PBY Scrapped?!?

Ztex · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:54 am

I was reading on the site
http://www.catalina.org.uk/catalina-latest-news/p2_articleid/15
and they say this...

Quote:

Now for some bad news! The long dormant Commemorative Air Force PBY-5A Catalina N68756 has apparently succumbed to the scrapman after efforts to move it away from the airfield at Brownsville in Texas failed. The airfield owners wanted to evict it with the threat of scrapping if that was not done by a fixed date. If any reader can provide confirmation of this or further detail, please do contact the author.

Anyone have information on this?

Z

B-29 Super Fort · **Joined:** Wed Sep 01, 2004 11:12 am **Posts:** 871

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0986653/M/

Is this the one?

Ztex · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:34 am

I think that's the one.

I have also found these pictures...looking kinda sad

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N68756.html

Also found this message on a PBY yahoo group..

Quote:

It is becoming scrap metal. No takers to assist in moving it and no volunteers to salvage it. CAF washed their hands of the title and approved it being scraped.

Col. Michael Tromm
XO Third Coast Squadron - CAF
Alice, Tx

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:39 am

isn't that the one that got flipped by a hurricane/storm?

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:53 am

No, This was the silver one in aussie markings based in oakland once and that made a goodwill trip downunder then came home to rot.
Look at the difference in the pictures on the 2 sites. The CAF has had ZERO luck with PBYs.

JohnH · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:58 am

I was prepared to post about this recently as a week ago was the 20th anniversary of it's last flight. Unless they flew it to Brownsville, I think it has just sat since it blew an engine at the Airsho in 86. I saw it's last flight. My uncle flew to Australia on that airplane and was one of its' crewmembers for several years. I am about to go cry my guts out right now, I had seen the current photos in the last few weeks and yesterday pulled them back up. I now know how the guy that posted about the T-33 feels. This just really makes me ill. I think I'm going to go cry now. I'm just totally crushed. It didn't fly home then start rotting. It flew flew on the show circuit for several years after coming home in 82, with 86 being it's most successful season, it flew at several shows that year.

JH

Shay · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:06 am

JohnH wrote:

I now know how the guy that posted about the T-33 feels.

Amen Brother...

Has it been confirmed that this PBY has indeed been cut up yet? Or has the scrap man simply just taken posession of the airframe? Perhaps he has a conscience and is smart enough to realize value of what he has.

At the very least JohnH, maybe you can contact this scrap man and get a peice of your uncle's PBY.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Django · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:39 am

Quote:

CAF washed their hands of the title and approved it being scrapped.

WTF? How can ANY warbird scrapping be justified in this day and age, especially when people are falling over themselves to pull complete JUNK out of some jungle, and this one is relatively intact.

I'll say it again. WTF???

Former Member · **Joined:** Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:40 pm **Posts:** 1493

Django wrote:

Quote:

CAF washed their hands of the title and approved it being scrapped.

WTF? How can ANY warbird scrapping be justified in this day and age, especially when people are falling over themselves to pull complete JUNK out of some jungle, and this one is relatively intact.

I'll say it again. WTF???

I was thinking the very same thing. :roll:

Anybody know how much Mr. Scrapman paid for the remains?

John

JohnH · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:12 pm

I wonder how Mike Wansey, who donated the airplane to the CAF and was known to be recently living in the area feels about this?

John

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:34 pm

I'll also say WTF! :vom:

How could they do this?! If they really had a hard time getting ridd of it, why didn't they just give it to someone or donated it to another museum/collector?

Sure its not in the greatest shape, but still something like that should have been saved! :bs:

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:57 pm

It is utterly disgraceful if these reports are true. How on earth could this be justified? I certainly understand how she could be difficult/expensive to move, but I just don't understand why the plight of this aircraft was not advertized. Surely someone could have been donated the aircraft in a timely enough fashion that it could have been rescued.

This must/should be very embarrassing to the CAF! If nothing else, I hope that as many parts as possible were stripped from the airframe prior to scrapping.... there must be at least a dozen PBY's in museums out there which need parts at the very least.

Richard

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:16 pm

I hope the scrapman is smarter that the CAF and at least tires to sell it whole maybe via ebay???

Broken-Wrench · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:37 pm **Posts:** 1197

If they flew it they would have probably crashed it anyway!?! :roll:

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:45 pm

Quote:

If they flew it they would have probably crashed it anyway!?!

That's brutal!!

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