Warbird Information Exchange

January 25th from 10:00 to 15:00

Reviving the ole Open House events at the Garber facility years ago...Access to Restoration shop, storage areas, Conservation Lab, massive Archives and the their respective staff's.
Have questions? Now is your chance to ask!

http://airandspace.si.edu/events/open-house/

A kool event it seems! Hopefully a few WIX'rs will be able to attend and file a complete report here.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

One of the coolest days of my life was when my dad "surprised" me by getting us an appointment for a group tour of the Garber facility in Silver Hill near Andrews AFB as I recall. It was a LONG time ago - had to be late 1970's or maybe early 1980's. At the time, they were working on Charlie Blair's red P-51 Mustang "Excalibur III" that he used to be the first guy (maybe just the first in a single-engine aircraft) to fly over the North Pole. They also had the nose section of the Enola Gay there at that time. I saw an intact Messerschmitt ME-163 Komet and a WWI fighter (trying to remember if it was a Nieuport, Spad, or SE-5a) that was completely original and unpreserved - the fabric was way past just starting to tatter, but you could plainly see old bullet hole patches and other repairs.

I think that they said that they had something like 24 buildings on the site; the first two were taken over with admin offices and display aircraft, maybe 3 or 4 more were active restoration shops, and all of the rest were essentially just storage. Still, it was so much better than the artificially clean and sanitized displays that most museums have.

Glad to hear that a new generation can experience it!

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“To invent the airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything!” - Otto Lilienthal

Natasha: "You got plan, darling?"
Boris: "I always got plan. They don't ever work, but I always got one!"

Remember, any dummy can be a dumb-ass...
In order to be a smart-ass, you first have to be "smart"
and to be a wise-ass, you actually have to be "wise"

Is there a web cam set up in there that average folks can access?

Owen, I was just checking out the NASM's website. I dont see any info about web cams set up now. They used to have 2 maybe 3 live web cams in the museum building but they seem to have disappeared.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

If I were attending this event, I would ask what will be worked on after the restoration on the Heldiver is complete.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Aw shucks, I thought this thread was about Garber- it is about the new restoration center at Udvar-Hazy having their first open house, which is still neat, but there is something magical about Garber- I went to Garber on a cold weekend over 20 years ago and it was incredible- really felt like you in on some secret. They still have some treasures there I would love to see- Bring out the POGO!

I was also fortune enough to tour the Garber facility. Aircraft components tucked in here and there, aircraft hanging from the steel girders covered in dust. You kind of felt like Howard Carter gaining access to King Tut's tomb for the first time in a millenium. Thru the years many aircaft have left Garber for Udvar Hazy and to other museums but I'll bet it still looks the same.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I would also ask about the wings for the He-219. Will they ever be reattached to the fuselage now at Udvar Hazy?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

As the new shop comes online and up to speed the 219 wing is sure to be a priority to finish.

Just 4 days to the OPEN HOUSE at NASM.
How many WIX'ers coming?

Went to Garber in the early 80's a couple of times. Unbelievable. Enola Gay sitting on mattresses, The Swoose in pieces, P-61 in a corner, Convair N240K, Betty nose section, Flak Bait wings, etc., etc...
Wasn't the plan to move everything to the Hazy Center and close Garber...?

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I just moved to the area, live 10 minutes from the airport and if I don't have to leave that day to finish up sim I will probably go

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"According to the map, we've only gone 4 inches."

Dang...I need to come in here more often...almost missed this. Sounds like a don't miss marauderman! Not sure how much snow ya'll got up that way...I am certainly going to give it a shot and try to make it. We only got a ground cover here in Lynchburg. I will try to send you a message offline marauderman as I would like to talk to you if I make it up there.

-Darrell

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Earn my respect and never lose it.
Demand my respect and never gain it. -Me

...just another plane dreamer.

Whilst it looks to be an interesting event, it seems that visitors will not get to see any airframes that are not already visible from the balconies surrounding the restoration hangar at Udvar-Hazy. Although it seems that you will be able to see them from close up rather than just looking down on them through glass from the balconies.