Warbird Information Exchange

Was Pima also given/loaned the tail section of the Lake Washington PBM (that the Navy artfully detached)?

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

Don't say that, they'll want to put it in long-term saline storage

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

O.K. That's funny! Sad, but funny.
Thanks for posting pics of this well cared for and very interesting collection.

Andy

Ha ha -- I know the feeling very well! Stick around here and you'll be seeing stuff you never even dreamed about, even by accident, from time to time. Most excellent post, THANKS! I see two old friends whom I've had the special privilege of making personal acquaintances with:

The YC-125 Raider, possibly the ugliest airplane I've ever seen, perfectly hideous. I love it. Had one living down at Angleton for a while, bet RickH saw it too. Short story: it crashed, and is no longer. If anyone knows the long story I'd sure love to hear it.



And the McCullough J-2 autogiro ... or autogyro ... or gyro plane ... or gyrocopter, I've heard 'em all. A factory salesman came to League City to demonstrate one on the side of the Gulf Freeway back in 1972 or thereabout. I'd have been the kid who toted gas cans into town if it were the Waldo Pepper movie.



I always get a small thrill whenever I see these rare birds pop up. Thanks again for a great post, and Happy New Year all!

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Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas

PIC, Ford 6600 pulling Rhino batwing up and down the runway

Yes we have the tail section off the Lake Washington plane. It is on display behind the complete plane.

I thought this one looked familiar and rare. I asked someone in the know.

They built 2 of them: The Columbia follow on to the Grumman Duck. Columbia built about 300 of the last Ducks (J2F-6)
utilizing the Grumman plans and an up rated R-1820. The only problem was their timing - - - with the war's end, there
were a large flock of Ducks available for short range SAR work and that darn Mr. Sikorsky fling-wing thing was better
suited for operating aboard ships for SAR and Recon duty.
You could call the XJL-1 as being a day late and a dollar short. A machine who's time had passed before it arrived.

The first Raider that Asher Ward acquired for the USAFM ended up getting wrecked but I don't know if that is the same airplane you are referring to. I don't have the article in front of me and can't remember the details other than the first one got wrecked so he found another one. The second one is now on display at the museum. I can't imagine there were too many of them around!