Salvageable Airplanes

[Pontifex]

Hello there,



Where can I find wrecked, partially wrecked, salvageable, basket case
antique aircraft and/or warbirds? I am looking for some restoration
projects. Thanks for your help. This is a wonderful group. Have a great day.

Pontifex

[MikeR]

"Pontifex" > wrote in message
...
> Hello there,
>
>
>
> Where can I find wrecked, partially wrecked, salvageable, basket case
> antique aircraft and/or warbirds? I am looking for some restoration
> projects. Thanks for your help. This is a wonderful group. Have a great
day.
>
> Pontifex

In person; lots of Aircraft Wrecking Yards around the Tucson AZ area.

Online; many web sites including www.BarnStormers.com and a google search
will turn up many more.

In print; there are many publications that advertise aviation parts.

MikeR

[Mark and Kim Smith]

Pontifex wrote:

>Hello there,
>
>
>
>Where can I find wrecked, partially wrecked, salvageable, basket case
>antique aircraft and/or warbirds? I am looking for some restoration
>projects. Thanks for your help. This is a wonderful group. Have a great day.
>
>Pontifex
>
>
>
>
>
I think most of the world has been picked clean. Most of anything left
would be an expensive operation to retrieve. Stay away from the US
Navy's stuff unless you want to risk lengthy court battles. They seem
to think what was once theirs is still theirs, even if they haven't
thought about the stuff for 60 years. The US Army Air Force says,
anything before the 1960's is finders keepers.

Get yourself some crash reports and maybe some diving equipment.
You'll be looking under a few hundred feet of water in some of
Greenland's fjords. Or in the jungles of the South Pacific. Oh, and
don't forget to get all the proper permissions from whatever foreign
country you decide to retrieve from. Plus, they'll want a few bucks
just to talk about hauling that plane out of their jungle.

There is still wreckage in the local mountains in the USA. Heck,
there is even a complete B-29 at the bottom of a popular recreational
lake in Arizona. However, the forestry service takes a dim view on
anyone trying to remove what they now own. Heck, they won't even allow
folks to do recreational dives on that B-29! They even post signs on
the mountain wreckage letting you know how much it upsets them when you
remove parts from their wreckage.

http://www.airpirates.com/
http://www.pacificghosts.com/
http://okwreckchasing.com/index.html
http://users.fire2wire.com/djordan/
http://www.AviationArchaeology.com/
http://www.qnet.com/~carcomm/wreck21.htm
http://www.sarimage.com/Aviation/DavisMonthan/
http://www.fighterfactory.net/

[[email protected]]

Besides getting permission to remove, you must also have the ok's to
import anything that is out of the US. If you really want the scoop on
how to do it and where to find things, come over to
www.warbirdinformationexchange.org and read through the various
discussions on recoveries. It's no longer an easy task like it was in
the early 60's and up until the mid 80's. Rob Rohr is probably one of
the most knowledgeable guys around there about dealing with the various
governments on aircraft recoveries. Read his advice and let it sink in
and then start making an assesment as to wether you really want to try
it.

Two other things you will need for any recovery and restoration is
plenty of secure, enclosed woking space and a very sizable bank
account. As a data point, my Stinson L-5B will take up almost an entire
T hangar as it's restoration progresses and will eat up better than
10k$ before we even do the engine work. If you are not an A&P or an
I&A, or extremely good friends with one, you will at least double that
$ figure. Move up to a T-6 sized bird and you will be spending at least
50k$ before the engine work. Going bigger just means bigger multipliers
on the dollars. I've got one big warbird project in storage right now
because it is going to take at least two years of careful selection and
probably better than 15k$ just to come up with the necessary wood for
the center section spars.

Want more info? Drop me an email and I'll pass along what I can. I
currently am not taking on any more restorations for clients, but I do
have friends that might, depending on the schedule and what the project
it.


BTW: If you think that you are going to go into this for making money,
forget it and go invest in the stock market instead. That's a heck of a
lot less risky.

[Frank Stutzman]

Mark and Kim Smith > wrote:

> There is still wreckage in the local mountains in the USA. Heck,
> there is even a complete B-29 at the bottom of a popular recreational
> lake in Arizona. However, the forestry service takes a dim view on
> anyone trying to remove what they now own. Heck, they won't even allow
> folks to do recreational dives on that B-29! They even post signs on
> the mountain wreckage letting you know how much it upsets them when you
> remove parts from their wreckage.

Uhh, the Lake Mead B-29 is in 260 feet of water. Thats far beyond the
depth of a "recreational" diver.

Frank Stutzman

[Mark and Kim Smith]

Frank Stutzman wrote:

>Mark and Kim Smith > wrote:
>
>
>
>> There is still wreckage in the local mountains in the USA. Heck,
>>there is even a complete B-29 at the bottom of a popular recreational
>>lake in Arizona. However, the forestry service takes a dim view on
>>anyone trying to remove what they now own. Heck, they won't even allow
>>folks to do recreational dives on that B-29! They even post signs on
>>the mountain wreckage letting you know how much it upsets them when you
>>remove parts from their wreckage.
>>
>>
>
>Uhh, the Lake Mead B-29 is in 260 feet of water. Thats far beyond the
>depth of a "recreational" diver.
>
>Frank Stutzman
>
>

True, but it doesn't change the way the Lake Mead officials feel about
it. I guess it depends on your definition of "recreational." Besides,
with the way water levels keep dropping from draught, it's just a matter
of time before you can wade out to it and dance on the wings! ( Now,
don't take this seriously. This is known as sarcasm.)

More info: http://www.nps.gov/lame/station/news/03-69.html

[Greg]

Need Micro Film? I have it-Lots of it

All accidents and incidents of any
sort are on these rolls of film. Even some of VMF 214 ("PAPPY BOYINGTON") of
the famous Black Sheep of the Pacific.
Listing of aircraft contained on this Microfilm as follows

F4F WILDCAT, AD SKYRAIDER, F4U CORSAIR, F7F TIGERCAT, F6F HELLCAT


F8F BEARCAT, FG CORSAIR, SBD DAUNTLESS, FM2 WILDCAT,


FM WILDCAT, SNJ, F2A BREWSTER BUFFALO, BREWSTER CORSAIR (F3A),


F3F, AE, BD2, BTD-1, FD-1, FR, TBY,TDN, F2G-1, F2L, F2T, F4B, F6U


JF "DUCK", JRC, NR, PB, RB, R2D, SF1, TDC, F3H, F3D



ONE ROLL OF MISC UN-CLASSIFIED INCLUDING GROUND PERSONEL CASUALTIES DUE TO
AVIATION