The sad fate of T-33 51-8911 (1967)

[Chris Brame]

Leon Cleaver (Woodsy Airfield) sent me a packet of letters and photos regarding the fate of T-33 51-8911 which was displayed in the mid-1960s at Smith Park in Middletown, Ohio.

Here's the plane early in its USAF service:


(Can anyone ID the location?) It was struck off charge January 15, 1963 at Wright-Patterson AFB and shortly thereafter placed in the park in Middletown. No special display; they just cleared a spot on the ground and parked it.

Now we jump ahead to February, 1981. Leon is looking for a T-33 to add to his collection of aircraft rescued from scrappers, and having seen 51-8911 listed in Leslie Hunt's book Veteran and Vintage Aircraft, he sent a letter to Middletown's Superintendent of Parks asking about the plane's fate. Shortly thereafter, he received this response:

To: Leon Cleaver
From: John Paschal
Date: 2-21-81
Subject: T-33 Jet, City of Middletown

Leon -

It is unusual how this T-33 seems to "fly ghostly" into my life from time to time. How did you hear about it?

Scrapped is not the word - bailed is the word. I personally supervised the hydraulic bail as it "packaged" the T-33. Did you know it takes (aprox.) 19 bales to package a T-33! I have pictures of all the bales in a row. If I can find them I'll send you one.

Someone stole the wing tip fuel tanks the first week we had it. They are storing fuel oil at the cabin of a former city employee - now deceased!

Cohen Brothers were the scrap dealers who bailed it.

Thanks for your inquiry,

John Paschal

Mr. Paschal made good on his promise to send a photo - he sent over twenty images (with captions), which I would imagine were taken as proof for the USAF that the plane had indeed been destroyed. According to a tag on the album pages, the plane was scrapped in August 1967, only about four years after it was placed in the park. Buckle your seat belts, folks:


"Out of the ground"




"Starting to flip over"


"Over she goes! Not quite - she wouldn't go over this way"


"Cohen man Howard Barlow hooking under frame"


"This time she goes over!"


"Over and down - Looks like fire has started?! - Dust?!"


"Starting to cut up - but she won't go easy!"


"Unable to smash or destroy - only bend wing tips! Compliments to Lockheed!"


"Ready to go on truck"


"There she goes! Almost in one piece"




"Last piece aboard"




"Down Verity - corner of Main and Verity"


At the scrap yard. "Chewing nose off" (Ed. Note: Lettering on nose gear door reads "CREW CHIEF CRANE, F. W.{?} A2C")




(Can anyone ID that insignia?)


Off to the smelter.

Thanks again to Leon for sharing these rare photos, and to Nathan Decker at millionmonkeytheater.com for the early photo and strike date.

[Courier Sportster]

oh, the pain! love the 60's scenes though.

[Nathan]

The most stupid way I've ever seen an aircraft taken apart!

[J. Thompson]

Wow...tear jerker..

With SO MANY T-33's, and even a few P-80's sitting on poles, or derelict outside, across the USA...It makes me wonder. How many more years until we look back at pictures of them and cry 'WHY!' ??

- Joseph

[quemerford]

I'd suggest the first photo was taken at Tyndall, where it spent most of its life. I just transcribed its record card as follows:

T-33A 51-8911
Project TRC 3T-20 (Training Command project)
Built at Lockheed Burbank
Available 11Feb53
Accepted 27Feb53
Delivered 07Mar53
Burbank Air Materiel Command (new production) 05Mar53
Assigned to 3625th Flying Trg Wg Tyndall AFB (student and combat crew training) 05Mar53
With 363rd TRW Shaw AFB (transient maint) 15-28Dec53
Returned to 3625th 28Dec53
To Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance Co., Oakland (contract maintenance) 06Mar54
To 3625th FTW Tyndall (later 3625th CCTGp) 18May54
To Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance Co., Oakland (Contract work) 01May56
To 3625th CCTGp Tyndall (student and combat crew training) 20Jul56
To 3615th Pilot Trg Wg Craig AFB 26Feb59
To 3625th CCTGp Tyndall 13Jun60
To 2750th Air Base Wg, Wright Patterson AFB (excess) 18Nov62
For reclamation 15Jan63

So less than ten years of service, and aside from fewer than 18 months at Craig, it spent its time in sunny Florida.

Hope this is of interest.

[DH82EH]

That must be one of those very elusive "Aluminum magnets"

I never cease to be amazed how strongly built aircraft are.

Thanks for posting.

Andy

[Courier Sportster]

(Can anyone ID that insignia?)

I see the same insignia on page 5 of Scott A. Thompson's "B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service", seen on B-25 45-8860 in 1957, in Oakland. Above the insignia I see "NELLIS". What it means, or why it should be located in a such a remote and desolate place, no one could say.