Warbird Information Exchange

One question that comes to mind, is why would the NMUSAF ever need to consider scrapping a plane? Shouldn't their legitimacy as a museum be questioned if they destroy artifacts? The labor of cutting it up and hauling the scrap is NOT particularly cost effective at all, especially when you consider the $$$ that originally went in building the aircraft. The aircraft is also on government property anyhow, so there's no airport charging rent. Financially, it would be far better to at the very least let it sit instead of chopping it up.

It is a member of the B-36 family, and a one-of-a-kind. Combat history doesn't necessarily have to make an airplane worthy of preservation, and if it were a requirement, there wouldn't be any X-planes from the Cold War preserved.

The C-99 is a conundrum. It is such a big project, it would suck up 20 years of shop time to restore at the expense of a dozen other projects. What's more important - a unique airframe without a lot of pedigree or a dozen examples of more significant types?

Not sure the NMUSAF has a good option.

They do. It's placing it in a place where it won't get worse until they can get to it. Which is what they did.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Give it to the NASM....they can use it as another excuse to avoid restoring a B-17 or getting a B-24!

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

The XC-99; Is it historic or just old? Was it ground breaking in some way? Like the first superfreighter, or heavy lift cargo aircraft? THe first wide body transport? It would help it a lot if they could build some sort of pedigree for it. Just being a prototype isn't all that interesting. I woud like to see it stored until the B-36 remains can be acquired from the Soplata collection. Then they will have mnore to work with to build up one example.

The XC-99 is an interesting airframe but it would take an extraordinary effort in manpower and money to properly restore it for display not to mention it would require a lot of room in the museum once its complete. Every day, museums are faced with tough choices and as much as I'd like to see everything saved, it's just not practical. Probably the smart thing to do with this airframe is to save and restore the flight deck and maybe the engines which could be loaned out to other museums. Hate to say it but other airframes are far more important than this one. Just my opinion...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Too bad there isn't a B-36 fuselage that could be mated to the XC-99 wings.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Well, between the Soplata remains and the two B-36 crash sites up north...

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

All of this. And Chris's quote that they're doing the best thing they can for it right now - putting it in the desert for the future.

I have to say, the NMUSAF maybe had some issues in the past, and like any organization, they've had bumps here and there. But from the first time I went in the 80s until the last time I visited this time last year, they've made monumental strides. It really is a remarkable place that has done a great job of soliciting funds to move forward and involving the local community.

Once it is gone, it is gone forever...

Will there be any C-5s airworthy by the time they get to it?

Harrumph! Agree with all. Moving the XC-99 to the desert is better on the ramp at Wright-Pat, which was way better than it falling apart near ex-Kelly AFB. Decades of neglect, lots of thin magnesium and aluminum make for a real mess. Perhaps direct to the desert would have been a better option. It may never make it out of the desert, but good idea for now.

I also salute the museum, no one, including me, will ever agree to their restoration and display prioritization plans (I was excited when the C-5 Galaxy first showed prominent in the new building layout then got bumped) and could never figure how the X-15#2 went back out to the annex, and I know folks still cringe at the Belle and P-82 "seisure", but I feel they are doing a great balancing act....

Well, this has been awaiting retoration in Chicago since the 1920s!

http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-scientists-open-egyptian-mummy-coffin-061832763.html

I'm not sure I like the idea of restoring mummies Brandon. I saw a movie about that once, scary stuff!