What did you see in the back of a hanger in SE Asia?
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What did you see in the back of a hanger in SE Asia?
A fairly unimportant but interesting part of my life revolves around attempting to locate long-forgotten military airframes lurking in the dark recesses of ancient hangers in SE Asia. Thailand is a no-go area for me but Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam aren't.
I wonder if any of your correspondents on their 'travels' in this region many years ago came across any such relics? Yes, things have changed in the interim, but my Vietnamese bothers and sisters can be surprisingly lax as regards moving things (and the Laotians are so bloody lazy they wouldn't move stuff even if it was resting on their foot...).. If the building still exists, chances are the airframe will still be there too. So if you were annoyed by an old Bearcat taking up valuable hangar space as you struggled to service your Hueys back in '69, please point out where this happened and I'll have someone check it out. Thanks!
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I wonder if any of your correspondents on their 'travels' in this region many years ago came across any such relics? Yes, things have changed in the interim, but my Vietnamese bothers and sisters can be surprisingly lax as regards moving things (and the Laotians are so bloody lazy they wouldn't move stuff even if it was resting on their foot...).. If the building still exists, chances are the airframe will still be there too. So if you were annoyed by an old Bearcat taking up valuable hangar space as you struggled to service your Hueys back in '69, please point out where this happened and I'll have someone check it out. Thanks!
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From: Berkshire, UK
In 1995, whilst looking for suitable landing strips to support oil exploration in what used to be called Irian Jaya in the far east of Indonesia, we say and photographed the remains of Japanese Zero and other fighter aircraft. They had been abandoned at the end of WWII. They were on either Babo or Meyado airstrips.
Best of luck!!
Best of luck!!
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From: Here and there. Here at the moment but soon I'll be there.
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Wwyvern: New Guinea? Beyond my remit I'm afraid, but interesting nevertheless. The next time I'm in the region I'll certainly take a peek. Any pics you'd care to share?
Faithless: Well, we can't all make wise purchasing decisions. Better luck next time
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SkyHawk-N: No, no finders fee, we knew they were there But you see what I mean about never moving stuff? As far as I'm aware, they've sat there since you fellows left. We can't bear to throw things away, but we can't find anything useful to do with them either. Make us a (very good) offer and you can have them back.
Jimlad1: Skyraiders. You need Skyraiders. About 10 plus assorted spares.
Faithless: Well, we can't all make wise purchasing decisions. Better luck next time
.SkyHawk-N: No, no finders fee, we knew they were there
But you see what I mean about never moving stuff? As far as I'm aware, they've sat there since you fellows left. We can't bear to throw things away, but we can't find anything useful to do with them either. Make us a (very good) offer and you can have them back.Jimlad1: Skyraiders. You need Skyraiders. About 10 plus assorted spares.
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From: UK
West coast, all long gone my friend, not that they were much use after they'd been buldozed into the dunes. I wonder if the allegedly new boxed Avon is still acting as a beehive on the apron at Hargeisa? I think I can just see it on Google Earth. The Sukhoi and MiG have gone from there too.
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
There was an article in flypast or Aeroplane mag a few years ago showing a load of spads, a couple or providers etc if memory serves me correctly, it also showed rows of unopened radial engines on some dockside, they popped the lid on one and it was corroded, they popped it on another and there was a hiss as the seal broke and it was mint, they said there was a row of them and they were I believe spad ones.
Here you go,
Boeing CH-47A Chinook helicopters left behind in Vietnam.
Here you go,
Boeing CH-47A Chinook helicopters left behind in Vietnam.
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Nutloose: Those pictures were taken at Tan Son Nhat and you'll find most of those airframes are still there, just off to the west of the apron for the domestic flights. There is even more interesting stuff inside the nearby hangers, but I know nothing of that... I think you'll find your Chinook airframe has been patched up and moved to the War Crimes Museum in downtown Sai Gon; that was the plan anyway.
And, tsk tsk, the rest of you aren't reading and understanding. Either that, or I'm writing poorly. I'm fully aware of where we've left 70's era airframes, I'm not fully aware of what YOU may have left or have seen. There are persistent rumours of ex-French-era airframes in near flying condition being around (in the South, obviously) when our American brothers left, but we don't know where and when, which is why I'm asking for your assistance.
