Warbird Information Exchange

This just in, folks..

Rumour has it that the USN is currently considering a proposal to allow Yanks to have access to some hardware that includes a N3N-3 trainer (converted to sprayer confirguation in the 1960s), a Douglas R5D transport (sitting derelict without engines, tail section and port wing at Memorial airfield, Chandler, AZ), and a P2V Neptune cockpit section saved from scrapping by a former aerial applicator somewhere in Wyoming.

Navy officials say these items may be suitable for private museum display, after review of their terms and conditions, but only after these former "war machines" have gone through a rigorous "demilitarization process" to strip them of all potentially classified hardware and anything that could cause harm to the general populace.

This, of course, is pending decision from the Navy's legal department to determine true declassification status of these warbirds and with assistance from a Congressional oversight committee specifically appointed to watchdog over this "proposed" exchange. Deliberation is expected to last 24-48 months.

Geez. What an insult. USN ought to be darn ashamed of their actions on this one in dealing with a museum of this calibre. While trying to portrey to the public they are protecting "national interests," USN instead blunders - again - with yet another retarded maneuver.

Mr. Nichols, sure hope you get the opportunity to stick it to Uncle Sugar and deep into the fleshy hind quarters of USN sometime in the future, as from what I see they sure did it to you folks. I, too, can read through a press release and smell "buffalo bagels" prepared by a lawyer to indicate everyone is happy-happy with the outcome. What a load...

Good luck to you, sir. Sorry it worked out that way.

wow.....glad I never joined the Navy!

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Pooner, how many times have we seen this ? The harder we work the more nothing seems to change.

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Roger that, Rick. One step forward, two steps back... just when you think common sense will prevail, well, there's an example like this one to make you question collective stupidity on such a colossal scale.

Another topic, but thanks for the update on the DEMIL/GOV'T CONF. thing again. It's our Hydra... cut off the head one year, and two more grow back the next. Sharpen the swords, baby...

Right on. Sad no-one remembers, respects, or regards our Constitution any more!

Ryan

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Lawyers from Jones Day....... All Day and all night...... had a friend that worked there.... Expensive lawyers to rent.......

IRAN is supposed to have 14-16 flyable F-14s and possibly a total of 44 that COULD be made flyable..... (saw that somewhere the other day)

Mark H

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Fly safe or you get to meet me .......

I just read that today in Combat Aircraft magazine. I am very sad that I never got to see an F-14 demo (or even see one fly in person.)

If POF felt there was value in publicising the details I'm sure they already would have.

The bottom line is that both musems in Chino have reached agreement on this subject. I'm sure neither is truly happy with the end result however as their charters are to preserve aircraft and this opportunity was denied them.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... _top+story

Its unfortunate that congress got involved and, as it typical, overeacted which in turns puts pressure on the DOD to follow suit.

Googling "Iran F-14" will yield many such stories.

Tom-

Maybe they'll let Yanks restore the Buffalo...once it's back from Finland

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I don't doubt that you saw that but...

I still have a hard time buying that they still have some flying, let alone can get 44 up in the air. I watched VF-213 in the Mid 90"s try and keep their Tomcats in the air and I have my doubts Iran would be able to do it with much less resources.

Tim

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F-14's are a sore subject at Lone Star too. In July '06 in "the great hangar shuffle" we dumped almost the whole frigging museum to rearrange for the Tomcat we never got. A couple of months later, the Navy began waffling and giving us hokey excuses like, Scholes Field didn't have a long enough runway for an F-14.
More delays and excuses and then we all know what happened at Yanks. Makes me glad we didn't get the stupid thing. All we got was lots of tug practice and several cases of heatstroke.
On the other hand, we had a huge turnout of willing hands, a lot of big iron got to see the light of day for the first time in a while and we learned that the door to hangar two is several feet off center to the building.
We were pulling the PBY-5A out and almost tagged the door post. Something wasn't right. The stripe IS centered but pulling a 104 foot wide aircraft through a 110 foot door should have given a few feet either side. Everything stopped, the door was paced off and found to be several feet off center. hmmmm. But it was a great day for pictures on the ramp. It was full.

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"I love the smell of 100LL in the morning."

There's video out there from one of their parades last year that shows atleast 6 fly by.

Mike

Iran still has many flying and some stored ones are returning to flight. Don't underestimate them. They have reverse engineered most of the parts needed to keep them flying. Iran has a well developed aviation industry.

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

When will the F-14 at Udvar-Hazy be confiscated?

Mike