If you could go back in time...

[fotobass]

has anyone ever asked a bomber flight crew that saw one of those ac graveyards what they thought of it? must have brought up some strange strange emotions seeing them like that.

henry.

Well, there is the story that George McGovern went to see a movie with his wife upon returning home. The movie showed a newsreel first, as was teh standard then. Feature on scrapping warbirds and...you guessed it...he sees the destruction of his own B-24 onscreen...

I b'lieve they left the theater.

[TAdan]

I'd buy every P-40 I could...

[Don Martin]

Do you know which yard/yards these are at?

[Dan Johnson II]

has anyone ever asked a bomber flight crew that saw one of those ac graveyards what they thought of it? must have brought up some strange strange emotions seeing them like that.

henry.

Rent "Best Years of our Lives" and watch the scene were the Dana Andrew's character does just what you are talking about. He crawls back into the nose of a 17 about to be scrapped and relives his war in his 'office'

[Jesse C.]

I read somewhere once that some folks could buy a fields worth of aircraft for close to nothing. Apparently it did not matter what was on them, they just wanted to get rid of it all!

[Former Member]

Unless you had some serious $$$ back in those days it would've been tough trying to buy a fighter...let alone a bomber. Then there's the question of moving and storing it. If I couldn't have saved any B-17's or B-24's from the scrapper I would probably try to work out a deal to save the precious nose art on these aircraft like the one guy did at a scrapping place in Arkansas I believe. He took an axe and chain saw and cut out the nose art panels which I believe are now part of the CAF collection.

I would also go for the turret stuff which was ripped out of the bombers and disposed of in dumps like Macon, GA and other places. This would save me a lot of hassle looking for parts to my project 60 years later . When somebody invents a time machine I'd be happy to give you my wish list!

John

[Beachy]

Those photos are depressing.

[B-29 Super Fort]

has anyone ever asked a bomber flight crew that saw one of those ac graveyards what they thought of it? must have brought up some strange strange emotions seeing them like that.

henry.

Rent "Best Years of our Lives" and watch the scene were the Dana Andrew's character does just what you are talking about. He crawls back into the nose of a 17 about to be scrapped and relives his war in his 'office'

I always remember that scene from the movie as well everytime I see photos showing the row and row of B-17s.

[retroaviation]

Those photos are depressing.

VERY depressing.

Here are some from the Walnut Ridge, AR site......
http://www.walnutridge-aaf.com/military2.htm

Gary

[dors]

in the first picture what is that behind the B-25 in the second row?

[Warbird Kid]

First: I'd have to go back before 1929 and make my millions. Or one million. It doesnt matter. Set up some safe account in say 1927, and then skip to 1945/46 and go back to my account that should have made me some money.

Ok so now i have my credited money that I made before and is legal. (Not like bringing modern money back to the 40's, it wouldnt work!)

Anyway, I'd hire a maintenice crew and a ferry crew.

USA Tour:

Bombers/ Transport:
6 B-24's (3 J's, 3 D's)
4 B-17's (1D, 1E, 1F, 1G)
2 B-29's
2 B-32's
2 P-BY's
2 C-47's
5 B-25's
8 B-26's
1 C-46
1 VS-44A either (exeter or excaliubur)
1 Avenger

Fighters:
2 P-51's
5 P-40's
6 Corsairs (CV made)
3 P-47's
3 P-39s
4 P-38's
3 P-61's
2 Wildcats
3 Hellcats
2 Tigerats
1 Bearcat

Candian Tour:

Bombers:
3 Lancasters
2 Halifaxs
2 Beauforts
1 Short Sunderland
1 Swordfish

Fighters:
4 Spitfire's
5 Hurricanes
3 Tempest's
4 Typhoon's

With all these aircraft I would have scattered all over North America, (this is where the maintience and ferry crew would come in) Id ferry all the aircraft to a remote strip in the desert somewhere. Mothball them and leave them there untill about now. Then id go back and say i found this huge cash of forgotten warbirds. Even if i told everybdy i went back in time they wouldnt believe me.

Well I'd also do a european tour and try and snatch some exotic German aircraft. As well as I'd create a salvage team in the same time period and go to the Pacific and recover what i could find.

After all this hopping around the world and came back to this time, I'd recover the warbirds and pull them out of the desert and sell off most of the fleet, leaving one of each kind in my possession, with a few doubles here and there.

With the money i started to collect way back in the 20's I'd use to create a first class restoration/ maintence shop, display hanger, and musuem for the group. Of course all of my warbirds would be flyable and always would be flown often on national tours.

Yeah, you can see I'f thought about this for awhile. I think if I was able to do this I'd hopefully create a more balanced world of warbirds out there.

My dream....

[tulsaboy]

Even though they're not available for purchase like those rows of WWII aircraft were, I wonder if our grandkids will look at our pictures of the rows of B-52, F-4, and now F-14 aircraft at DM with the same awe and longing that we're looking at these pictures with. As one of the earlier posters implied, looking at these pictures through a circa 2007 lens is hard. Nevertheless, I would (again, if I could afford it) snag a Tulsa-built B-24 (there's none left), a P-40, P-47 and B-26.



kevin

[T J Johansen]

I see that a P-51D would run $3500 in 1946. When the USAF sold them off in 1958 they were down to as low as $800. What a difference a day makes... The late Jack Kistler bought his ex- Nicaraguan P-51D from a pair in GA in 1965-66. Cost him $15.000! The late Carl Schmeider was offered a P-38 for $3000 in the early 1960s. His dad told him not to pursue such a foolish expense...

T J

[Xrayist]

If I knew then what I know now....I would like to have a B-24D, P-61, about 6 Mustangs, 3 D models and 3 C models, and the B-32...the B-32 so no one would have to go to the moon to get the one up there .
Actually make that 3 each B-24 and P-61....nice to have spares in case one is "in the shop".

[jamesintucson]

in the first picture what is that behind the B-25 in the second row?

Looks like a CG-4 to me.