Paul Mantz Boeing P-12

[OFMC Fan]

Hello .
Does anyone know what happened to the Paul Mantz Boeing P-12?. I understand is now owned by Kermit Weeks .I would be interested in finding out what has happened to it and also if there are any photos of it when it was flying while with Mantz or in its current state.

I am also wondering if the Planes Of Fame P-12 is still airworthy?

Thanks
OFMC Fan

[Jerry O'Neill]

I believe Kermit's P-12 is under restoration at the present time. I don't know where though.
Jerry

[JBoyle]

I believe it was Weeks P-12 that was wrecked in Hurricane Andrew.

I was there as part of the recovery efforts and happened to stumble on Weeks hangar at Tamiami (Sp?) as he was helping clear the debris (the USAF MH-60 helicopter I was in was operating out of there because Homestead AFB was in no shape to support flight operations).

I saw a pile of wreckae that was clearly an old bi-plane and I had to ask what it was...it was that badly balled-up. I was told (perhaps by Weeks himsef...I didn't know what he looked like back then) that it was a P-12.

[jcw]

the P12, is actually a Boeing 100. it is at Roy Rehm's in Gardonville Nv (Willow Acft) for restoration. He was restoring it and building 3 more. 2 are for sale or sold and one was for himself. He was well along as of a couple of years ago but i have not talked to him since so they should be very close by now. I have several pics of the colapsed hanger with all his stuff and several shots of the Boeing 100. I offered to buy the Boeing 100 but kermit wouldn't sell. If i can find the pics i'll pass to rob or jack for posting.

the MH60's were actually HH60G's from the 301st ARS at Homestead. They were operating out of Tamiami and we arrived on the second day and took over a big portion of the operation to let the 301st folks go take care of family business.

jboyle... were you part of the 301st or 304th??? I arrived on the second day and operated out of both Tamiami and Patrick AFB for about two weeks. I was the first acft to go back into Homestead with a load of ice to keep the food at the commasary good as they figured there would be a shortage. there was no radar coverage in south florida for several days and all our operations were at our own risk. center kept telling us to watch out for the 2500 foot tower at the south end of Tamiami apt and we kept telling them that it was not a threat as it was 10 feet high and 2500 feet long. Flew all over those two weeks and did a butt load of air refueling for the helo's.. got my third air medal for that operation.. biggest threat was all the small acft out having a look.. almost hit two of them during our night ops.. probably scared them more than me..

jcw

[B-29 Super Fort]

the P12, is actually a Boeing 100. it is at Roy Rehm's in Gardonville Nv (Willow Acft) for restoration. He was restoring it and building 3 more. 2 are for sale or sold and one was for himself. He was well along as of a couple of years ago but i have not talked to him since so they should be very close by now. I have several pics of the colapsed hanger with all his stuff and several shots of the Boeing 100. I offered to buy the Boeing 100 but kermit wouldn't sell. If i can find the pics i'll pass to rob or jack for posting.

the MH60's were actually HH60G's from the 301st ARS at Homestead. They were operating out of Tamiami and we arrived on the second day and took over a big portion of the operation to let the 301st folks go take care of family business.

jboyle... were you part of the 301st or 304th??? I arrived on the second day and operated out of both Tamiami and Patrick AFB for about two weeks. I was the first acft to go back into Homestead with a load of ice to keep the food at the commasary good as they figured there would be a shortage. there was no radar coverage in south florida for several days and all our operations were at our own risk. center kept telling us to watch out for the 2500 foot tower at the south end of Tamiami apt and we kept telling them that it was not a threat as it was 10 feet high and 2500 feet long. Flew all over those two weeks and did a butt load of air refueling for the helo's.. got my third air medal for that operation.. biggest threat was all the small acft out having a look.. almost hit two of them during our night ops.. probably scared them more than me..

jcw

Check out this old article.

http://www.rgj.com/news/printstory.php?id=10014

[C170BDan]

Sure hope one of those turns into the slicked up version to replicate the one Hughes had modified. I thought I had heard that one would come from this batch.

[bdk]

I am also wondering if the Planes Of Fame P-12 is still airworthy?

Hasn't flown in many years. Not sure if it could be made readily airworthy or not.

[OFMC Fan]

jcw ,I would be interested in the pictures you ahve of the Boeing 100.Even if it looks a bit crumpled. Nice to see that the Boeing will be rebuilt as well as some new builds..rebulids.

[JBoyle]

the MH60's were actually HH60G's from the 301st ARS at Homestead. They were operating out of Tamiami and we arrived on the second day and took over a big portion of the operation to let the 301st folks go take care of family business.

jboyle... were you part of the 301st or 304th???
jcw

I was TDY as Air Force public affairs liasion for JTF Andrew. The Marines were running a refugee camp in Homstead (city) and they asked if I could find a helicopter to take some national media on a trip to the camp.
As luck would have it, the only numbers I had were for Homestead CP and the 301st . I called the 301st and to my surprise, they said yes. They were still on active duty but in the 10 days since the storm, their taskingas had dropped a bit...for awhile they were the only helos in the area..since the police ships were wrecked intheir hangar.

The AC were marked on their dataplates as MH-60Gs though they didn't have all the avionics....they were 26232, 26227, 26228, and the only one with radar..26201. I used them for 4 days...and my biggest fear was a mid-air...I've never seen so many helicopters in the air...Ch-46s going VERTREP from ships, and even a few civilian ships...a JetRanger and red Bell 47 stand out.

The 301st were great guys. Their CC did an interview while the flight doc bandaged his arms. On his way to the airport, his small rental car was T-boned at an intersection by another car....the street signs were blown down. So here's a guy (whose own house and cars had been wrecked) still on duty after 2 weeks of 20 hour days, calmly talking to the media while the doctor was fixing his airbag burns. A first rate outfit.

[RickH]

If I remember right Kermit's plane IS the Hughes aircraft.

[jcw]

rick
no, the hughes acft is the lou walick acft up in seattle (help me out jack its in the museum, not sure of the name)

jboyle
the 301st acft are and always have been HH60G's. but like our 130's that started life as WC130 and then were converted to HC130's the data plate still says WC130. our HH60G's in PDX were H60L's according to the data plates and then modified to HH60G's. you have to go into the 781's to find out what it realy is.

OFMC
pics have been supplied to Jack and he will post... rob i sent them to you also but mail came back from your B25 e-mail

take care

[C170BDan]

Oh Wow.... I didnt know the Hughes 100 survived!? I'll have to look into that one. There really are quite a few of Hughes airplanes that survive today. Goose, H1, S43, B25, B23 maybe more.

[jcw]

oh heck,
now i am going to have to pull my file on the boeing 100's and check the s/n and see which is which.. the walick and weeks acft are the hughes and Pratt & Whitney acft. i'll have to look at my notes to figure out which is which...

[RickH]

I knew that it was the Mantz aircraft, but I could have sworn that I read somewhere that Mantz got it from Hughes. Don't remember if it was directly or indirectly. All of the special fairings and full cowl were off of it when Mantz had it, IF, its the same plane.

There are some realy good pictures of it in a book written by Frank Tallman called Flying The Old Planes.

[Jack Cook]

Here are some pictures Jeff W. asked me to post of Kermit's P-12 in his
hanger after the hurricane. Hint.....the yellow wings............