The Boneyard, Arizona
You don't need google earth. These sites have a perfectly good inventory..
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Interesting article on the place with good facts and figures.
Living Boneyard
Somewhere I read 25% of what has arrived at the Boneyard has been
returned to flying status.
Living Boneyard
Somewhere I read 25% of what has arrived at the Boneyard has been
returned to flying status.
Last edited by 500N; 18th Aug 2013 at 09:00.
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Apparently 'NASA' (a euphemism?) have recovered a couple of R/WB57 (Canberra derivative) - well the ones with the grossly extended wings.
You can see a couple or three of those parked too . . .
BEags - I was being ironic about the Scottish MPA, they could even be painted blue . . .
You can see a couple or three of those parked too . . .
BEags - I was being ironic about the Scottish MPA, they could even be painted blue . . .
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There was a boneyard of sorts at Dhahran that I would nose around.
Contained Sabres, Shooting stars, a Convair as well as the less intact remains of an Eagle or two and an IDS Tonka.
Posted from Pprune.org App for Android
Contained Sabres, Shooting stars, a Convair as well as the less intact remains of an Eagle or two and an IDS Tonka.
Posted from Pprune.org App for Android
Dyson/500N
For what it is worth - a story........
I was on exchange with the USN at China Lake, 1978-81.
I was in the Officers Club bar one evening, and detected an english accent. As I was the only Brit that I knew of in the area at the time, I chatted to the stranger, who declared that he was from the Imperial War Museum and had come to China Lake to look for a B-29A - to represent an aircraft that the RAF had flown during WW2. There were several skeletons sitting in the desert on the undershoot of one of the runways.
He chose one to take back to the UK - the significance of the 29A was, as I understand, that the wings were bolted onto the fuselage, so could be removed for transportation by road to the west coast and then to the UK by sea.
After a few Californian beers, I declared him to be a wimp, as the previous two aircraft had been flown out from China Lake - one for the the Confederate Air Force, and the other for, I think, Yesterday's Air Force.
Several months later, he returned, and told me that he had chosen the airframe that he wanted, and after a bit of consideration, had decided that it would be cheaper to fly it back to the UK on a one flight basis, rather than ship it back by road and sea.
I claimed the right to a seat on the aircraft for the return flight, which he seemed to accept without any difficulty.
He asked me if I would like to see the airframe he had chosen.
Naturally, I said yes, so we drove into the desert to look at it.
From a distance or several hundred yards, I reversed my request for a seat on the return flight.
The metal structure looked fine, but the rest of it was pretty sad!! It was full of tumbleweed, the glazed units were all knackered, and it looked like a home for the local sidewinder snakes!!
They connected batteries to the engines, provided fuel and oil - and the engines worked OK.
So they dragged the aircraft from the desert, spent several months working on it, replaced the plexiglas bits and all the rubber bits which had deteriorated in the desert sun, and then flew it to Phoenix to get instrumentation and FAA/CAA approval for one-flight to get it back to the UK.
When it departed from China Lake - after some 40 years in the desert - it did a climbing 270 turn over the field before heading for Phoenix - and looked and sounded terrific.
For those so inclined, it brought tears to the eyes!!
I was on exchange with the USN at China Lake, 1978-81.
I was in the Officers Club bar one evening, and detected an english accent. As I was the only Brit that I knew of in the area at the time, I chatted to the stranger, who declared that he was from the Imperial War Museum and had come to China Lake to look for a B-29A - to represent an aircraft that the RAF had flown during WW2. There were several skeletons sitting in the desert on the undershoot of one of the runways.
He chose one to take back to the UK - the significance of the 29A was, as I understand, that the wings were bolted onto the fuselage, so could be removed for transportation by road to the west coast and then to the UK by sea.
After a few Californian beers, I declared him to be a wimp, as the previous two aircraft had been flown out from China Lake - one for the the Confederate Air Force, and the other for, I think, Yesterday's Air Force.
Several months later, he returned, and told me that he had chosen the airframe that he wanted, and after a bit of consideration, had decided that it would be cheaper to fly it back to the UK on a one flight basis, rather than ship it back by road and sea.
I claimed the right to a seat on the aircraft for the return flight, which he seemed to accept without any difficulty.
He asked me if I would like to see the airframe he had chosen.
Naturally, I said yes, so we drove into the desert to look at it.
