Warbird Information Exchange

Just watching the news about Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, wondering if there are any classic/museum aircraft in danger of being damaged by the severe storm.

Anyone know ?

Cheers
TNZ

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Don't know about any aircraft in danger but I'm sure the D-Day Museum is threatened with water damage. Hope those folks are able to get the irreplaceble stuff to safety.

Mudge the concerned

Just saw pictures of the I10 off ramps at Mobile, Alabama. Downtown is flooded and so is Battleship Park. B-25 is one of the airframes on display next to the ship. B-52 is in the middle of the park. Several other airframes ( fixed wing and helicopters) are outside. They are definitely flooded. One is a Coast Guard HU-16, wonder if it's floating? I'm sure the indoor aviation pavillion has several feet of water in it. The A-12 is in there as well as the Hornet preproduction aircraft.

http://www.ussalabama.com/html/collection/index.php

Barksdale AFB has a B-17, B-29, and B-24--among others. Don't know how they faired.

Barksdale museum probably fared about as well as you did in Kansas - Barksdale is in Shreveport which is 350 miles inland from New Orleans. While they may get a bit of rain over there I don't think they are in any danger.

No airplanes at the D-Day musem (no real ones at least) and even these reproductions are hanging. There is a Higgins boat at ground level but I'd assume it would float if the museum floods.

RickH is right, I think the Battleship Park aircraft are the only ones who may be looking at real damage.

While I understand the TBM is a replica, the Spitfire is real is it not? I was always told it is Spitfire Vb BL370.

Jim

From what I've seen the D-Day Museum is on the river side of the city and the severe flooding is in the north east quadrant of the city on the Ponchetrain side. Museum is probably OK.

I thought Battleship park had a Corsair on display?

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This is what was outside when I visited back in May.

http://www.airic.ca/html/uss_alabama.html

Eric

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Doesn't look good for the aircraft at Battleship Memorial Park


http://www.ussalabama.com/html/news/ind ... ary_key=42

The AU-1 (F-4U-7) Corsair was in the pavilion. A-4, UH-1, A-12, P-51, YF-17, F-105 were also in there as well as artifacts and equipment. If they have 5 ft. + covering the park the water is above the mainwheels and up on the fuselage on the B-52. It's the furthest from the waters edge. Wonder where the PBR is? The B-25 was in the grass next to the gift shop where the Corsair used to sit.

The Alabama normally sits on the bottom. They built a concrete cofferdam around her in order to do bottom repair and paint a couple of years ago. It was reflooded so if she has a 5 degree list I don't have any idea how they are going to right her. Her concrete pier probably held her port side down as she floated with the rising tide. I don't remember much of an expansion joint between the pier and deck edge.

Just saw your link Eric. I didn't realize they had moved the A-12 back outside. They must have done that after I was there in Feb.

Last week we had severe flooding (once again, my neighborhood has been narrowly missed--we've only had two horrible storms here...and I've been here a while)

I was under the impression that the Spitfire at the D-Day museum was real too.

So now that these planes were submerged, does the USN claim ownership?

Hi Glyn,

As one who grew up in the area (but moved away 7 years ago), I must do my homies right and remind you that Barksdale AFB is located in Bossier City. Shreveport is way over there across the Red River (where they belong!)

Wade

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