Pate Museum Aircraft

[Pat Carry]

Maybe I can be of some assistance on this topic. My name is Wil, and this will be my first post on the forum, though Ive been lurking for awhile. I am assisting in the dismantling of the C-119. It is moving to the Granbury Veterans Museum and will be restored and displayed as a walkthrough exhibit. I'll be out there today and will take a bunch of photos of the exterior and interior and put them up for you guys.

Awesome! Thanks for the update Wil and also welcome to the WIX. Once its reaches its new home, will it displayed indoors?

[cooper9411]

Thanks, again Wil, and welcome to our "freak show" Keep the posts coming

[Bandit_214]

I asked a little about where its going to be stored, and what I got was that they are going to install a couple flight simulators in the crew compartment so you can walk inside and play on the flight simulators, I was also told that they were going to install a heating and cooling system in it, which Im assuming means it will be stored outside. They were going to build the flight simulators into the cockpit (which is a wreck by the way... pictures to follow later this evening) but due to the small crawlspace to the cockpit not being handicapped friendly, they moved the plans to place them in the crew compartment so everyone can partake in the festivities. The fact that its been sitting there for years shows on the inside, but its been locked up for quite some time. However, there is still oil in the engines and everything. The museum is doing an interview with the guy that flew it in and parked it at the Pate. I should be out there in the next few hours, and I'll throw all the pictures up on here for you guys when I get home.

[Bandit_214]

Last edited by Bandit_214 on Thu Dec 22, 2011 12:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Pat Carry]

Thanks for all those photos! It looks the this Flying Boxcar is headed for a good home.

[RickH]

It's a real shame that an aircraft that was flown in to a museum for display and never was subjected to the unsupervised public could ever be allowed to be vandalized to that extent. She could have been a real time capsule. I would expect to see her in this shape if she had been parked in a public park, but not out there.

[viking73]

It's a real shame that an aircraft that was flown in to a museum for display and never was subjected to the unsupervised public could ever be allowed to be vandalized to that extent. She could have been a real time capsule. I would expect to see her in this shape if she had been parked in a public park, but not out there.

Indeed Rick, very sad. I was actually surprised to see in the photos Wil posted that there are still some instruments left in the panel and that haven't been all stolen!

-Derek

[peter]

She doesnt look that bad guys.. A great deal of cleaning and repair inside and she will be fighting fit again!

[K5DH]

I'm surprised that the ART-13 transmitter and BC-348 receiver are still in place!

Everybody look the other way while I sneak in and "liberate" them. . .

[cooper9411]

I'm surprised the props are still there

[viking73]

Hi,

I drove by the site of the Pate Museum today to check on the C-119 and it looks like someone is taking her apart as the tail booms are now off. No one was around to ask about it however... I e-mailed the Granbury Veterans Museum last week but haven't received a reponse yet.

-Derek

[apilotsdaughter]

Hi!

So glad to have found this message board...I've been on a mission to find out the fate of the Flying Boxcar for my dad, who is a pilot and aviation enthusiast. I live in Fort Worth and when my parents would visit me from south Texas, my dad always wanted to stop and look at the aircraft outside the Pate Museum. For Christmas last year, I took a picture of the Boxcar from outside the fence (museum was already closed) and blew it up on a canvas as a Christmas gift for him. I took a lot of pictures that day and have posted the one I gave him. He has it hanging in his hangar and a few days ago, he told me that everytime he looks at that canvas, he wonders what ended up happening to the plane and asked if I could try to find out.

He and I have been trying to learn more about this plane for a while. When he heard the museum was closing, he asked me to see if I could get the info on whether they were selling it or not. I tried calling the museum but the number was disconnected. So, the next time I drove by, I left a note with his contact info on the gate, although we never heard anything. Which was probably good because my mom said we didn't need any more old airplanes to fix up, although my dad disagrees. I do as well, for that matter...my dad loves restoring old aircraft so I was all about encouraging him to do what he loves Anyway, I think it's greatthere are people interested in these old aircraft and the history behind them...I told my dad about this message board and I know he'd love to talk to other enthusiasts. I included below the link to the article I found in the Hood County News regarding the Boxcar (NOTE: The number was disconnected when I called.)

http://hcnews.com/pages/updates/airplan ... um=twitter


photo by blueyes2716, on Flickr

- Amanda

[cooper9411]

Welcome aboard Amanda. I'm quite sure your dad would get along great with the rest of us enthusiasts!

[Craig59]

It is moving to the Granbury Veterans Museum and will be restored and displayed as a walkthrough exhibit.

Amanda,

From the above posting earlier in this thread it looks like the C-119 will eventually be on display. Your Dad will have to make a return trip when they get it opened.

[Pat Carry]

Welcome to the WIX Amanda! Be sure and check the Grandbury Veterans Museum website from time to time for updates about the move of this C-119. www.usveteransmuseum.com