Puerto Rico Warbirds
Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:11 pm
B-25 Folks:
Read today in an old A/C issue of c.'75 about a derelict B-25 Mitchell at Salinas drag strip? Is this bird still there?? Any pics from your tourist visits?
p.s There was also a P-47 x PRANG being restored near San Juan, PR by some folks of the PRANG. c. 2005 Does anyone knows the status/whereabouts of it?? Pictures would be fine!
Tks in advance!
Read today in an old A/C issue of c.'75 about a derelict B-25 Mitchell at Salinas drag strip? Is this bird still there?? Any pics from your tourist visits?
p.s There was also a P-47 x PRANG being restored near San Juan, PR by some folks of the PRANG. c. 2005 Does anyone knows the status/whereabouts of it?? Pictures would be fine!
Tks in advance!
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:37 pm
Since someone mentioned Puerto Rico...
Taxiing out for takeoff at SJU in late December, I noticed a gaggle of DC-3 / C-47 types parked on one of the freight ramps. Looked to be five or six of them. They were all missing their engines, props, and cowlings but appeared otherwise complete. I couldn't make out their markings from the brief glimpse that I got. Could have been the Four Star Aviation ramp (going from fading memories from days gone by).
On the PRANG ramp at SJU were several C-130s and a C-17.
EDIT: I just looked around the Salinas Speedway on Google Maps. No sign of any aircraft at or nearby the track.
Taxiing out for takeoff at SJU in late December, I noticed a gaggle of DC-3 / C-47 types parked on one of the freight ramps. Looked to be five or six of them. They were all missing their engines, props, and cowlings but appeared otherwise complete. I couldn't make out their markings from the brief glimpse that I got. Could have been the Four Star Aviation ramp (going from fading memories from days gone by).
On the PRANG ramp at SJU were several C-130s and a C-17.
EDIT: I just looked around the Salinas Speedway on Google Maps. No sign of any aircraft at or nearby the track.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Sun Jan 05, 2014 8:53 pm
Maybe the guys at the Ramey AFB Historical Museum have some insight on where any of the warbird planes are located.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:55 am
There were many B-25s flown via PR in the South Atlantic ferry to Africa and Europe.
At least one was civil Us registered to PR owners, that was 44-30937 N7693C / N198W. The FAA cancelled this registration in 2009.
Don't know where the plane went.
At least one was civil Us registered to PR owners, that was 44-30937 N7693C / N198W. The FAA cancelled this registration in 2009.
Don't know where the plane went.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:52 am
The B-25 looks like 44-86716/N2887G. Scott Thompson's B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service, page 116: "Noted as cut up at Salinas, Puerto Rico in Dec. 1982 and scrapped the following year."
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:05 pm
The ANG facility at SJU has long had a static A-7 and an F-104 (I don't recall if they retained an F-16). Although I've never seen the P-47 in my many trips there, a quick google shows a restored P-47 in an indoor display; wish I had known.
Regarding the Four Star DC-3's, go to google maps and look just east of the airline terminal.
Interesting place, punishing climate for airplanes.
Ken
Regarding the Four Star DC-3's, go to google maps and look just east of the airline terminal.
Interesting place, punishing climate for airplanes.
Ken
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:07 pm
Ken wrote:The ANG facility at SJU has long had a static A-7 and an F-104 (I don't recall if they retained an F-16). Although I've never seen the P-47 in my many trips there, a quick google shows a restored P-47 in an indoor display; wish I had known.
Regarding the Four Star DC-3's, go to google maps and look just east of the airline terminal.
Interesting place, punishing climate for airplanes.
Ken
My last flight from BQN to Santo Domingo circa 2000 had quite a few old planes sitting at the airport. Many were fliers, mostly the Four Star fleet and some Connies.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:17 pm
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:21 pm
PRANG Warbirds Folks:
Tks for the info & data provided.
As far as the B-25 fuselage, one version says that it was scrapped & another as recent as of Dec 2013 said that it was moved someplace else & that was still standing. The source could not provide any photos.
The P-47N is another story. It was saved fm a Tech Aviation School around San Juan, PR c. 1970s, later restored for awhile & then was later flown by a former PRANG CC. AAF 44-89320 is now at the Eglin AFB Museum. Via Matt/Wix. The pic below is c. 1972 on the P-47 Test flight around PR. Photo PRANG via AEC.
Tks for the info & data provided.
As far as the B-25 fuselage, one version says that it was scrapped & another as recent as of Dec 2013 said that it was moved someplace else & that was still standing. The source could not provide any photos.
The P-47N is another story. It was saved fm a Tech Aviation School around San Juan, PR c. 1970s, later restored for awhile & then was later flown by a former PRANG CC. AAF 44-89320 is now at the Eglin AFB Museum. Via Matt/Wix. The pic below is c. 1972 on the P-47 Test flight around PR. Photo PRANG via AEC.
Last edited by zorro9 on Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:52 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:20 pm
K5DH wrote:Since someone mentioned Puerto Rico...
Taxiing out for takeoff at SJU in late December, I noticed a gaggle of DC-3 / C-47 types parked on one of the freight ramps. Looked to be five or six of them. They were all missing their engines, props, and cowlings but appeared otherwise complete. I couldn't make out their markings from the brief glimpse that I got. Could have been the Four Star Aviation ramp (going from fading memories from days gone by).
On the PRANG ramp at SJU were several C-130s and a C-17.
EDIT: I just looked around the Salinas Speedway on Google Maps. No sign of any aircraft at or nearby the track.
**Hangs head** and not even one
picture posted here
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:23 pm
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:23 pm
That photo is of a different Thunderbolt...also a veteran of the PRANG (as most of the surviving N-models are). This one is at the Peterson AFB Museum in Colorado Springs.
The Jug in question 44-89320 is at the USAF Armament Museum at Eglin.
I interviewed the players from the PRANG for my Thunderbolt Survivors book a number of years ago and have a bunch of photos of the restoration effort etc. Someday, when business allows I will have to finish that book.
The Jug in question 44-89320 is at the USAF Armament Museum at Eglin.
I interviewed the players from the PRANG for my Thunderbolt Survivors book a number of years ago and have a bunch of photos of the restoration effort etc. Someday, when business allows I will have to finish that book.
Re: Puerto Rico Warbirds
Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:05 pm
Tim:
Good day!
Those Caribbean P-47s always seem to be an interesting topic! Do you have a picture of the PRANG #9320 as found at the tech school near San Juan PR??
Included is another S. of the border sample in FAG scheme #0568, AAF s/n UKn for now... but it is not a FAG sample. This is one of the 6 samples that flew over the Guatemalan skies c. 1954. 2 crash-landed or were forced to land due to ground fire damage at Tapachula, Mexico on the Pacific side of Guatemala just across the border. Photo via FAG 525.
Good day!
Those Caribbean P-47s always seem to be an interesting topic! Do you have a picture of the PRANG #9320 as found at the tech school near San Juan PR??
Included is another S. of the border sample in FAG scheme #0568, AAF s/n UKn for now... but it is not a FAG sample. This is one of the 6 samples that flew over the Guatemalan skies c. 1954. 2 crash-landed or were forced to land due to ground fire damage at Tapachula, Mexico on the Pacific side of Guatemala just across the border. Photo via FAG 525.