Help in pinning old location of a static warbird

[PinecastleAAF]

It looks like the sign on the building is for something something lounge. Maybe you can enhance that with some sw. I'm thirsty already.

[wendovertom]

Not that it counts for anything - but does that look like a F4D partially hiding behind the tree?

Tom P.

[VaBeachEd]

The brick building resembles the type seen at NAS Norfolk some years ago, but I don't have any evidence to support that hypothesis. It's also been a long time since I did any photo interpretation, (and I sucked at it when I did it but the nose of the aircraft sitting on the deck mostly hidden by the tree looks more like a Crusader rather than a Phantom. In addition, I'm not sure Phantoms flew off the old "Essex" carriers - I think they were too heavy? - even after the "27C" conversions. That said, there is the tail of an a/c on the left side of the tree. Might that be a Crusader as well? (Don't think any of this crap helps solve the mystery, but what the heck!!!)

[jmkendall]

The architecture on the building in the background is suggestive of a building constructed between 1840 and 1880. Those arched windows were pretty much done and over with by 1880.

The only shipyard that old on the west coast was Mare Island. And that is not Mare Island. I grew up there. I am also pretty sure it is not San Francisco. I don't think anything that old survived the 06 quake down on the Piers.

That looks a lot like the USS Intrepid, circa 1970. Which, if true, places her on the East coast. Norfolk maybe?

Just my two cents

[wendovertom]

I wasn't thinking a Phantom - rather a F4D Skyray.

[RareBear]

Could it have been the USS Lexington at Pensacola? She was their training carrier for many years, from 1969 to 1991.

Walt

[RMAllnutt]

Pictured below is the Sikorsky HRS, Bureau Number 130252 currently on display at the Flying Leatherneck Museum in San Diego. The museum recently completed an absolutely beautiful and accurate restoration of the aircraft. BuNo 130252 was placed into storage at DM on November 14, 1966. Its aircraft history card shows it "transferred" to Quantico on February 4, 1967 and SOC 4 days later.

My question is where is it on display in this photo? The A4D-2 (BuNo 142897) next to it offers no help as it doesn't appear to exist anymore. It's obviously very close to the water as evidenced by the CV in the background. Could this be Quantico or someplace closeby or somewhere in San Diego? As Quantico was headquarters for the then Marine Air-Ground Museum, the "transfer" may have been for paperwork purposes only, not the physical location of the aircraft.

Any help or thoughts are appreciated.

Fascinating photo. It's definitely not Quantico, or anything nearby. You'd never get a CV that far up the Potomac. The trees look like red maple's, judging by the distinctive leaves and these are very common on the east coast, and not at all on the west. Also, there is a billboard on the building near the covered entrance. I can't read all the writing, but one of the words is definitely Lounge... if that is a clue.

Also, the carrier seems strangely devoid of antennas. The aircraft towards the prow, where all you can see is a cockpit, is definitely a Douglas Skynight. These were all out of service by 1970 (although there were a few lingering into the 1980's with Raytheon as flying testbeds ). The one where only the tail and part of the wing is showing is almost certainly a Douglas F4D Skyray as has earlier been mooted, and these were all done with the fleet by the mid-1960's. Therefore, since we already know that the Skyhawk pictured wasn't retired until 1970 we have only one real conclusion that the carrier is museum piece too, most likely on the east coast. This would suggest that it is the USS Intrepid, as that's the only carrier museum I can think of with both a skynight and a skyray. The carrier was decommissioned at Quonset Point in the early 1970's. Could this be Quonset Point, before the carrier moved down to New York City in 1982?

I also found that the USS Intrepid was declared (by Congress) to be the official vessel of the US Navy and Marine Corps bicentennial exposition held in Philadelphia in 1976. This would be a big reason for her to have retired aircraft on her deck prior to her move to New York... so maybe this photo was taken in Philadelphia? It might also explain the retired aircraft on what look like temporary stands on the grass too.

Cheers,
Richard

[rcaf_100]

I also found that the USS Intrepid was declared (by Congress) to be the official vessel of the US Navy and Marine Corps bicentennial exposition held in Philadelphia in 1976. This would be a big reason for her to have retired aircraft on her deck prior to her move to New York... so maybe this photo was taken in Philadelphia? It might also explain the retired aircraft on what look like temporary stands on the grass too.

I think Richard might have something there.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=39.893884, ... 00284&z=19

This spot looks like it might match up with the photo. (looking northwest from the park towards the dockside)
The 'Lounge' looks like it's been turned into a parking lot, though.

[Cubs]

o.k. folks with Google Earth, try this; look at:
39deg 53' 34.58 N 75deg 10' 35.84 W

Does that look like the right building and there is a large grass lot across the street.
There is a quay or whatever the Navy calls it, "behind the building".

[ChrisK48]

Same location on Bing Maps. I'd say this is definitely the place.

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#/c06og7tftwokmd47

[RMAllnutt]

I also found that the USS Intrepid was declared (by Congress) to be the official vessel of the US Navy and Marine Corps bicentennial exposition held in Philadelphia in 1976. This would be a big reason for her to have retired aircraft on her deck prior to her move to New York... so maybe this photo was taken in Philadelphia? It might also explain the retired aircraft on what look like temporary stands on the grass too.

I think Richard might have something there.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=39.893884, ... 00284&z=19

This spot looks like it might match up with the photo. (looking northwest from the park towards the dockside)
The 'Lounge' looks like it's been turned into a parking lot, though.

Well done for narrowing down what must surely be the spot too... and the road name is Intrepid Way of all things as well!

Cheers,
Richard

[Cubs]

One other small detail in the photo: the automobile next to the van appears to be a 1975 Chevy Malibu.

[BHawthorne]

The roofline and many of the windows match up in that photo and the 45 degree angle Google Earth pics.

[Craig59]

Thanks to everyone for the Philly Navy yard location. I had also ID'd that location as highly likely. Given the input with regards to the carrier and the aircraft aboard, it makes it all the more likely. Too bad the only aerial photos I could find were dated 1970 - just a bit too early - and the next was some years later - way too late.

How about a new TV show, WIX SDI? WIX Static Display Investigation.