Today's visit to the Tyler, TX HAMM museum + bonus pics

[Fouga23]

How about scrapping the cougar, but saving the cockpit section? Just because the rest is rotten, doesn't mean the cockpit section can't make an interesting display.

[aerojock]

Great info. on 132443 Craig, thanks! I first saw 132443 in Harlingen back in the summer of 1988 when she was parked at the Marine Military Academy across the street from the CAF Headquarters. I of course hopped the fence and took some photos back then. It was great to see her again after so long. Here's some of my photos from 1988:









So I guess the "VMA-324" markings were bogus according to data...

-Derek

The last I saw of this plane was right before it was trucked to Rio Hondo and the Texas Air Museum. I can't belive it's the same bird. The corrosion was so bad I never thought it could be repaired.


Jim

[viking73]

The last I saw of this plane was right before it was trucked to Rio Hondo and the Texas Air Museum. I can't belive it's the same bird. The corrosion was so bad I never thought it could be repaired.


Jim

Jim, do you know what year it went to Rio Hondo?

-Derek

[Craig59]

The LIFE magazine photo collection yielded this gem. That's famed LIFE magazine photographer Margaret Bourke-White dangling from the harness (though no indication of "why?" is given) attached to BuNo125506, the HO4S held by the museum. This is when it was attached to the Naval Air Torpedo Unit (NATU) at NAS Quonset Point, RI. from 23 Jul 51 to 13 Mar 52.

[RickH]

That ol Skyraider is one rough bird. The cockpit is especially crusty !

[viking73]

That ol Skyraider is one rough bird. The cockpit is especially crusty !

You are right about the cockpit Rick. The guys working on her told me that the pilot's windows are so corroded that they can't even open them!

[RickH]

I know I tried when we were up there for the Grand Opening for the new terminal museum.

[Ken]

bump

[The Inspector]

Great info. on 132443 Craig, thanks! I first saw 132443 in Harlingen back in the summer of 1988 when she was parked at the Marine Military Academy across the street from the CAF Headquarters. I of course hopped the fence and took some photos back then. It was great to see her again after so long. Here's some of my photos from 1988:









So I guess the "VMA-324" markings were bogus according to data...

-Derek

132443 is El Segundo l/n 9460
Aluminum corrodes it doesn't rust, the H-19 skins are also mag/aluminum composition and magnesium gets 'wormy' (full of holes) in nothing flat and 'works' on aluminum mixed with it or attached to it.
The last 727 will be forced out of the air because finding an airworthy magnesium 'K' flap will become impossible, Boeing don't make those parts no more and they are proprientary so you can't.

[viking73]

Wow, this is an old zombie thread of mine. Thanks for the bump Ken.

I visited the museum again in June of 2013 since I was attending a wedding close by. It was nice to see some old friends there, I think they are very looking good. My hat is off to the folks at the Tyler HAMM. I sure wish I lived closer...

First, the Sikorsky:





The Fat Face AD Spad:






I made the short drive over to the restoration hanger, and was very happy to see another old friend from the closed Pate Museum patiently waiting her turn to shine:






And last but not least, the F9F. They had the wings on her (no small feat!) and I was told she's going to be a pole dancer since she's in such rough shape...






That's about it. I enjoyed seeing these photos again today. I wonder what's changed at the museum since then?

-Derek

[Dnil]

is that cougar the one that used to be on the T-heads in corpus? I thought for sure that bird had been scrapped ages ago.

[Ken]

Here's 132443 back in the day ...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisk48/ ... 4/sizes/l/