What's still out there ????????????????????

[CoastieJohn]

Wow... all you need is a chainsaw and a heavy-lift helicopter, and those two PBYs will just lift right outta there!

There's a few websites out there that list crashed aircraft w/pics and location. Like I was saying above, if someone wanted to get the needed permits/permissions....the planes are there. Google earth is your friend too. Some hikers and explorers will come across odd things and post the pics to Google Earth. Both PBY's are on there.

[Cubs2jets]

I hear there is a whole squadron of Spitfires in Burma and some ladies Lockeed 10E in the South Pacific.

C2j

[K5DH]

Some museums have projects stashed away that are or could be for sale.

We have this one, and it's a true time capsule:
http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/index.p ... 5j-project

[Snake45]

Back in the '80s, I toured a local A&P shop that has a national--maybe even international--reputation for doing good work (though not specializing in warbirds). The proprietor showed me a stack of wooden crates and told me the story: "Those are brand new [Cessna] L-19 wings. The government contracted for us to build them back during the Vietnam War, and they paid us for them, but they never picked them up, nor gave us any shipping or delivery instructions whatsoever, so there they sit. We can't sell 'em, and we can't scrap 'em, because the government still owns them." I wonder whatever happened to them.

[eze240]

Its been a few years since I heard about the Corsair in lake monroe in Florida.......
The story I always heard was that, because the Navy owned it, it couldn't be recovered without their consent, etc......
It made sense at the time ( late '90's)......There was a group of guys that wanted it back then, they just hadn't made much progress in recovering it.
For those who may not have heard of it, the story goes something like this: The aircraft was departing the local Naval air station, post war...perhaps '46 or '47? It had an engine failure and was ditched in the lake.....then the Navy supposedly lifted it out, stripped the guns out, etc.....and dumped the remains back in the lake......where it became local legend.....

Being that crashed planes are not unlike ship wrecks.....It would not surprise me if there is actually little left of the Corsair....
Of course the legend tends to claim it is pretty well complete, etc......in a few more years it will probably be believed to have guns,ammo and a load of spanish gold bars on board......

[p51]

Its been a few years since I heard about the Corsair in lake monroe in Florida....

I wasn't talking that one.
There's one in another part of the state, I've seen it with my own eyes many years ago.

[Nathan]

I think everyone got off topic. The question wasn't about wrecks. But private collectors. Like Cleaver and Soplata. Who else might be out there? I remember someone had a couple dozen T-28's? Also there are a bunch of C-7's in NJ. This is the question at hand. Also some people collect airplane parts as well. If you want to include people like that then you might want to write my name down!

What other hidden collections are out there? And Chino doesn't count.

[GARY HILTON]

I was visiting a friend in Phoenix a few years back, and could not believe the back yard that I saw...must have been 10 or more BT-13 or BT-15 fuselages there...B-24 and B-17 wheels, wings and tail feathers of all kinds, motor mounts, Harpoon wings, fuselage sections, brakes, I heard it was all cleaned up....I was impressed!

[p51]

I think everyone got off topic. The question wasn't about wrecks. But private collectors.

I got the point, but the plane I mentioned is considered the property of the owner of the lake. Just because it's underwater doesn't really change the fact that the owner's treating like it was locked in a barn and won't let anyone dream of taking anything off it or haul it out of there.

[UC61K]

Seems some are remembering things from long ago? Any current collections out there?

Jay Weisler has a great warbird parts business in Tampa FL. I believe he was or is a Government Surplus Buyer / Trader
warbird-parts.com

There is a guy on the Illinois/Wisconsin boarder that has a "museum". He is a Government Surplus Buyer that deals in de-militarized vehicles. a 10 years ago is was mainly trucks and tanks, now it everything he can get his hands on. Some need allot of parts to complete, some are complete. I believe he can sell these to whomever wants to pay for them.
russellmilitarymuseum.com

Jim C.
Midwest Aeronautique LLC
UC-61K USAAF# 43-14964 / RAF# HB-690

[PinecastleAAF]

I got the point, but the plane I mentioned is considered the property of the owner of the lake. Just because it's underwater doesn't really change the fact that the owner's treating like it was locked in a barn and won't let anyone dream of taking anything off it or haul it out of there.

Unless he has some paperwork from the Navy releasing ownership to him I don't think he could legally salvage it even it he owns the lake.

[p51]

Unless he has some paperwork from the Navy releasing ownership to him I don't think he could legally salvage it even it he owns the lake.

Yeah, he was aware of that. Didn't stop people from asking for the plane anyway. My favorite was the guy pretending to be from the Navy, who demanded to be let in to get the plane out of the lake. The problem was, said imposter didn't have a crane!

[eze240]

I was unaware of a second Corsair in a lake in Florida......not too surprising though....with the number of training bases in this area back then...
Getting back on topic, I don't think there are many big "collections" left in Florida....ie: several of one type.....
Off the top of my head, I only recall about four: Tom Reilly's......the trackers in Jacksonville....the helicopter collection in New Smyrna......and the Sikorski rebuild operation in Sanford...all gone now.
The Sikorski rebuilder's son is still in Sanford. He builds a nice little chopper, calls it a hummingbird I think......it's based on S-51 transmission,rotors,etc....and its all new parts...
What others are there? Maybe Deland, Daytona, Miami.....been awhile since I got out to those....

[Versatile]

I remember about 15 T-28 Simulators at Lazrov Salvage. Not at the yard but south of town along the river in a brick building.

[Warbird Kid]

I was unaware of a second Corsair in a lake in Florida......not too surprising though....with the number of training bases in this area back then...
Getting back on topic, I don't think there are many big "collections" left in Florida....ie: several of one type.....
Off the top of my head, I only recall about four: Tom Reilly's......the trackers in Jacksonville....the helicopter collection in New Smyrna......and the Sikorski rebuild operation in Sanford...all gone now.
The Sikorski rebuilder's son is still in Sanford. He builds a nice little chopper, calls it a hummingbird I think......it's based on S-51 transmission,rotors,etc....and its all new parts...
What others are there? Maybe Deland, Daytona, Miami.....been awhile since I got out to those....

1. Its Sikorsky not Sikorski

2. The hummingbird is based off of the S-52. Wider body version of the S-51.
http://vertical-aviation.com