NAS Willow Grove Questions

[jcmranger]

Sorry I have been away for awhile and have not looked onthis site. I was up until recently the restoration manager at the DVHAA and can tell you thatit is an A-10 in the picture. Also those planes are part of the DVHAA but that is a very old picture. As you can see we were moving the Seadart that day and there is now a building in the center of those planes that houses are Me-262, P-80 and Bell 47 along with other items in the museum. Also th P-3 in the picture has been moved to other side of the base. If I can answer any other questions please feel free to ask. Joe Meyers, Operation Bolero Recovery and Restoration Group,Inc.

[jcmranger]

Just a little more info. The old ascher collection is gone, unfortunatly cause it was alot of one of a kind aircraft we do have the 262 inside. We have no aircraft from the old NADC Warminster/ NAS Johnsville. We have an F-8 no A-7 and we do have an F-14 and soon hopefully the F-18 parked next to it. There is an F-14 in Northhampton County VFW Post

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

jcmranger, Are you sure that the F-8 isn't the one that used to be located on Street Rd along with the A-3 Skywarrior? I thought that it was trucked over to Willow Grove? They did move a couple of the base hacks , T-34 Mentors, over when NADC closed.

[mrhenniger]

Sorry I have been away for awhile and have not looked onthis site. I was up until recently the restoration manager at the DVHAA and can tell you thatit is an A-10 in the picture. Also those planes are part of the DVHAA but that is a very old picture. As you can see we were moving the Seadart that day and there is now a building in the center of those planes that houses are Me-262, P-80 and Bell 47 along with other items in the museum. Also th P-3 in the picture has been moved to other side of the base. If I can answer any other questions please feel free to ask. Joe Meyers, Operation Bolero Recovery and Restoration Group,Inc.

This is all good info. Could you give me the coordinates of the new location of the P-3? Lat and long is idea, but the names of the streets at the closest intersection will do.

Thanks!

Mike

[mrhenniger]

Just a little more info. The old ascher collection is gone, unfortunatly cause it was alot of one of a kind aircraft

I am not familiar with the name ascher. Please tell me more.

We have an F-8 no A-7

Noted. Will update soon.

F-14 and soon hopefully the F-18 parked next to it. There is an F-14 in Northhampton County VFW Post

Noted.

I have an entry for "Dellaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association" (I assume that is you) and for "Pennsylvania ANG - 111st FG" both of which appear to be co-located at "Warminster (Willow Grove NAS)" (that is the name I use for the Locator). You appear to be an expert on the DVHAA collection If you don't mind, please take a look at these two listings, and let me know if I have any of the aircraft confused between the two collections.

There is an F-14 in Northhampton County VFW Post

Noted. I will take a look for it on Monday.

[jcmranger]

Mike, I'll try to answer all these question the best I can. Lt Cmd David Ascher was Willow Grove's Maint. Officer after WWII. He can best be described as visionary for his efforts to save aircraft and for the all the things he did in his life. http://www.amdo.org/Ascher_Obit.html Aircraft attributed to his efforts at Willow Grove are: Curtiss TP-40, Arado AR-196A-5, Mitsubishi A6M7 Reisen Zero Kawanishi N1K2-J George, Kawanishi N1K1 Rex, Kugisho MXY7 K-2 Cherry Blossom, Nakajima B6N1 Tenzan Jill and Messershmitt ME262B-1A Swallow
I don't have coordinates for the P-3 but it due east of it's location on the google map you had on your original post. I looked on Google earth and it's still the same old picture. If you can get a more up to date satellite photo let me know please.
Lehigh Valley, PA - One of the Navy’s former frontline fighters, a F-14A Tomcat, will arrive at the Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA) on Friday, October 10, 2003. The aircraft will then move on to it’s final resting place at the VFW Post 7293 in Whitehall (Egypt), PA later this month.This from a local newspaper.
The F-8 we have flew into NASJRB Willow Grove from NAS Dallas and was then flown by marine reservists at the base until it became part of our display. Hope this info helps. Joe

[jcmranger]

Sorry, I screwed up. The P-3 is due west of it's location on that map. Very near the intersection of Horsham Rd and Precision Rd in Horsham Pa. Sorry for the confusion. Joe

[jcmranger]

I think this is the last answer. Yes that is a helicopter it is a Kaman SH-2G Seasprite and part of our collection. The End Joe

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

Do you have the story about the midnight requisition of the Arado 196?

The Fury and the Cutlass used to be located at the Aviation Supply Office on Oxford Ave

[mrhenniger]

Thanks Joe! It looks like I need to sort out some locations, types, etc. I won't be able to get to this until next week.

Mike

[Waltz41]

Does anyone remember there being a F-18 or something else that was either on top of a small building or at least being in the air, I could of swore upside down at Warminster/Johnstown? Was this the F-8.....As a young kid, I remember going down I think Bristol Rd. along the fence line and always seeing what I can remember being an F-18 upside down on a building.....am I dreaming or does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[jcmranger]

Waltz Yes you are correct about the aircraft along Bristol Rd. The F-8 ( now at the USS Intrepid) and various other aircraft and helos were routinly mounted upside down( for easy access to computers) for radar testing on top of the building that still stands today.
Jiggersfromphilly. The FJ-4B that is at Willow Grove came to the group from the Marine Reserve Group on base. It was flown by, among others, Col. S. W. Lapkiewicz "Lap" He was commander of VMF-218 and is a member of DVHAA and can usually be found at the museum on Saturdays. You will find his name painted on the plane just above mine as plane captain. The Cutlass came to us from NAS Oceana and was flown here for an airshow then retired to airframe training until being given to the DVHAA. Neither plane, nor any plane thay I know of was ever at Naval Depot at Oxford Ave.