Lets save these from the scrappers

[tinbender2]

Please don't turn it into a cockpit deal. Those just seem to rot away in garages and then get scraped by ex-wife's.

Ummmmm ok? What evidence do you have to support that claim?

I don't know about cockpits, but I personally have seen ex-wives deliberately destroy the husband's collector cars, including a Shelby Cobra.

[JohnB]

Rather than spite, I think it's more likely a cockpit gets scrapped after the owner dies...especially if it's a project and looks like so much scrap. Besides, cockpits aren't like collector cars where there is a ready local market.

Everyone who's into old cars has heard the stories about a guy leaving his wife his sports car and saying "send me the money you get for it" so she sells it for $5.00. But like the P-51 in a barn and New surplus Keeps in a crate for $500.00, it's always happens to a "friend's cousin".

Cobras ceased being cheap about 30 years ago, personally I can't imagine an ex-being that vengeful...at least not in a community property state.

[tinbender2]

My jaw dropped when she pulled in next to me at a gas station. That poor car had major dents and scrapes in every panel and looked like it had been used to knock over small trees. I politely asked if she'd like to sell it, and she laughed and said she was having too much fun torturing her ex with it. I imagine the divorce settlement was sizeable.

[tinbender2]

For anyone still interested in these aircraft, perhaps someone at the War Eagles Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico might have some more specific info. I haven't found anything substantial on the internet.

[Clifford Bossie]

For anyone still interested in these aircraft, perhaps someone at the War Eagles Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico might have some more specific info. I haven't found anything substantial on the internet.

We got nothing. Playas is about 160 miles west of Santa Teresa and looking on Google Earth at the area that the a/c parts were located at it appears to be a gated community. In fact with the checkpoint going in it is an alphabet agency area.

Playas is pretty much out of the way on the road to anywhere. I might try and peep it out on the way back from Tucson in a couple of weeks.

[steve dickey]

Whatever happened to this stuff?
Did they all get scrapped or did someone save them?
The F-8 was very interesting, especially if there was no demil requirements...

Made a little excursion today. Drove right up to the gate of the "government city" but no guard at the entrance. Was gonna try and sweet talk my way in to see the airframes. So I slowly drove back and through binoculars I could make out the F-8 and B-57 fuselages through the heat waves. Took as best a pic as I could with a 300mm lens. Couldn't see the helicopter as buildings where in the way.
So, apparently they are still there!! There was a Cessna 172-182 at the airport which is only accessible from the city, employee??

F-8

B-57




Someday I hope these get saved!

[tinbender2]

That is great you were able to confirm they still exist.

I've watched the Bentley's auction site for a long time, hoping to see them up for bid again, but no luck.

I'll keep watching.

Thanks

[p51]

How come there are so few cockpit collectors in the US? It's big over here in Europe!

Most former warbirds never get sold intact through the GSA auctions and on a secondary market, nobody wants to sell anything for a reasonable price. So, very few military aircraft cockpits ever get into civilian hands here in the states.

Please don't turn it into a cockpit deal. Those just seem to rot away in garages and then get scraped by ex-wife's.

Ummmmm ok? What evidence do you have to support that claim?

Well, I know for sure that a former F-4 cockpit section with the entire nose (and egress trainer, I was told) got scrapped by the ex the very day she decided to leave a friend of mine. In fact, she sold off his entire collection of modern jet jockey stuff, called a scrap dealer to come pick up the F-4 nose for scrap (it was ground up the same day). All this before my friend even came home to find out she was leaving him. he took her to court and dominated in the settlement due to what she'd done but she smugly said in the proceedings that she was happy as could be to walk away with very little, in exchange for destroying his entire collection. He told me a year later he almost lunged across the table to strangle her when she said this, as she had a huge smile on her face when she said it. His attorney had to literally hold him back.
The funny part was the story followed her around and no guy would date her once they'd heard the story because the people in the town knew my friend had done nothing to deserve that. She was just that kind of person.
As I understand it today, she's in her 60s now, and never dated again.

[tinbender2]

The neat thing about this auction company, was that they have sold hundreds of tons of govt surplus stuff and I have never seen a demil requirement.

This stuff may have once been military, but has been passed along through so many different govt agencies that it is free and clear when sold at auction.

The two national labs in NM do mostly military work, and when they get done with their testing, most everything gets sold. The amount of tools and equipment is staggering, and some of it is brand new. Of course, this attracts the resellers, so you may get a good deal, but not a great deal.

I think the only person bidding on those airframes would be a local scrap dealer, and maybe a wixer.