American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland,Tx

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2005 10:18 am

Does anyone know what planes the CAF normally has on display there?

Eureka181 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:27 pm **Posts:** 182

They have:

JRB-4 Expeditor
C-46 Commando "Tinker Belle"
YO-55 Ercoupe
B-23 Dragon
PT-26 Cornell
AT-11 Kansan
Homebuilt Boredom Fighter
BT-14 NA-64
L-3E Defender

But this is as of June 24, 2005. They could have rotated some different aircraft in. Plus there are other aircraft you might be able to see that are not CAF.

Old Shep · **Joined:** Thu Jun 09, 2005 5:49 pm **Posts:** 219

Pat:
Currently in the hangar at the CAF...B-25 Yellow Rose, B-29 (heavy maintenance) ME-109, Tora Zero, Bucker Jungmeister, SNJ, two PT-19, Taylorcraft, YO-55, P-82 (disassembled), C-46, C-45, Shackleton, F-111, F-14, plus other Vietnam a/c.... B-23, AM-1, T-50 are outside...
There won't be any other new airplanes in there until Airsho time and then the hangar will be full for about three months.
Bill Coombes
CAF General Staff

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Hi, Bill!

Made it home after 14 hours . . . . slow drive, in order not to exceed the speed limit on the darned trailer!

I wanted to thank you for your kindness and for the time you took to talk with me.

The engines were unloaded today, and just a few minutes ago, I was removing the paint from the manual starter's crank-handle . . . : )

Pat:

As of yesterday at the CAF main hanger, there were also a Bell Sioux helicopter, the Russian fighter (you know, the Rata), the Twin Mustang looks really sad.... Outside, the F-105, the Bell Cobra, there is a Harpoon (??) in light blue colors just outside the main hangar; the B-23, Mauler, T-50, etc., are way out there, where the rattlers roam . . . on the right side of the ramp, there is a TBM.

Of possible interest:

On my way to Midland, I stopped at Weimar, where these two photos were shot at the Veterans Memorial Stadium:

This is the Avenger just outside the CAF main hangar; there is another center section and front cockpit back in "the hill"

And lastly, the Mauler and friends:

Saludos,

Tulio

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:21 pm

Old Shep wrote:

Pat:
Currently in the hangar at the CAF...B-25 Yellow Rose, B-29 (heavy maintenance) ME-109, Tora Zero, Bucker Jungmeister, SNJ, two PT-19, Taylorcraft, YO-55, P-82 (disassembled), C-46, C-45, Shackleton, F-111, F-14, plus other Vietnam a/c.... B-23, AM-1, T-50 are outside...
There won't be any other new airplanes in there until Airsho time and then the hangar will be full for about three months.
Bill Coombes
CAF General Staff

What's Yellow Rose doing there? I thought it was in San Marcos...
BTW that's Yellow Rose on my avatar.

Ryan

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

"What's Yellow Rose doing there? I thought it was in San Marcos... "

Dunno; there was nothing going on with Yellow Rose; just sitting next to Tinker Belle and in front of Fifi.

By the way, is it just me, or has the artwork on Yellow Rose been "modified"? If I recall correctly (and I would have to go dig some photos) YR used to be "nekkiddd" : ) but now she wears a vest.

And just joking, by looking at the cartoon on "Lil Yellow Rose" I thought: child porrnn : )

Saludos,

Tulio

RickH · **Posted:** Wed Aug 03, 2005 7:32 pm

Tulio, the PC crowd got to the Rose crew a while back. She and Lil Rose have had vests and shorts for some time.

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Thank you, Rick, I had assumed that much. It doesn't make any sense at all, when if you visit the "Ladies" gallery, you will see pin-ups in all their WW-II glory . . .

Saludos,

Tulio

RickH · **Posted:** Thu Aug 04, 2005 12:50 am

Tulio, I think they were catching a bunch of flak when they took her to airshows. Same kind of stuff that got the name changed to Commemorative AF. ( I know that was sponsor driven)

FG1D Pilot · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:42 am **Posts:** 450

Yellow Rose was there on rotaion I believe. Every CAF aircraft is required to make a 3 month rotation to Midland, so that all the planes are on view to the public in Midland. It also keeps the Display constantly changing.

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

RickH wrote:

Tulio, I think they were catching a bunch of flak when they took her to airshows. Same kind of stuff that got the name changed to Commemorative AF. ( I know that was sponsor driven)

Yup, RickH. I know how that went; I have been a CAF member for several years now. It makes me wonder though, how in order to appease some critics, history has to be modified or disguised.

We still see it nowadays, where in some cities, classical statues are clothed, so as not to offend people's (??) sensibilities with the portrayal of the human body.

The pin-ups represent aircraft that went into harm's way, and those onboard risked life and limb so that people nowadays can rant and protest the way the airplanes look.

Sad thing is, the aircraft are actually modified to appease the critics . . .

end of mini-rant.

Saludos,

Tulio

Steve T · **Posted:** Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:47 pm

Hi Tulio et al--

Ah, this topic again! What fun. :twisted:

I noticed the, um, cool-weather attire added to "Yellow Rose's" nose art in a recent pic, which attire had not been there when I photographed that B-25 at Hondo TX 13 years ago (yikes!). Still, the CAF's Mitchell at least remains "Yellow Rose"...our local Mitchell recently lost its rather well-done, handpainted, pin-up "Hot Gen!" in favour of a large decal rendering of Disney's "Grumpy". I'm told that was not for PC reasons...but, to be candid, I don't wholly believe it.

Change for the sake of variety, or to commemorate a different unit or individual, is another matter entirely. The Collings B-24 is an example of this; CF didn't "ditch" the 5th AF dragon-and-pinup artwork, they kept it quite a while in fact, and then opted to commemorate the 8th for a time instead...and I for one will be plenty pleased to see "Witchcraft" this weekend.

Thought it was nifty that there was actually an award for Politically Incorrect Markings at Oshkosh this year; nice to see noses being thumbed in the direction of those who would "bleach" history!

Reminds me of all those model kits of Luftwaffe aircraft...with certain markings snipped out of the decal sheets with scissors during packaging. I had a Fw190 kit like that...and that was 20 years ago...

Wonder whether anyone will restore an F-105 as the one that...aw, skip it. :wink:

S.

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Steve,

Or to actually see an aircraft with the "The Polish Cannon" nose art, which was recently brought back to life in a new guise as the "Iraki Scud Launcher." : )

Just two of my favorite airplane names:

Our Lil' Lass
Who Flung Poo?

Perhaps it would be a good idea to ask Scott to create a section here at the WIX, to post such photos / names, with all kinds of warnings for those faint-hearted people who could be offended by such miscreant profanity? : )

You are right, I just saw some of my 1986 - 1990 photos of Yellow Rose at the Wings over Houston, and she was ready for some good sun-tanning!
: )

Saludos,

Tulio

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Fri Aug 05, 2005 8:09 am

When we were on tour with the Rose, every stop, someone would come up and tell us that its not right to have naked ladies on the A/C for the kids to see. We would point out the current Air Force A/C that would have the same kind of marking. I would ask them if they knew anything about WWII history and why they were painted that way.
The correct way to have your picture taken was to place her "6" on the palm of your hand and "hold" her up. Many shots were taken this way as well as a few that wanted to "compare" what they "had", to the Rose.
"only in California"

Cheers,

Lynn

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American Airpower Heritage Museum in Midland,Tx

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