Visit to an Airline Boneyard

Me ^ | 7-18-05 | Me

[Central Scrutiniser]

I went out today to visit a local airplane boneyard. It was damn hot, over 110 degrees. The airport is Chandler Memorial, a small aux. strip built during WWII for the nearby Williams AFB. During the Vietnam War, it served as a repair station for the infamous CIA "Air America" and today they run a C130 hangar there.

DC7 "African Queen" So named as this plane was deployed to Africa as a pesticide sprayer, however, it was damaged by a missle and they managed to get her back home, its been sitting since 1988

DC7C "Seven Seas", from Denver Ports of Call Airline, this was once a Brannif Bird as well. Its been there since 1988.

Former Delta DC7C

A really beat up C54D (DC6), US Navy.

4 DC 4's, in various shape, belong to Biegert Aviation

MacAvia DC6, and 2 DC7C's

DC7B, DC6

[Central Scrutiniser]

For old plane buffs. These boys will never fly again.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Could you ping the avaition pinglist?

Thanks

[Prophet in the wilderness]

To bad they can't remelt the aluminum down, and reuse it again on new aircraft.
How come they can't meltdown used aluminum for new aircraft ( If I am mistaken, then, please corrected me ) .
But, then again, the advances in new tech, and the use of composites, the issue of old aluminum will become mute in the future.

[Central Scrutiniser]

It happens.

After WWII, they were flying newly built B25's and P38's from the factory in Wichita to Kingman, AZ where they were promptly cut up and melted down.

I'd kill to go back in time and buy one.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Count me as corrected.
I mistakenly thought ? that ? they can't reuse the aluminum on new airplanes, that the aluminum had to be virgin aluminum, because of the effects on the aluminum after it is already used, sorry for the dumb question.

[Central Scrutiniser]

I'm not sure about today, most planes now are composite!

It was great to walk around these dinosaurs, sure wish they were up in the air, or in a museum.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Yes,, there were really neat aircraft back in those days.
I would also love to go see the Spruce Goose ( as far as I am concerned, it is still the largest airplane ever built, as far as wingspan is concerned ).
And the old B-52, what more can you say about those ? still flying after 50 years in service.
My older brother still thinks, though, that the B-52 is bigger than the 747, even AFTER I had to show him design drawlings of both airplanes, showing feet of wingspans, the length of fuselage so on and so on.

[Central Scrutiniser]

There is a museum in Germany that has a Concorde and a TU44. That is gold! I've seen the Air France Concorde at the Air & Space museum, I want to go see the BA Concorde in Seattle.

They dismantle B52's in Tucson, gotta do a road trip.....

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Here is a great video of the machines that are laying the composite strips for the new 787 fuselage.
I hope this link works.
I don't want to even think about how much , just that machine costs.
I tried to view this on FIREFOX,, but, it won't open, so ( reluctantly, I had to use Internet Explorer ).
http://www.newairplane.com/en-US/FunStuff/Videos/787_Fuselage.htm.
.
If this link does not work, you can go to the BOEING web sight.
Then,
Go to Product information,
then, commercial airplanes,
then, 787,
then, ( whats new )
and they have a whole sight dedicated to the 787,,, and the video of the machines making the composite pieces are under ( FUN STUFF ).

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Yup... I saw the Concord at the AIR & SPACE museum...
Saw the SR-71 Blackbird , the F-35 JSF ( yup, it's not even a production aircraft YET , but, is now in a museum ) saw the B-29 - Enola Gay , the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the - Dash - 80 , that TEX Johnson did a barrel roll in.
Is carbon composite like fiberglass ? ( I know, it's the same concept as fiberglass ) but, have you ever handled carbon composites ? does it have a plastic feel to it ? or is it more like ceramics ? or metals ?
Is the side doors of a ( Chevy ) Saturn car fiberglass ? or just plain high impact plastics ? or composites ?
I know they make some golf clubs out of carbon composites, what other things do they make out of carbon composites ?
Is carbon composites ridged as steel ?

[The Other Harry]

This would have been interesting.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I guess, it was GOLD leaf layers on it.

[Central Scrutiniser]

ping

[Paleo Conservative]

Wouldn't the DC-6 and DC-7 airframes have fairly low flight hours considering that they were retired early due to the introduction of jets? Would any be worth restoring for private use?

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail not by posting to this thread.

[Clemenza]

Thanks. Reminds me that I need to go to Victorville soon.

[Paleo Conservative]

Thanks. Reminds me that I need to go to Victorville soon.

How was Paris?

[Central Scrutiniser]

A lot of those were used as sprayers, as for restoring them, these ones are shot, there were jackrabbits all over them, and a few owls and assorted other vermin.

They did restore a DC7C there a few years back and re-did it all in Delta Crown colors, there are some pics on Airliners.net.

[Central Scrutiniser]

Did they destroy all those Convair 880's there?

Damn few of them left, the one at Graceland is cool though.

[Clemenza]

Wonderful. Boeing outdid Airbus in terms of its chalet (although not in orders, most of which were booked before the Air Show anyway). Was in the pressbox the first time the A380 took flight at the Le Bourget and even got some shots as it flew directly over us. Its amazing how quiet it is.

Also had a good time with the folks at EADS, but that was on personal time. ;-)