PBY Scrapped?!?

[Elroy13]

Here is a picture I took of the PBY at Airsho84 in Harlingen. A few hours before this was taken, the PBY-6A there too. Not long after I took this picture, we walked by a woman that was crying and sitting by herself. My dad asked he if she was ok and she told us that the other PBY had just crashed.

I was there that dreadful day as well...I remember watching them load up.

[JohnH]

I'm pretty sure my uncle is in that PBy pic, thanks Brad. Thankfully he didn't get on that other PBY, because I know he could have as he was there.

JH

[marine air]

THe CAF has probably over the years been the recipient of a few donated aircraft that a seller couldn't sell or had too much corrosion, ie, they were all used up, and what was donated really didn't represent a worthy example. Maybe that PBY was a corroded, spent death trap that was only good for ferry flights.
Aero Traders has a storage facility in the desert where they keep B-25s and other projects until the day comes along that someone with the considerable resources wants to pay them to be restored.
I think that myself and maybe other optimistic enthusiasts feel this would be a best case scenario, as to preserve these hulks in whatever condition, until a future need. 40 years ago, there were 200 million people in the U.S. and B-25's were $5 K. As of last week, we have 300 million people, or 50% growth. at that rate we will have 450 million people in another 40, so what do you think the value of real WW II artefacts, in any condition will be?
You can still buy desert property for about $500 bucks an acre suitable for storage.

[Nathan]

This is me in the B-23 at Harlingen in 1984. I paid $2.00 to go through it. I remember a lady selling T-shirts asked me if I knew what it was before I went inside. I told her then asked what part of the show it would fly in when the restoration was finished. She said "when the bombers go up". I said I knew that, but I was wondering if it was going to fly in a particular battle reenactment. She said "when the bombers go up". I said well B-23s didn't really have much of a combat record so I was wondering where they would fit it in. She finally got mad and said " I don't know! If you're so smart, why don't you tell me???" I didn't mean to make her mad, but it's kind of funny twenty-two years later. Of course that was before I really did much volunteering so I didn't know what a pain in the butt some real smart aleck kid could be!

Thats Funny Brad!
Something I could have said, just not as much gutts as you had though......

[leo]

In 75 or 76 a PBY flew over my high school on approach to Nut Tree (Vacaville, Ca.). A sympathetic teacher let a friend and I cut class to check it out. I took a full roll of photos. The pilot said it had just come into the US from some scandinavian country and was on it's delivery flight.
Reg number was N15KL.
Were'nt N15KL and N16KL the two ill-fated CAF machines?

[Ztex]

Here's N16KL Lost in 1984




N15KL was lost in 1975

[Chris]

Hey Gary (retroaviation) and Doug (Gen staffer) . I've never seen this plane but I've heard about the extensive corrosion. Would it be possible to truck this plane to a new location without it crumbling? I work for UPS and occasionally, they will transport something like this for non- profit groups for a little positive publicity. I can try to sell the Idea to UPS and get the Az Wing to take this on and do a static like they have in Pensacola with the one side de-skinned. I think the cost of transportation would be the prohibitive factor in all of this but if it's free, who knows? Regarding some of the comments about the CAF. We are not perfect. We know this. The organization is %99 volunteers. But if everyone that complained about the CAF and how they do business instead, sponsored any plane of their choice, (your sponsorship money goes directly to the restoration and maintenance of that plane) many of these issues would be non-issues. We really are trying!!!!

[retroaviation]

Chris,

I appreciate your suggestion and I will pass it on to the "important people" here at the CAF. But we are talking with another group that wants the airplane right now. I'll give out more info if and when the deal goes through. I've been working on this ever since this thread came out, as I too was unaware of it. Not that it was really any of my business as far as job titles go. I'm not privvy to eeeeeverything that goes on here.

Thanks again for the suggestion. If this deal doesn't go through I may contact you about your possible help with this.

Gary

[Obergrafeter]

Grteat for the PBY, but that still leaves the B-23. Any progress on finding it a good home?

[retroaviation]

Grteat for the PBY, but that still leaves the B-23. Any progress on finding it a good home?

"Sorry, I was in the phone booth changing my clothes." Guys, I can only do so much. I'll continue to try to save every single airplane we have that needs saving, but I'm just a greasy mechanic with a loud voice and a love for Warbirds. I simply can't do it all by myself nor can I do it all at this very moment.

The difficult stuff takes some time. The impossible stuff just takes a little longer.

Gary

[chico]

but I'm just a greasy mechanic with a loud voice and a love for Warbirds.

Gary

And? Harry Truman was a used car salesman with a high school education. It's amazing what a dedicated and motivated individual can accomplish.

Keep up the good work.

[John Beyl]

Grteat for the PBY, but that still leaves the B-23. Any progress on finding it a good home?

Since Gary's hands seem to be a little full at the moment, we were hoping you would take on the B-23...all kidding aside. Read the comments I wrote much earlier in this thread to Robbie Stewart.

Excellent comment Chico!!!

John

[JohnH]

Hey Gary you rock!!! Thanks for all of your efforts with my uncle's plane and everything else. I think the B-24 revamping is a great idea also.

John

[ww2John]

Excuse me, did someone suggest a couple of posts ago that President Truman was a Used Car Salesman?

Wow! Are you really sure?

I recall he ran or tried to run a haberdashery (excuse if spelling is incorrect, the word is not in current use, is it?) - a.k.a. men's clothing store. But used cars?? Wow. Don't remember seeing that on his resume.

Or, did you get your facts from the Chicago Tribune?

You know, the paper whose headline after the 1948 election was "Dewey Beats Truman".

It may be an off-year election, but do we have to beat up on Dead Presidents too??

[Obergrafeter]

Sorry Gary didn't mean for you to personally take up the B-23 cause. As I stated earlier in the thread we should at least discuss a plan of action for it. Us being CAF members but non members can have good ideas too. I know every time I go to Midland it breaks my heart to see it sitting there in the weeds, and no I don't have the money or help to take it on myself, but maybe, just maybe a strong squadron could take it on if there was not a requirment to get it flying.