What did you see in the back of a hanger in SE Asia?
HJ,
there is an enthusiasts book available in the UK called 'World Military Out of Service' (WMOOS); this lists all the known warbirds that are displayed around the world (listed by country). It also includes gate-guards, museums, and dumped and derelict aircraft.
For Laos it lists Savvanakhet, Vientiane (2 entries) and Xieng Khouang.
For Vietnam it lists 22 locations - too many to list here. But since you mentioned Bearcats, there is one displayed near the airport at Ho Chi Minh City.
Cambodia has just 2 locations listed - Pnhom Penh and Siem Reap.
The book is not the 'final word' on the subject, as things move around all the time; some are moved away for refurb, and then replaced, some move away and never return, and others still appear literally from nowhere! I am sure that there are still aircraft out there waiting to be discovered, or fully identified.
PS. Why is Thailand such a 'no-go' area for you? I'm intrigued!
there is an enthusiasts book available in the UK called 'World Military Out of Service' (WMOOS); this lists all the known warbirds that are displayed around the world (listed by country). It also includes gate-guards, museums, and dumped and derelict aircraft.
For Laos it lists Savvanakhet, Vientiane (2 entries) and Xieng Khouang.
For Vietnam it lists 22 locations - too many to list here. But since you mentioned Bearcats, there is one displayed near the airport at Ho Chi Minh City.
Cambodia has just 2 locations listed - Pnhom Penh and Siem Reap.
The book is not the 'final word' on the subject, as things move around all the time; some are moved away for refurb, and then replaced, some move away and never return, and others still appear literally from nowhere! I am sure that there are still aircraft out there waiting to be discovered, or fully identified.
PS. Why is Thailand such a 'no-go' area for you? I'm intrigued!
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Well, without going into things in too much detail, yes we're fairly convinced there are some 50's era survivors around somewhere in VN. If you understand the Vietnamese, you'll also a) understand they know these things will have value and, the longer they remain 'undiscovered' the more valuable they become and b) it's surprisingly easy to keep things quite here. If we had an airbase or location where they were last seen, we'd know which unit was there around the Fall. And then we can start asking hard questions. Simple.
BarbiesBoyfriend: No, you were at Tan Son NHAT. We won, so our spelling please
. If you were there as a tourist you're quite observant. Yes, there are quite a few gaps, but I'll leave it to you to return and fill them in. We need your tourist dollars.
SASless and others: American airframes - both rotary and fixed wing - deteriorate surprisingly quickly in our climate. I've seen the internals of most American airframes (though never a 105... what happened to those, did they disintegrate into a million pieces on impact?) on disassembly and, compared with Russian equipment stored in much the same way i.e. outdoors with no maintenance, corrosion is rampant. I wonder why? Grades of metal or something? The one exception is the F-5. It seems incredibly well built and hardly corrodes. Northrop, the Yankee Mig.
Geezers of Nazareth: Now that's interesting. I have never seen a Bearcat in VN, far less one around Tan Son Nhat (Nhut). Was this in the 60's? Where precisely? Photos?
And my tales of the Thais and Thailand would fill a book. Not a very interesting book though...
Thanks all.
BarbiesBoyfriend: No, you were at Tan Son NHAT. We won, so our spelling please
. If you were there as a tourist you're quite observant. Yes, there are quite a few gaps, but I'll leave it to you to return and fill them in. We need your tourist dollars.SASless and others: American airframes - both rotary and fixed wing - deteriorate surprisingly quickly in our climate. I've seen the internals of most American airframes (though never a 105... what happened to those, did they disintegrate into a million pieces on impact?) on disassembly and, compared with Russian equipment stored in much the same way i.e. outdoors with no maintenance, corrosion is rampant. I wonder why? Grades of metal or something? The one exception is the F-5. It seems incredibly well built and hardly corrodes. Northrop, the Yankee Mig.
Geezers of Nazareth: Now that's interesting. I have never seen a Bearcat in VN, far less one around Tan Son Nhat (Nhut). Was this in the 60's? Where precisely? Photos?
And my tales of the Thais and Thailand would fill a book. Not a very interesting book though...
Thanks all.