From a distance or several hundred yards, I reversed my request for a seat on the return flight.
The metal structure looked fine, but the rest of it was pretty sad!! It was full of tumbleweed, the glazed units were all knackered, and it looked like a home for the local sidewinder snakes!!
They connected batteries to the engines, provided fuel and oil - and the engines worked OK.
So they dragged the aircraft from the desert, spent several months working on it, replaced the plexiglas bits and all the rubber bits which had deteriorated in the desert sun, and then flew it to Phoenix to get instrumentation and FAA/CAA approval for one-flight to get it back to the UK.
When it departed from China Lake - after some 40 years in the desert - it did a climbing 270 turn over the field before heading for Phoenix - and looked and sounded terrific.
For those so inclined, it brought tears to the eyes!!
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BomberH
Good story.
I would liked to have seen his face when you said
"After a few Californian beers, I declared him to be a wimp,"
Englishmen don't always take kindly to people being up front
with forthright opinions, right or otherwise
Edit
I wonder where the B29 ended up in the UK. Anyone know ?
Good story.
I would liked to have seen his face when you said
"After a few Californian beers, I declared him to be a wimp,"
Englishmen don't always take kindly to people being up front
with forthright opinions, right or otherwise
Edit
I wonder where the B29 ended up in the UK. Anyone know ?
Last edited by 500N; 18th Aug 2013 at 20:53.
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Thanks
Just down the road from me they have a B something being restored.
I'll look it up.
It's a B-24
Home | B-24 Liberator Restoration Australia
Just down the road from me they have a B something being restored.
I'll look it up.
It's a B-24
Home | B-24 Liberator Restoration Australia
Last edited by 500N; 18th Aug 2013 at 21:04.
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Pima was well worth going to, I was on the same det as BV. We were on the guided tour around the lines, when the tour guide said "And now we come to what I think is the ugliest aircraft in our collection, and it is British! "(as the Gannet comes into view) . One of the American punters pipes up "Hey man, you can't say that, there are Brits on the tour!" Instant reply from myself "Doesn't bother us mate, it's Navy!"
Last edited by Alber Ratman; 18th Aug 2013 at 23:37.
The Boneyard, Arizona
Al.
Did you get treated to the sight of swarms of bees crawling all over some old T37s?
Not sure if they were the African killer variety but I stayed we'll clear.
BV
Did you get treated to the sight of swarms of bees crawling all over some old T37s?
Not sure if they were the African killer variety but I stayed we'll clear.
BV
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Interesting looking at the stats of aircraft and arrival dates.
They only have a couple of F-111's (the Australian one's were crushed
and buried so they didn't go have to back to the US).
No 117's, U2's or such like spy or stealth planes.
And one or a couple of the Mig 15, 17 and 21's.
They only have a couple of F-111's (the Australian one's were crushed
and buried so they didn't go have to back to the US).
No 117's, U2's or such like spy or stealth planes.
And one or a couple of the Mig 15, 17 and 21's.
Not exactly a boneyard but last I knew many of the HASs at Strawberry were chock full of interesting hardware being stored "just in case".
HASs at Shawberry - Isn't that where we keep the UKs crashed UFOs, on the basis we can't afford anything as swish as Area 51?
Must go, the doorbells ringing.......
Must go, the doorbells ringing.......
Last edited by Biggus; 19th Aug 2013 at 08:45.
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Pima was well worth going to, I was on the same det as BV. We were on the guided tour around the lines, when the tour guide said "And now we come to what I think is the ugliest aircraft in our collection, and it is British! "(as the Gannet comes into view) . One of the American punters pipes up "Hey man, you can't say that, there are Brits on the tour!" Instant reply from myself "Doesn't bother us mate, it's Navy!"
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Boneyard additional residents.
Sorry Bob, can't remember the bees on the T37s. Remember them around DMs golf course, and us still playing golf when the star spangled banner was playing.. Locals were not impressed.
AR.
BTW I was playing with a "Shiney" six painted XX741 on Saturday.. It looked nice. Project leader passed me some photos he took at Colt. March on for the Standard presentation, JEngo, yourself and Nick Lock..
AR.
BTW I was playing with a "Shiney" six painted XX741 on Saturday.. It looked nice. Project leader passed me some photos he took at Colt. March on for the Standard presentation, JEngo, yourself and Nick Lock..