P-80 on a stick

[Pathfinder]

While on a joy ride this weekend I ran across a P-80 Shooting Star on a pole advertising for a storage facility in McDonough, GA. The business location itself does not light up on GoogleMaps--but it is on US 42 at the T intersection of John Williams Pkwy about two and a half miles south of McDonough proper. (The business is Zack's Mini Warehouses) BUT this is NOT one of the two locations that come up when you do a search)

You can also input 100 John Williams Pkwy and that will get you to the intersection---then just start looking north on US 42.

[JohnB]

It's a T-33.

[4RG.I.'S]

Worked in McDonough last year and went to check it out one day. It's mounted to spin like a weather vane with the wind. She has a few in her holes that look suspiciously similar to cars I've seen shot with shotgun slugs.
Kinda rough, if I recall there's no engine. I may have some pics somewhere.

[Pathfinder]

It's a T-33.

Well I was close.....

[p51]

Worked in McDonough last year and went to check it out one day. It's mounted to spin like a weather vane with the wind.

Hope she never faces down a hurricane if she can free-pivot. Still, that's gotta be the best weather vane I've ever even heard of.

[DH82EH]

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory has a DC-3 weather-vane.
It's pretty cool too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB0T7SEt3Jg

Andy

[marine air]

Seems like I saw a P-80 on a stck at Andrews Air Force Base. They are as rare as "hens teeth. Shame there aren't any available to restore to airworthy.

[sandiego89]

Seems like I saw a P-80 on a stck at Andrews Air Force Base. They are as rare as "hens teeth. Shame there aren't any available to restore to airworthy.

I saw a pretty complete F-80 in the boneyard at Yanks in Chino a few years back that looks like it would be a good candidate.

I think a T-33 conversion would be a viable project for the P/F-80 clone. IIRC correctly the process of designing the T-33 involved inserting a 24 inch plug in the cockpit area of a P-80 fuselage, and the plug is a constant diameter plug, so in theory you could tap out rivets, remove the plug, and reattach the forward fuselage, getting you back down to F/P-80 fuselage length. I believe there is a also a rear plug that could likely be left alone- "close enough" for a clone. New canopy, revise the wing tips, and you are pretty close to a P/F-80.

I would love to see a flyer.

[JohnB]

Worked in McDonough last year and went to check it out one day. It's mounted to spin like a weather vane with the wind.

Hope she never faces down a hurricane if she can free-pivot. Still, that's gotta be the best weather vane I've ever even heard of.

A little known pivoting static was the F6F Hellcat on the Navy side of Andrews AFB. Seemingly rarely photographed, I had s shot of it published in FlyPast in the mid 90s.

Not only did it pivot, but wingtip lights came on and a pilot figure waved.

[p51]

That C-47 on a stick drives me nuts to see it, as I'll be in the Yukon this Spring, very close to Whitehorse but not going there. I'll be amazingly close but won't be able to see this. Darn it!

As for the T-33/P-80 conversion, I always assumed part of the appeal of owning and flying a T-33 is the back seat.
That said, I've talked with two airframe folks who've worked on T-33s and each has confirmed that a P-80 conversion would be pretty easy to accomplish. One even said he could make the back seat cover hinged and lockable, so that the former back seat area could have storage bins or racks installed.
Sure would be cool, what with the ME-262s, to have a 'what if?' dogfight at an airshow between a 262 and a OD green painted P-80...

[sandiego89]

As for the T-33/P-80 conversion, I always assumed part of the appeal of owning and flying a T-33 is the back seat.
That said, I've talked with two airframe folks who've worked on T-33s and each has confirmed that a P-80 conversion would be pretty easy to accomplish. One even said he could make the back seat cover hinged and lockable, so that the former back seat area could have storage bins or racks installed.
Sure would be cool, what with the ME-262s, to have a 'what if?' dogfight at an airshow between a 262 and a OD green painted P-80...

Yes that would be great to see, maybe throw a Vampire and Meteor into the dogfight!

IMO both the 262 and 80/33 look much better in their single seat versions/conversions. Thanks for the confirmation on the "ease" of a transformation.

I do think a T-33 with a cover over the back seat would indeed give some great options for both training and solo displays, but may look a bit "off"- too long especially in the intake area, but either way I would like to see a P/F-80 of any type fly.

Agree the Olive Drab P-80 was the best looking of the bunch....

[marine air]

I said Andrews, but meant to say Edwards AFB. It was iether there or the Dryden Research Center. They also had a Gloster Meteor on outside display.

[SaxMan]

A little known pivoting static was the F6F Hellcat on the Navy side of Andrews AFB. Seemingly rarely photographed, I had s shot of it published in FlyPast in the mid 90s.

Not only did it pivot, but wingtip lights came on and a pilot figure waved.

I've read that the Hellcat is a composite hulk made from bits and pieces of Hellcats and non-airworthy parts. The pilot still waves, and he routinely gets "promoted". I think he is now up to a Captain in rank. There's always been talk of "bringing it inside" for the last 20 years, but it seems to have more popularity as the wind vane. It would probably make a good addition to the Navy Museum in D.C., IMHO.

P-80 also had a larger fuselage fuel tank than the T-33: 30 minutes of flying time compared to 15 minutes, a difference that ultimately proved to be fatal for Don Gentile.

[Warbirdnerd]

An earlier thread on the Andrews Hellcat:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44731&hilit=andrews+hellcat

[sandiego89]

I said Andrews, but meant to say Edwards AFB.

Boy you had me scratching my head about Andrews- thought I had seen them all there.

As for Edwards, they have the much similar T-33 on a stick, and for sure the P59 that has been on a stick for eons. Edwards does have 44-85123, but not sure if she was ever on a stick.

Here is the '33

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=3 ... 9&t=h&z=20