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Not quite in South East Asia, but if you ever find yourself in Mumbai (Bombay) get over to Juhu Aerodrome and on the south side, near the Bombay Flying Club's premises, you'll see a decrepit hangar with a collapsed roof. Inside that hangar is an abandoned aircraft looking reasonably complete and unaffected by the roof collapse, also nearby (outside) is a similar aircraft in a extremely poor condition. Both aircraft look like Beech 18's, but there's something about them that suggests they may be another similar-looking type
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"Why is Thailand such a 'no-go' area for you? I'm intrigued!"
Well thats two of us intriged.
I do remember a few years ago when the wreckage of a P38 Lightning was found in the Jungle up narf.
All refereance's 'Vanished' folowing week for the Local Mob was said to be involved and if you live here you know who they are.
john
Well thats two of us intriged.
I do remember a few years ago when the wreckage of a P38 Lightning was found in the Jungle up narf.
All refereance's 'Vanished' folowing week for the Local Mob was said to be involved and if you live here you know who they are.
john
HJ,
re: F8F Bearcat at HCM ...
I was assisting the author of the book I mentioned by looking at various countries on Google Earth. I was hoping to find a few unlisted aircraft (found a few, but only one in VN; lots in Russia though!) and then let him know the lat/long of what I found.
In Google Earth I have it set-up so that it shows a small blue dot where somebody has posted a picture of something/anything at a particular location (known as 'Panoramio' pictures). Whilst looking around HCM I found a few pics of a Bearcat at N 10.803900 E 106.663100.
re: F8F Bearcat at HCM ...
Geezers of Nazareth: Now that's interesting. I have never seen a Bearcat in VN, far less one around Tan Son Nhat (Nhut). Was this in the 60's? Where precisely? Photos?
In Google Earth I have it set-up so that it shows a small blue dot where somebody has posted a picture of something/anything at a particular location (known as 'Panoramio' pictures). Whilst looking around HCM I found a few pics of a Bearcat at N 10.803900 E 106.663100.
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Jesus, I lived on Cuu Long - about 400m to the NE of that location - for about one year.
That is, indeed, one Bearcat. Not the one I'm searching for but it may do. I shall visit tomorrow am and check it out. Trust me, NO-ONE here seems to know it exsits.
If you were in Sai Gon I may have kissed you... lucky escape
That is, indeed, one Bearcat. Not the one I'm searching for but it may do. I shall visit tomorrow am and check it out. Trust me, NO-ONE here seems to know it exsits.
If you were in Sai Gon I may have kissed you... lucky escape
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BarbiesBoyfriend: A+ for your spelling . Some old airframes remain around what was the helicopter base at Da Nang, but that area is very heavily polluted with chemicals left by our American brothers, so much so that I wouldn't care to go near it. I bet you went to Hoi An too didn't you? That place is the pits. Jeeze, if you want to visit interesting places in VN you should just ask...
Sorry, old transport planes aren't my thing, and I have no idea of the identification of any of the Hercules airframes at Tan Son Nhat. If you like I could find out, though we still need your tourist dollars.
jonwilly: You mean 'up north' as in near Laos? Thailand is a complete mess, crazies in both the north and south. That's what you get for being an American puppet state - your craziness doesn't spread, it just grows bigger in situ. It's the domino effect in reverse. I love irony.
. Some old airframes remain around what was the helicopter base at Da Nang, but that area is very heavily polluted with chemicals left by our American brothers, so much so that I wouldn't care to go near it. I bet you went to Hoi An too didn't you? That place is the pits. Jeeze, if you want to visit interesting places in VN you should just ask...Sorry, old transport planes aren't my thing, and I have no idea of the identification of any of the Hercules airframes at Tan Son Nhat. If you like I could find out, though we still need your tourist dollars.
jonwilly: You mean 'up north' as in near Laos? Thailand is a complete mess, crazies in both the north and south. That's what you get for being an American puppet state - your craziness doesn't spread, it just grows bigger in situ. It's the domino effect in reverse. I love irony.
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Hanoijane
We'd love to come back and see your Country again. It was lovely and the best thing about it was the Vietnamese! We left a lot of dollars with you last time and if we ever get another chance we'll do it again.
Correct about Hoi An, although my family loved it.
I'd love you to find out the serials of the old transports, if you don't mind. The record is incomplete.
Apart from the missing herc, there's the AN-24s and the identity of the civ coloured DC-3 out on the airfield. I take it the other C-47 which was near the hercs, has gone?
We'd love to come back and see your Country again. It was lovely and the best thing about it was the Vietnamese! We left a lot of dollars with you last time and if we ever get another chance we'll do it again.
