On the Road Again Looking Back (to my pre-digital camera days) United States 1981 - 2000

On the road again..... Aircraft wrecks and relics found along the road side when travelling from base to base and from museum to museum in the United States with cameras and film.

Arizona

Douglas C-133B Cargomaster (59-0531 registered N2276V) at Tucson International Airport in October 1996. Purchased on behalf of Northern Air Cargo and flown from Davis Monthan Tucson IAP in January 1975 but scrapped in 2001 without being flown again.

Tucson International Airport - October 1996 Left to right: Lockheed SP-2E Neptune (131456 '7T' registered N88484) ex AMARC as '1P0082', Sikorsky TH-37C Mojave (145875 registered N7394) ex USMC. Operated by Keystone Helicopters until around the 1980s it was later moved to a scrapyard east of Mojave airport. Beech D18S Expeditor (NC3647) 'Wild Hare Air, Ushuaia, Beech UC-45J Expeditor ('20') ex US Navy.

Falcon Field, Mesa - October 1996 Left to right: Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon (37633 registered N7454C) with Wingspan Air Heritage Foundation, Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon 37254 registered N7248C) with Southwest Aviation Inc, Fairacres. Grumman AF-2S Guardian (126731 'SM-10' registered N9993Z) ex US Navy. With the Confederate Air Force (latterly Commemorative Air Force) and moved to Midland, Texas in 2010.

Davis Monthan - October 1996 Left to right: McDonnell F-4B Phantom (150639 marked '65-639 FG' '8F115'), Warrior Park, Davis-Monthan AFB. Lockheed U-2C (56-6716) at Warrior Park, Davis-Monthan AFB.

Davis Monthan - October 1996 Left to right: Grumman HU-16 Albatross (131904 '904' '1U052' registered N904G) at Arizona Auto Store, later restored as '7238' registered N216HU. Grumman S-2 Tracker (unmarked) at Arizona Auto Store. McDonnell F-4D Phantom II(65-0801 'FP233') moved from AMARC in 1992 to Air Pro, Webster International, Tucson. Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando (44-77559 'CN085') at Bob's Air Park scrap yard, Davis-Monthan AFB (South Side). To Planes of Fame Museum in 2001 and put into storage.

Left to right: Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (57-0606 'TR-606') at Williams Gateway, Phoenix in October 1996. McDonnell NRF-4C Phantom II (65-0941 'ED) it still is carrying its AMARC inventory number 'FP746' at the Veterans Memorial Freedom Garden, Quartzsite in October 2000.

California

Left to right: Lockheed F-104D Starfighter (57-1334 ex MASDC) on display at George Izay Park, Burbank, Los Angeles in October 2000. Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (52-9239 marked as '90505') at Torrance Municipal Airport-Zamperini Field, Los Angeles in October 2000.

Florida

EAA Museum, Lakeland - August 1999. Left to right: Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (57-0598 registered N23745). Grumman HU-16D Albatross (141266 registered N693S) ex US Navy. To Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Pacifica Ballroom, Universal Studios, Orlando by 2006. Convair YF-2Y Sea Dart (135763).

Fantasy of Flight Museum, Polk City - August 1999. Left to right: Consolidated B-24J Liberator (44-44272 registered N94459). Delivered to RAF as KH401. Transferred to Indian Air Force as HE771 and flown until December 1968. To Chino in 1973 and restored in 1982 for loan to March Field Air Museum in 1984. Acquired in 2001 by Fantasy of Flight displayed as '42-50551 / RR' named 'Joe'.

Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum (closed in 2005), Kissimmee - August 1999. Left to right: North American B-25J Mitchell (44-86697, 0953 FAV '3L' registered NL62163). Douglas A-26C Invader (44-35752 registered NL81797). Grumman C-1A Trader (146029 registered N6192F) with Kissimmee Air Museum.

Left to right: McDonnell F-101A Voodoo (54-1443 registered N7006K) with Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum. Grumman F9F-8T Cougar (147287) ex Blue Angels with Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum. North American T-28B Trojan (137678 '206') with Tom Reilly Vintage Aircraft. Douglas A-4D Skyhawk (? '??4') one of at least three ex US Navy jets dumped behind museum.

Left to right: de Havilland DH.114 Heron (N587PR) from 1968 at Weeks Museum Miami in August 1999.

Nevada

Left to right: Douglas C-124C Globemaster II (N3153F ex 53-0044) ex Military Air Command Reserve Forces to MASDC as 'CQ364' in 1974, on Tropicana Avenue near McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas May 1981. It was scrapped on site in 2001.

New Mexico

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, Albuquerque - October 1996. Left to right: Boeing B-29A Superfortress (45-21748 painted as '45-21749') ex China Lake. The B-29 first flew in 1942 and carried more bombs higher, farther, and faster than any other bomber of World War II. Of the 3,970 B-29s built, around 26 complete B-29s survive today, 24 in the US. Boeing B-52B Stratofortress (52-0013). LTV TA-7C Corsair II (154407).

Las Cruces - October 1996. Left to right: Douglas A-26B Invader(44-34713 marked c/n 27992 registered N706ME later N26WB) previously National Warplane Museum, Geneseo, NY, stored Southwest Aviation, Las Cruces. Curtiss-Wright C-46F Commando (43-47218 registered N74173) previously with Rich International before to Southwest Aviation Inc, Fairacres transferred to Yanks Air Museum, Chino Airport.

Las Cruces - October 1996. Left to right: Cessna O-2 Skymaster (67-21311 registered NX311J) with Southwest Aviation Inc, Las Cruces. Ryan L-17E Navion (XB-FCB marked US Navy '893').

Santa Teresa (Doña Ana County) Airport, Santa Teresa - October 1996. Left to right: Douglas A-26B Invader (44-34526 registered N26AB) marked 'Intimate Invader' privately owned by Charles Bella, in open storage outside War Eagles Museum, Douglas RB-26C Invader (unmarked, assumed to be 44-35493 registered N576JB) War Eagles Air Museum, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak (52-7343 'JB-834') War Eagles Air Museum, Douglas DC-6A (N620NA).