

airnutz wrote:

But are you using a late 1960's Texaco station map? The foliage in Arkansas can thicken up pretty deep without the appearance of a "forest".

No, but i just did. Two city's that came up that could be a possibility would be Pine Bluff and Blythville, but the issue is distance from the river and local forests..

Versatile · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:35 pm **Posts:** 636

george wrote:

The "plane in a barn" story that really intrigues me is of the King Cobra that won the Tinnerman Trophy Race, then was stored in a barn in Arkansas and forgotten. There was an article on this a few years ago, but I can't remember the magazine it was in. Maybe it was also discussed here on WIX. I think the crew chief for the plane when it raced was the one telling the story. The dirt strip is long abandoned and has become a forest. Does this story ring a bell with anyone?

I doubt it would still be there. Very likely a yearly usage duster strip. The dusters are warbirders also and scroungers as well. Talk to the dusters and you will here the outcome if it was true.

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

Another approach to finding the location of the dirt strip just across the river from Memphis would be to talk to someone who was associated with the airport on the Memphis side where the Cobra was stored before going to the Arkansas side. The problem is: which airfield was it? There were probably quite a few airports around Memphis at that time. One, of course, was the Shelby County School of Aeronautics, with the B-26s, P-43s, A-20s, and so many more airframes. Another would be Wilson Field, where the owner had rows of junked out airframes. Sadly, they were all buried at the airfield when it was shut down. An interesting occurance at Wilson is that the plane Amelia Earhart flew, before the one she was lost in, crashed at Wilson several years after her disappearance. Another field was Memphis Flying Service, a very busy field that catered to veterans. Certainly, some folks associated with these abandoned fields are still around, and probably know exactly where that dirt strip was located across the river.

On the Arkansas side, it looks pretty dense with foliage and woods just across the river from Memphis. I doubt an old run-down Texaco, probably family-owned, on a small, remote country road would be listed on a Texaco map. Texaco may have only listed company-owned stations, which were most likely in the larger populated areas. But this is just speculation on my part.

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

I'll add that a positive for her still being in that barn is the fact that there was no account, record or knowledge of her existence or whereabouts after winning at Cleveland.

But what condition would she be in after sitting in a barn for around 60 years?

Wildchild · **Posted:** Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:25 pm

george wrote:

Another approach to finding the location of the dirt strip just across the river from Memphis would be to talk to someone who was associated with the airport on the Memphis side where the Cobra was stored before going to the Arkansas side. The problem is: which airfield was it? There were probably quite a few airports around Memphis at that time. One, of course, was the Shelby County School of Aeronautics, with the B-26s, P-43s, A-20s, and so many more airframes. Another would be Wilson Field, where the owner had rows of junked out airframes. Sadly, they were all buried at the airfield when it was shut down. An interesting occurance at Wilson is that the plane Amelia Earhart flew, before the one she was lost in, crashed at Wilson several years after her disappearance. Another field was Memphis Flying Service, a very busy field that catered to veterans. Certainly, some folks associated with these abandoned fields are still around, and probably know exactly where that dirt strip was located across the river.

On the Arkansas side, it looks pretty dense with foliage and woods just across the river from Memphis. I doubt an old run-down Texaco, probably family-owned, on a small, remote country road would be listed on a Texaco map. Texaco may have only listed company-owned stations, which were most likely in the larger populated areas. But this is just speculation on my part.

Please tell me the bad part about having the aircraft buried... I mean, if there still there... lol

Regards to the P-63, I have access to areial maps from the 50's and 60's so if i can place them over todays maps and see how many feilds with barns have been turned into forests.

Probably a off chance here, but does anyone have any airport charts from the 60's? It "may" list it as a emergency feild

Versatile · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:35 pm **Posts:** 636

Would this help?

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/AR/Airfields_AR_N.htm

How about this one?

The Walcot airfield was apparently abandoned at some point between 1955-64,

as it was no longer depicted at all on the April 1964 Tulsa Sectional Chart (according to Chris Kennedy).

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P-63 in barn story

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