I think you'll find your Chinook airframe has been patched up and moved to the War Crimes Museum in downtown Sai Gon; that was the plan anyway.And, tsk tsk, the rest of you aren't reading and understanding. Either that, or I'm writing poorly. I'm fully aware of where we've left 70's era airframes, I'm not fully aware of what YOU may have left or have seen. There are persistent rumours of ex-French-era airframes in near flying condition being around (in the South, obviously) when our American brothers left, but we don't know where and when, which is why I'm asking for your assistance.
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Hanoijane
I was at Tan Son Nhut on 15-7-09 and 26-7-09
Hercs:
004 GZN 56-532
003 SG (55-005)
005 (56-476)
(002) (56-519)
+ 1 more. still unknown. I guess 2 have been scrapped?
C-119
(53-7850)
CH-47
I saw two, I expect 66-19082 and the other unid one
AN24/26
259, 252, 248, 269, 251 (flew), 261, 279 + another 3 or 4, (one marked 'Vietnam Airlines)
Thee was a Yak-18 (?) in a hangar near the C-130s
Still trying to find out two more AN-26 parked beside the old AC-47 out on the airfield.
Mi-8
7836, 7477, 7848,7847,7850
UH-1
Four as we taxiied in ,in shelters, maybe 7906, 7908, 7616+ some more.
Fill any gaps?? (or can you fill any of my gaps?!)
I was at Tan Son Nhut on 15-7-09 and 26-7-09
Hercs:
004 GZN 56-532
003 SG (55-005)
005 (56-476)
(002) (56-519)
+ 1 more. still unknown. I guess 2 have been scrapped?
C-119
(53-7850)
CH-47
I saw two, I expect 66-19082 and the other unid one
AN24/26
259, 252, 248, 269, 251 (flew), 261, 279 + another 3 or 4, (one marked 'Vietnam Airlines)
Thee was a Yak-18 (?) in a hangar near the C-130s
Still trying to find out two more AN-26 parked beside the old AC-47 out on the airfield.
Mi-8
7836, 7477, 7848,7847,7850
UH-1
Four as we taxiied in ,in shelters, maybe 7906, 7908, 7616+ some more.
Fill any gaps??
(or can you fill any of my gaps?!)
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
Bit off gaffa tape and a lick of paint and we could solve the helicopter shortage over in Afganistan with they ex American chins ;-)
In approximately 1996, 66-19082 was rediscovered resting at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, near Saigon, in Vietnam. A Boeing team conducted an evaluation of the airframe, along with another unidentified CH-47A, for possible inclusion into a rebuild program, but found the aircraft too far corroded to be useful. As of 1996, the last known location of 66-19082 was at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, near Saigon, Vietnam. Aircraft status: Not flyable.
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From: Downeast
When I read the thread title.....I assumed someone had come across some piccies of CHUKS in his hidey hole as he hid from his First Sgt!
I have seen two Chinooks on display in Vietnam....one at Khe Sanh and the other at the Military Museum in Saigon. The one in Saigon is one of a kind....as it's rotor blades are all on wrong way to! I'll post a photo when I get the time (and energy). The one at Khe Sanh looked mostly intact but both were in very sad shape.
Interesting note is my Chinook unit transferred all sixteen of our aircraft to the Vietnamese then was restocked with older aircraft.
I had departed the scene to nurse a few bottles of Demerol while all that took place.
I have seen two Chinooks on display in Vietnam....one at Khe Sanh and the other at the Military Museum in Saigon. The one in Saigon is one of a kind....as it's rotor blades are all on wrong way to! I'll post a photo when I get the time (and energy). The one at Khe Sanh looked mostly intact but both were in very sad shape.
Interesting note is my Chinook unit transferred all sixteen of our aircraft to the Vietnamese then was restocked with older aircraft.
I had departed the scene to nurse a few bottles of Demerol while all that took place.
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From: Here and there. Here at the moment but soon I'll be there.
HanoiJane, are you are aluding to Corsairs and Bearcats from the 1950s? If so, do you really believe that some will have survived in the south of the country without discovery during the US campaign? Would be quite a story if it were true.
