Warbird Information Exchange

You are lucky you weren't shot or at least arrested for taking photos of all that classified material. Wonder where the gestapo was? Probably on a taco break.

Gary,
You think you have it bad with "Lil", imagine restoring that thing let alone converting it back to bomber version. LOL

Rick,
I thought the whole plane was at Wright-Pat. Any reason why they have not moved the rest of it yet.

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Col Craig Duck
Life Member CAF
Life Member YAF
Life Member EAA

I just hope when the move it from Kelly to Wright Pat that they do it like the did the B-36 "City of Fort Worth" and keep the wing in one piece.

Craig, as you can see it's massive ! They are going to have the same logistical problem moving the wing center section that they did when they moved the B-36 out to Pima. Add to those problems the XC-99 fuselage is much deeper than a standard B-36 tube. 36 is long but the diameter isn't anywhere near as big the XC-99. That's why they split off the top level.

I would expect the delay is caused by the usual hangups, time personnel, and especially money. I think Ben Natrass at Worldwide Aircarft Moving is the one doing the disassembly and move for NMUSAF. I think they are moving it the same way you eat an elephant, one piece at a time.

Here is some of the assemblies already at WPAFB.







Are you sure his company is doing the moving? In my pictures the XC-99 sub-assemblies are strapped to 463L pallets (in this case a "pallet train") which are used on military aircraft only(please correct if wrong). So one would be led to believe that they were transported via AMC.



Shay
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Semper Fortis[/quote]

Shay, I read somewhere that they were involved. Maybe they do the disassembly then let the USAF move what they can by air. That would certainly cut down on direct museum expenditure for moving. Sooner or later though the really big pieces are going to be to big for air transport.

The B-36 at Castle was moved from Chanute on multiple rail cars. I guess the Pima aircraft went by heavy trailer truck.

Brad, excellent pics of a grand ole Gal! On the pic of the floor towards the tail, it looks like major corrosion or at least surface corrosion in the foreground. Is this the worst of it? I have worked on Heavy Strcture in the KC-135 PDM line here at Tinker and have seen lots of that type of damage especially between doublers on the fuselage skins. Thanks for sharing! BTY, I know you are out of pocket a lot these days, but do you still have the Trainer you were restoring years ago? Was it a Rawdon, I can't remember? Also is Randy Tait still at Nelsons? Take care and be careful.

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Civis Aerius Sum

I am a citizen of the Air

Great pictures tks for posting

Could not help.......now is this open cockpit flying or what

Quick! Somebody run out there and grab up that corrugated flooring for the B-24A project!

Gary

Hey Brad,

Did you by chance get a look at the C-130 hulk parked ahead of your XC-99 flightdeck photo? When I was going through "2T2" school at Kelly, back in 1994, we trained on a stripped out C-130 Hulk. Practicing loading, unloading and locking down palletized cargo, but mainly giving our arms a work out from manually raising and lowering the door and ramp. I was just curious if this was the same aircraft I trained on.




Thanks

Shay
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Semper Fortis

C-130B 59-1531

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

That port-o-potty really adds some scale to that sucker! And that cockpit shot is great, but the ride seems like it would be a little breezy Thanks for the great shots Brad!

-Dennis S.
Greeley, CO

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"We must bond together and fight as brothers or we will all die as fools."

[quote="Shay"

Did you by chance get a look at the C-130 hulk parked ahead of your XC-99 flightdeck photo?

Thanks

Shay
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Semper Fortis[/quote]

I took a picture of it too. I'll post it as soon as I get where I can do it.

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Brad

Great to see the XC-99 again, and the photos of her in "cabriolet" configuration are fascinating...that cockpit shot would make an excellent "what's this?" poser!

My dad and I visited the XC-99 14 years ago when she was still parked in the field across the road from Kelly AFB and got a quick tour...an inposing and thoroughly melancholy sight, she was looking as though on borrowed time. Very pleased the Air Force took an interest before that time ran out! I do have a few shots of the XC-99 both outside and in, but no way of posting them, at least yet. She's still the biggest piston-engined airplane I've ever seen...

Cheers

S.

Sorry it took so long Shay. Here's your picture.

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Brad