Brewster Buffalo at the National Museum of Naval Aviation

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 12:38 pm

Navy Times (navytimes.com) is reporting today that Finland wants their Buffalo back. Capt Rasmussen is quoted as saying they may be willing to loan the plane to the Finns. The Finns contend that the former Finnish Air Force plane still technically belongs to them. The article also notes that Finnish diplomats are not pressing Washington to return the Buffalo. :roll:

Robbie

DryMartini · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:31 pm

All the more reason for pulling that F2A out of the drink at Midway!

C170BDan · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:42 pm

What do ya know.... :shock:

they obtained an airplane and the former (rightful!?!?) owners want it back... this sounds familiar... :roll:

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 2:02 pm

Article is here, http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1- ... 975762.php

Will the Navy honor Finlands claims of ownership to their property with the
same fervor as they allow their own history to rot? The article is incorrect,
in that Villard was not the agent acting for NMNA..BW-372 sat in storage
at the Mobile, Alabama docks while Villiard and his Russian partners
shopped the Buff..even on E-bay at one point! A shady deal comes home to roost for the Navy.

marine air · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 5:30 pm

I'm okay with it going back to Finland.

Reasons; I really like military items in their original paint and this acft. was flown by Finland's leading ace. The U.S.Navy would probably strip it and repaint it as one of ours, which it wasn't.
2) Much rather see the Navy retrieve an example from the depths of the sea that was a U.S. machine.
3) Best case scenario; Since the F2A was used by the Army, Navy, Marines, British, French, Australians, New Zealanders and others, it makes more sense to have a shop tool up and build new examples. Ten could go to National Museums, never to be flown, another ten or twenty could be sold to the big name collectors and to those that actually want a flyable example. Since there are plenty of suitable engines and props it would be a neat flyer and there's a shortage of aircraft available to represent the early years of the war. Several of the WW.II pilots really liked the flight qualities of the F2A. A jump seat could be added without changing the plexiglas. Heck, they have built F3F's, Me-262's, Oscar's, Zeros, Yaks, and FW-190's, and I have still yet to see one of them at an airshow(except for the Yak). We need some flyers, It's a bore looking at the same 5 or 10 most populous types at every airshow.
Anyone agree?

Steve T · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2005 6:44 pm

Hi Marine Air--

Yep, somebody agrees...I suggested this when I heard the B239 was coming to the States; thought, hey, disassemble and "xerox" it, in the manner of the Willow Grove museum's Me262 that has now sired two flyable "clones" with more to follow. Then send the first completed recreation to NMNA; MCAM at Quantico would want one too; the Finns could have their original machine back; and a flyable repro could join the world's only airworthy Gloster Gauntlet on the Finnish circuit. Several more would doubtless find homes in the States, Oz/NZ or the UK (and I can think of a collector elsewhere whom it might interest too).

Ideally...first this "patterning" would happen Stateside, then the B239 would return to Finland...to be replaced at NMNA by the Marion Carl Midway F2A. But, 'tisn't a perfect world. It will be interesting to see what develops in this story.

S.

Owen Miller · **Joined:** Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:28 pm **Posts:** 614

Capt. Rasmussen said long ago that the plan
for BW-372 was to be displayed in Finnish mark-
ings.

As to the Buffalo being a low priority ask yourself
something. If you were Capt. Rasmussen and had
a limited amount of resources to repair Hurricane
Ivan damage, restore and maintain a LOT of air-
craft would you begin work on a plane that might
be taken away in the future? Think about it....

Blue skies,
Owen Miller

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Jul 16, 2005 6:03 pm

a day late & a dollar short for the finns.... tell em to take a long walk off the short pier where the buffalo was salvaged.

airnutz · **Posted:** Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:52 pm

Your probably right Tom, doing business with russian mob guys
will give hope to the Saddam's, Ossama's and Noriega's that America
will relax from our current path of righteousness. Business as usual...
I hope the Finn's get her back.

The Navy was offered the "San Diego Brewster" back in 1998 by a salvor
who would raise her for $20k..and would raise a P-38 for an additional
$10k which was in the same area. Guess the Navy decided later the
Russians offered a better deal? :shock:

So yet another "possible" pattern-ship Buffalo continues to rot....

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:29 pm

opportunity knocked & the navy was cleaning the "head"

airnutz · **Posted:** Mon Jul 18, 2005 10:21 pm

Rob, are we talking about the same Buffalo? The one I've heard of fell
off of a carrier in WW2..but I never heard that it was a manned aircraft.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:39 pm

UP TO NOW THE ONLY FINGER THAT THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT HAS LIFTED TOWARD THE RECOVERY OF THE BUFFALO HAS BEEN :finga:

I SAY RIGHT BACK AT THEM, WHAT BOUNCES OFF OF US GOES RIGHT BACK TO THEM X 10 :finga:

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:06 am

Quote:

UP TO NOW THE ONLY FINGER THAT THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT HAS LIFTED TOWARD THE RECOVERY OF THE BUFFALO HAS BEEN I SAY RIGHT BACK AT THEM, WHAT BOUNCES OFF OF US GOES RIGHT BACK TO THEM X 10

Isn't that what the Navy does??? ie Lex Cralley!!!???!!!

agent86 · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 926

Wish I could see the crash records for this.

Originalboxcar · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:21 pm

Yes, crash records would be nice, and if you have them video, pics or SAT images as well.

regards,

t~

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Brewster Buffalo at the National Museum of Naval Aviation

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