What's in the middle of nowhere? (Big Spring, TX)

[Former Member]

Thanks for posting those beautiful pics Gary. Unfortunately the turret shown is in fact a TBM turret and not a ball turret after all (I know...they can look very similar when partially disassembled). Thanks for thinking of me though!

John

[Ollie]

Wicked stuff!

There's a P.136 in the hangar. Woo!

Thanks for sharing Gary.

[gregv]

I like the fishtail exhausts on that one Buchon, wonder how it ended up with those?

That is what I call one serious stash!

awesome pics Gary, thanks.

greg v.

[Michel Lemieux]

Wow.....

Tks Gary.

All the Buchon's are still wearing their original BoB paint scheme.

Anyone knows how he ended up with these after filming ?

I guess it must be right after he flew for the film in the 60's.

Tks again Gary.

Just curious.

[N3Njeff]

come on powerball!! then its off to big springs!!! Amazing pics, thanks Gary

[retroaviation]

The way I understood it (it's been years since he told me this story), the production company didn't have the money to pay the pilots that flew for the filming of The Battle of Britain, and he said that he'd pay them if he got to keep all of the airplanes. The planes weren't really worth all that much at the time, so the movie company supposedly jumped at the offer.

An interesting footnote to that story, however, is that just a couple of weeks ago, I saw the bill of sale for those aircraft (probably had to have one to keep the paperwork straight). It was very impressive! I don't know that it would be proper for me to discuss the actual amount of money that he gave for them, but it was certainly an eye opener when I saw the number of airplanes he got, along with the spares, for the amount of money on the bill of sale. I'll just put it like this.....it was one helluva deal!

Gary

[Beachy]

Any idea what that Benz engine would be worth now?

[Shay]

Any idea what that Benz engine would be worth now?

Priceless to most. But it would depend on whose is buying I guess.

In my opinion it's almost too much of a time capsule to teardown, rebuild and slap into an airframe.

Would be nice peice for a museum to clean up and mount on a stand for display.

Of course one justification for tearing it down would be to use the engine to develop molds to make reproductions engines.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[a26invader]

Thanks for the view. A truly magnificent collection. I simply love stuff like that

[6trn4brn]

Ummm...would someone be so kind as to hand me the Spitfire sitting over there please

[DCogdon1]

Aye carumba!

That's some little stockpile!

[Roger Cain]

Thanks for posting Gary, I shall now attempt to clean all the drool out of my keyboard...............

[george]

Thanks for posting those amazing pictures, Gary. Did you by any chance visit Hanger 25 at the abandoned Air Force Base while you were in Big Spring? Aren't they putting together an air museum in it? Thanks again for all you have brought to the forum.

[retroaviation]

Thanks for posting those amazing pictures, Gary. Did you by any chance visit Hanger 25 at the abandoned Air Force Base while you were in Big Spring? Aren't they putting together an air museum in it? Thanks again for all you have brought to the forum.

I have been to the Hangar 25 Museum in the past (helped take Russell Madden's AT-11 & C-45 in there many moons ago), but the last time I went there a year or so ago, it was after hours or something and was all locked up. If I get a chance to swing by in the near future, I'll be sure to take some pictures and post them.

Gary

[george]

Thanks much, Gary. Would love to see some pictures of Hanger 25 someday (as well as the abandoned air base).