Correct about Hoi An, although my family loved it.
I'd love you to find out the serials of the old transports, if you don't mind. The record is incomplete.
Apart from the missing herc, there's the AN-24s and the identity of the civ coloured DC-3 out on the airfield. I take it the other C-47 which was near the hercs, has gone?
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hanoijane
It was reported in Chiang Mai Mail about 4-5 years ago that the remains of a P38 had been found in CM province, not Chiang Rai which borders Laos.
Much talk at the time of publishing then nothing.
Don't think that local Army or Navy had an interest.
It's well know that some collectors will pay big money by local standards so I will suggest they who are said to run the local maffia where hot on the trail.
john
It was reported in Chiang Mai Mail about 4-5 years ago that the remains of a P38 had been found in CM province, not Chiang Rai which borders Laos.
Much talk at the time of publishing then nothing.
Don't think that local Army or Navy had an interest.
It's well know that some collectors will pay big money by local standards so I will suggest they who are said to run the local maffia where hot on the trail.
john
There's wreckage of a Huey in a shed on the Mount Pleasant Airfield in the Falklands that always had my curiousity pricked.
Not anywhere Vietnam though.......I'll get my coat.
P1
Not anywhere Vietnam though.......I'll get my coat.
P1
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C130's at TSN
My records show the following aircraft were at last report at TSN
All are completely un airworthy I suppose one day will be cut up.
As two on my records do not appear on your list, I will endevour to find out there fate.
One of course could be the fifth one you have no serial.
55-0001
56-0482
As the VNAF only operated the C130A makes it a bit easier.
There were some more that the VNAF destroyed in 1975 to stop them being used
this list I could produce if you have interest.
Regards
Col
All are completely un airworthy I suppose one day will be cut up.
As two on my records do not appear on your list, I will endevour to find out there fate.
One of course could be the fifth one you have no serial.
55-0001
56-0482
As the VNAF only operated the C130A makes it a bit easier.
There were some more that the VNAF destroyed in 1975 to stop them being used
this list I could produce if you have interest.
Regards
Col
Herkman/HJ,
from the aforementioned book (WMOOS), it has the following to say about the C130s at TSN ...
s/n also marked type remarks
001 KAI G73 C-130A camo, ex 55-0001
(002) C-130A camo, ex 56-0519
(003) SG C-130A ex 55-0005
820 HKI 38 C-130A ex 55-0013
? C-130A ex 56-0476
a total of 7 C-13s were stored between Jan '04 and Nov '06, it is entirely possible that this is all that has ever been present. Two others were read as 128/HKC ex 56-???? and one marked '4260'; candidates will be:
004 GZN C-130A camo, ex 56-0532
016 C-130A
(482) C-130A camo, ex 56-0482
Hope this helps ...
(sorry about the mess above, can't get it to display columns properly!)
from the aforementioned book (WMOOS), it has the following to say about the C130s at TSN ...
s/n also marked type remarks
001 KAI G73 C-130A camo, ex 55-0001
(002) C-130A camo, ex 56-0519
(003) SG C-130A ex 55-0005
820 HKI 38 C-130A ex 55-0013
? C-130A ex 56-0476
a total of 7 C-13s were stored between Jan '04 and Nov '06, it is entirely possible that this is all that has ever been present. Two others were read as 128/HKC ex 56-???? and one marked '4260'; candidates will be:
004 GZN C-130A camo, ex 56-0532
016 C-130A
(482) C-130A camo, ex 56-0482
Hope this helps ...
(sorry about the mess above, can't get it to display columns properly!)
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here is more good oil on Vietnam C130's
They are all slick A models.
55-0001
55-0005
55-0013
56-0476
56-0482
56-0519
56-0532
That list is accurate up to Feb 2006
My understanding is only five are there now.
Seeing if I can find the fate of the other two.
Regards
Col
55-0001
55-0005
55-0013
56-0476
56-0482
56-0519
56-0532
That list is accurate up to Feb 2006
My understanding is only five are there now.
Seeing if I can find the fate of the other two.
Regards
Col
In the back of SE-A hangars
re the decrepit MiG-21s in the Pochentong hangers in '93, they were flying in mid-late '92, whenever the CPAF could "find" avtur for them - which the UN conveniently stored in the tanks of the Mi-8s that we tried to use to support UNTAC's mandate! All's fair, eh ...
