Kermit Week's B-29 Fertile Myrtle

[Matt Gunsch]

you can always copy my list and ad your additions.

The B-17 was blown to the far side of the field, along with the B-23. some repairs were done to both, but have not seen anything recently.

[Craig59]

If we’re counting multiples, he has two complete Sikorsky S-55’s.

[Hooligan2]

you can always copy my list and ad your additions.

The B-17 was blown to the far side of the field, along with the B-23. some repairs were done to both, but have not seen anything recently.

Wasn't there one large aircraft, probably not Kermit's, which left the airfield entirely? Maybe a C-46 or something? Sure I recall a pic of something looking relatively undamaged in a field to the west of Tamiami.

[Matt Gunsch]

you can always copy my list and ad your additions.

The B-17 was blown to the far side of the field, along with the B-23. some repairs were done to both, but have not seen anything recently.

Wasn't there one large aircraft, probably not Kermit's, which left the airfield entirely? Maybe a C-46 or something? Sure I recall a pic of something looking relatively undamaged in a field to the west of Tamiami.

That may have been the B-17

[Baldeagle]

I was working for Kermit at the time, drove north the day before the hurricane, and came back the day after to find my apartment, which was over the storage bays, destroyed. The B-17 and wingless B-23 by some miracle stayed on their landing gear, broke the tie down chains, and moved backwards maybe a mile to the southwest, apparently always weather vaning into the wind. They crossed the south runway, went through the airport fence, crossed a road, then railroad tracks, and were stopped by some small trees at that point.
If you do a Google image search for Weeks Air Museum Hurricane Andrew there are photos.
There were two C-46s on the airport, one tumbled over a mile to the west, and the other stayed almost at it's parking spot, but was upside down after the storm and squished a little if I remember right.
Bad day.



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[old iron]

Baldeagle wrote:

I was working for Kermit at the time, drove north the day before the hurricane, and came back the day after to find my apartment, which was over the storage bays, destroyed. The B-17 and wingless B-23 by some miracle stayed on their landing gear, broke the tie down chains, and moved backwards maybe a mile to the southwest, apparently always weather vaning into the wind. They crossed the south runway, went through the airport fence, crossed a road, then railroad tracks, and were stopped by some small trees at that point.
If you do a Google image search for Weeks Air Museum Hurricane Andrew there are photos.
There were two C-46s on the airport, one tumbled over a mile to the west, and the other stayed almost at it's parking spot, but was upside down after the storm and squished a little if I remember right.
Bad day.

I think a lot of us that go back that far remember the photos of outdoor displays. What has never been settled in my mind is what was lost/damaged in the hangars. I remember hearing of damage to the Sopwith 1.5 Strutter (now in NZ), and other aircraft but have never seen a good list, with approximations on the damage.

[Hooligan2]

I was working for Kermit at the time, drove north the day before the hurricane, and came back the day after to find my apartment, which was over the storage bays, destroyed. The B-17 and wingless B-23 by some miracle stayed on their landing gear, broke the tie down chains, and moved backwards maybe a mile to the southwest, apparently always weather vaning into the wind. They crossed the south runway, went through the airport fence, crossed a road, then railroad tracks, and were stopped by some small trees at that point.
If you do a Google image search for Weeks Air Museum Hurricane Andrew there are photos.
There were two C-46s on the airport, one tumbled over a mile to the west, and the other stayed almost at it's parking spot, but was upside down after the storm and squished a little if I remember right.
Bad day.

Found the pics, yes it must have been the B-23 I remember. There was also pics of C-46 N625CL, recall that at Miami in good nick. Bad day indeed... Hope you didn't lose anything too important in the apartment...

It was a great museum, think I visited twice if I recall.