Warbird Information Exchange

I'm assuming the Kyofu (N1K1 "Rex") is the ex-NAS Willow Grove example, and if so, yeah, she'd be in rough shape, but still, we owe a hat tip to, probably, several base commanders there for keeping their celebrity-row group of war prizes and retired Navy birds at least extant all those years when they could've, and some would have argued should've, been scrapped-off (like the infamous Ki44 and numerous others). Several of the Willow Grove group have been (or are being) restored for proper museum display...and, of course, the Willow Grove Me262 provided what was needed to reverse-engineer and remanufacture the landmark 262 design back onto the scene as a flyer...

Anyway, all that's a long way off the original topic of the Mars! This whole arrangement fascinates me; it seems Coulson have a genuine interest not only in the C-130 part of the deal (entirely logical given the direction they're choosing to head regarding tanking), but also in obtaining two World War II fighters. The Hellcat I can imagine they have the expertise available to restore to flight, and the sale of such a rarity would bring in significant dollars; but a Kawanishi N1K...? Very interesting indeed. Here's to a good outcome for the two iconic Mars, the two fighters and both organizations--plus whoever else becomes involved at the next stage...

S.

Does anybody have pictures of this in NMNA storage?

The ex-Willow Grove Arado 196 is now being restored in Germany, and I think is due to return to NMNA.

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Kevin McCartney

And I would point out (at least in my opinion) that it is more important for the Naval Aviation Museum to have a restored example of an rare airplane such as the Mars that actually served in the U.S. Navy, as opposed to an unrestored foreign airplane like the Japanese Rex.

Probably the biggest issue will be to eventually have decent indoor quarters for the Mars.

Looking forward to seeing it join the collection.

Why? It is the museum of naval aviation - of which the Rex was a significant participant. I would venture the Rex just as rare, even moreso, than the Mars.
Pity they couldn't have both.
This is the Rex that was at Willow IIRC- I think it was reasonably restored in the past few decades (whilst still there). I have a colour shot of its roll out somewhere. Might have just a cosmetic job.
Hopefully it can be returned to Japan and looked after there.

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It's the National Museum of Naval Aviation, which predominantly, but not exclusively, represents US Naval aviation interests and aircraft flown by US Navy squadrons and units through the years. The Mars aircraft better fit this criteria than the Rex does. The National Museum's purpose is to adequately represent all US Naval Aviation interests as it's primary goal and display items such as the Rex as a secondary goal. The Rex does, and indeed should, have an important purpose to the mission of the museum, but the Mars justifiably should be held at a higher level of importance IMHO.

US Navy veterans crewed the Mars fleet and for their service manning these aircraft, if possible to display one of these aircraft, it should be done more so than the Rex.

I don't believe the mission of the NMNA is to display an aircraft because of it's rarity, but rather it's contribution to service with the US Navy.

The museums mission here: (FWIW it can be noted that the mission of the museum does not specifically state 'US Navy' interests only, but I think the logic is there to assume this is indeed what is the mission)
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/museum/

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Zero Surprise!!...

Not to disagree with Mark, but going to a museum and seeing the enemies weapons alongside our, is maybe even more interesting. I was at Ft. Campbell last month looking at all their catured Vietcong rifles, mortars, etc.
Also, while I hate to see the REX and Hellcat go, this reduces their inventory of trade material and helps hasten, a tiny bit, of retrieving more trade material from Lake Michigan. THe Rex would have fit nicely under the wing of the Mars inside a hangar. Maybe the Rex can be restored and traded back to the museum for other items someday.

So whats the deal? Do they not use these aircraft for putting out fires anymore? Why not just fix and use it?

Even as an unabashed Hellcat Freak I can assure you my tounge was firmly placed in my cheek. The wink was my hint. Is there an agreed upon sarcasism font?

The wink works for me...subtle...simple...my bad for not picking it up the first time!

I had a pic of the Pensacola Rex from about three years ago, but pretty sure I lost it with a computer crash back in Feb. Disassembled. Rough shape. She deserves better.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I still assume that Coulson is obtaining the Rex with plans to sell it to raise money for other projects. So, how much would a Rex (in poor condition perhaps, but not a wreck) sell for? Half mill? Surely Paul Allen would be interested?

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Kevin McCartney

I'm not so sure I would be comfortable with it staying in service. I suppose as a historian I'm a bit different than all you fliers, but I cannot help but feel that it is long overdue for museum display.

In an ideal world, she would be fully restored to her military configuration (rather than simply being repainted) and placed on display indoors - but alas. The museum in Pensacola has a bad tract record of favoring smaller aircraft over large ones, even if they have multiples of the same example. I've always maintained that they would do well to copy the example of the Air Force and invest in large hangars set up in chronological order.

At the very least, they could keep all the flying boats in one hangar. Still, they have made no effort to have the Smithsonian move its PBM Mariner to Florida, nor did they make any attempt to restore their Marlin; only repainting it and putting it on display after protests from Marlin/Mariner veterans.

This kind of goes hand in hand with what Kermit Weeks was fussing about recently. Nobody likes museums that cater to children, but in turn, museums otherwise tend to struggle for funding. Pensacola does pretty well, funding wise, but they tend to be very wary about what they invest in. The Martin Mars deserves to be indoors, properly preserved for as long as possible. They have the ability to do that, and may one day come to it, but they wont move quickly if only because it's an expense they will be slow to recuperate from. As of yet, they seem to be little better than the Glenn Martin museum's solution (which was also outdoors). I don't like it being in hurricane country either, but it's a lot safer than keeping a sixty-year plus airframe in active service.

Honestly, if the planes were as useful as they are claimed to be and worth the investment, somebody would probably buy one of them and use it. Just because they seem useful to us doesn't mean they're worth the maintenance, investment, etc. of the businesses footing the bill. It's easy for us to say "somebody could use that" when we don't have to foot the bill. It's never just as simple as "fix it and use it" or "somebody could use that."

I would love to see one of these aircraft in the air as a restored warbird, but who knows if anyone with the motivation and financial clout will ever step forward? The NMNA is a good place for one for the time being. At least there will be a Mars on public display. Hopefully, the weather gods will be kind and the aircraft can be displayed indoors at some point in the near future.

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Matt

At the end of the day, The U.S. Navy braintrusts have got to figure out a way to get all their
aircraft indoors out of the salt air and hurricanes. The Smithsonian doesn't store aircraft outside anymore.
The "no brainer" solution is to sale the rights to the aircraft they have claim to on the bottom of Lake Michigan, to raise money to build a few hangars.

Agreed. But not just at the end of the day.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/calls-to-bring-bac ... -1.1921417