Yale 3390 Recovery and Mr Cleaver's Planes

Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:14 am

Just thought I'd share some photos I took last Thursday of the recovery of Yale 3390 from Leon Cleaver as well as some of the planes he has stashed away on his property in northern Ohio.

I appologize if some of the pics are blury. I found out after I got home that my ISO was set to 1600 for some reason! Grrr!

T-33A 51-6546 - formerly in Wooster, OH
notice the clipped wings - it was left this way (jagged edges and all) for kids to play on in a park

Fuselage of US Navy T-38 B/N 158197, which crashed into Chesapeake Bay flying out of Pax River in 1972. The wings and tail are nearby.

ex-USAF TC-45H 51-11555 and Beech 18 N322X

F9F-8P Cougar B/N 144388 with another unknown Cougar behind

Leon's shed full of airplane parts
there's soo much stuff in there...3 merlins, an N3N fuselage, SNV (BT-13) fuselage, SNJ fuselage, H-19 tail boom, etc...

SNJ fuselage

Your's truly in his first warbird
I know, I know, I'm crazy for wanting a Yale...

Loading begins.
it sure was nice having another Yale close to home to measure up...

On the trailer...

Wide load!

My Dad, Leon, and myself.

Ready to go!

Not something you see everyday...

It's so big!

Back in Canada, eh!

Home at last! (10 hours later...)

Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:19 am

Whoaa~! Pretty cool... never heard of this place! What other aircraft are there, other than those shown. What are your intensions with the Yale (static or flyer) and do you know what's missing (wings?). Best of luck!

Cheers
Richard

Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:42 am

Here's a list what aircraft that he has there (that I can recall):

F2H Banshee
T-33A 51-6546
T-38A B/N 158197 (ex USAF 68-8194) - recovered remains
Piasecki HUP helicopter
F9F-8P Cougar B/N 144388
F9F-8 Cougar (B/N painted out)
TC-45H 51-11555
Beech 18 (formerly N322X)
H-21 cockpit
crashed Huey remains
2 H-19 helicopters
SNJ fuselage
SNV fuselage
remains of an Aero Commander
R-4360 off a C-97
R-3350 off a DC-7

As for 3390, I intend to restore it to airworthy condition, and yes, I have a line on a set of wings. If an airworthy restoration is not possible, then it will be a first-class static

Thanks for your comments!

:partyman:

Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:55 am

rcaf_100 wrote:Here's a list what aircraft that he has there (that I can recall):

F2H Banshee
T-33A 51-6546
T-38A B/N 158197 (ex USAF 68-8194) - recovered remains
Piasecki HUP helicopter
F9F-8P Cougar B/N 144388
F9F-8 Cougar (B/N painted out)
TC-45H 51-11555
Beech 18 (formerly N322X)
H-21 cockpit
crashed Huey remains
2 H-19 helicopters
SNJ fuselage
SNV fuselage
remains of an Aero Commander
R-4360 off a C-97
R-3350 off a DC-7

As for 3390, I intend to restore it to airworthy condition, and yes, I have a line on a set of wings. If an airworthy restoration is not possible, then it will be a first-class static

Thanks for your comments!

Fascinating collection, and thanks very much for posting! I wish you the very best with your restoration!

All the best,
Richard

PS. Is this a former Ernie Simmons bird?

Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:12 am

Fantastic pics! I especially love the Yale parked in front of a Timmy's..ya can't get more Canadian than that, eh? (unless maybe it was being towed by the Possum Van.)

SN

Wed Oct 21, 2009 4:48 am

unless maybe it was being towed by the Possum Van

Then he'd be securing it with duct tape instead of tie down straps :shock:

Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:25 am

Congrats!
I've known about Leon's stuff for a while and was hoping someone might be able to rescue a few.
Quonset has had their eye on the Banshee for sometime.
The silver C-45 was never civilianized, though it is missing a lot, it's a neat time capsule.
Jerry

PS: LOVE TIM HORTON's!!!

Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:47 am

i live 15 minutes from their in wakeman!! i would have loved to have been their for the loading!!! leon is a stand up guy & a real gentleman, but i'm gonna kick his butt the next time i run into him for not calling me!!! i've known him for over 20 years. was the yale hauled through wakeman on your trek home??

Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:48 am

Uh wow, anyone else wish that was thier back yard? (Minus the police shooting range screwing up the aircraft worse than being outside in the elements.

Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:28 am

Shane,

Glad you got the Yale home safely. Sorry I couldn't make it out to help you.

Jim

Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:44 am

Request for more pics please!

Wow very cool another Walter! :shock:

Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:48 am

rcaf_100 wrote:
My Dad, Leon, and myself.

I love the visual evolution of warbirditis...from jeans with sort-of dirty knees to really dirty knees to holes in knees. Classic.

Congrats on your successful manly bonding trip with Dad. I did much the same with my then 12-year-old son and a Cornell, although I should've waited until he was old enough to help with the 20-hour drive!

Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:57 am

Congrats on your Yale project. Thanks for posting the pics. Best of luck to ya. Hope to see it flying in the near future.

Robbie

Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:48 am

Not much history found on 3390, but it's a start.

http://www.ody.ca/~bwalker/RCAF_3350_3399_detailed.html

Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:53 am

Neat project.
Good luck with it.

I hope the other ac get homes in the future...
I want an H-19 for some reason....

Yale 3390 Recovery and Mr Cleaver's Planes

Yale 3390 Recovery and Mr Cleaver's Planes

Re: Yale 3390 Recovery and Mr Cleaver's Planes