The PBY Catalina was a very important Navy WWII aircraft and used extensivly for air-sea rescue and patrol.
The McChord Air Force Base Museum, WA. aquired a crashed PBY in vary bad shape in the latter 1980’s. It sat with several other museum aircraft on the flightline for many years and was a sour subject with wing commanders.

I assumed duties of Museum Administrator about 1992 and my first meeting with the current Wing Commander’s Director Of Staff (DOS) was not pleasent for me. The wing DOS said he had active duty aircraft that need them parking spots and the museum relicks need to be fixed and relocated or scraped.
When the DOS asked me what I was going to do about the problem I said that I would take care of it.
When left his office I wondered why I said “I would take care of it”. I had no experance at museum work, WWII aircraft repairing and resterations, and working with a civilian foundation. If I did not pull this off my next performance report would read like crap.
My new job was to operate the museum and work with the museum's civilian foundation made up of dozens of volunteer veterans and civilians.

I had several meetings with the museum foundation’s leaders, and we agreed, we need to get busy and make some progress. The museums budget each year was about $1,200 and out of that we purchased toilet paper, computer paper, tried to purchase old parts, and whatever. Money was a big problem and without funds not much could get done.

Then it was that time of year for the USAF Military Ball at the base club. Generals from all over would be attending and I decided to put on a museum display during the USAF Ball. I figured that we need some exposiure and advertising. I picked out several museum displays to relocate to the ballroom inside the club. My wife helped me move, set-up, and watch over the valuable historical displays. The Commander of the Military Airlift Command was there and a line formed and he was shaking hands. I was maybe 8th or 10th in line and worked my way up to meet the General. My wife and I greeted the General and shook hands and I introduced myself as the museum administrator. He then said that he was impressed with the impromptu museum displays. He said it add a lot to the Air Force Ball. He then took me by surprise as the line had officers in it behind my wife and I, and he was spending quite abit of time with us. His asked what other projects the museum was involved with and then I briefed him about several aircraft on the flightline I wanted to restored and relocate. I added that a lack of funds were a big problem for the museum.
He then asked, “Well, how much money do you thing it would take to complete those projects?” My mind raced and said to me – how the hell do I know. Before I had a chance to think my mouth said, “maybe $25,000” The General replied something like “I see” and then he thanked me for the museum support at the Ball and I told him my wife had assisted me to make it possible and after the Ball was over we had to return the historical articles back to the museum and set the alarm to ensure their security. That we might be up all night till morning. He then also thanked my wife and we moved on.

Two days later I was called to the Wing Commander’s Office. I reported and his DOS was there also. I was asked what it was that I said to the General. I relayed what had happened, that the General seemed pleased with the museum displays, and all the was said. The Wing Commander then said or asked, “you told the General you needed $25,000 for the air museum ! ?.
My reply was, “Yes I did sir.”
Dam, was I, or was I not in big trouble now! Did I jump the chain of command and not realize it by saying $25,000 ?
The Wing Commander then said, “ You should have asked for $50,000 as the General’s headquarters just sent $25,000 to support the museum projects you talk about!”
I was speechless !

A meeting was quickly put together with members of the museum foundation and we got to work. Hired a professional aircraft restorer and progress started. We also received lots of support from the many aircraft repair shops on base.

The attached photos tell the rest of the story.













Resterations continue until today. The rudder hasbeen reconditiond and installed along with engine cowlings and the propellors have been overhauled by Hamiliton Standard.
Currently the outer wings and floats are being restored. Then the PBY will get its final paint.
I'll be at the museum tomarrow and will post a updated photo.
Saving our old military history is a very important task to ensure these things are still around for future generations to see and touch.
Do you not agree?

Keep checking this thread as I will display other aircraft and thier stories that have been restored. My kids when they were in school assisted the museum in many resteration projects.
F-86D, B-18, B-23, C-118, and more.

Photo March 15th, resterations continue.

2008,_PBY_in_work.jpg (161 Kb, 5 downloads)

The B-23 was a Bomber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-23_Dragon) developed just before the outbreak of WWII.

The McChord Air Museum acquired a B-23 Bomber and it sat on the flightline for several years. The aircraft was moved of the flightline after I became the museum admistrator and moved into one of the large hangers for restoration work. The aircraft was in pretty good shape as it was flew into McChord Air Force Base under it’s own power. Once at the base the engines were replaced with non-serviceable engines and propellers. This was done prior to my assignment to the museum.

With the aircraft in a hanger out of the weather, refurbishments and historical markings got under way. The base paint shop did most of the painting and markings. The hardest part of the painting was the forward engine cowlings. One of the painters and I masked off the squares on the round tapered cowlings and then the painter and the paint shop took care of the rest.

The aircraft had been flying for years and had been modified with extra windows installed. Those windows and other civilian modifications had to be removed and the airframe exterior restored to WWII military specifications. Some warbirds are restored inside and out to their WWII military specifications. As for, the B-23 we just restored the exterior.

After the restoration project was completed the aircraft was moved out of the hanger and the wings were removed. Soon afterwards it was towed on the road down to the museum airpark and secured to its display position. Base security police and civil engineering personnel always support all museum aircraft moves. Often power lines must be raised, streetlights moved out of the way, and vehicle traffic rerouted.

Obtaining, delivering, restoring, relocating, and displaying old military warbirds requires much planning, work, and thousands of volunteer man-hours.


Daughter infront of B-23 with wings removed prior to move to air park.


My 3 kids in nose section while in resteration hanger.


Younger son working inside on a window replacement.


B-23 at air park on display.


B-23, side view.


KC-10 Tanker taking off and flying past air park and B-23's tail section.

The Korean era F-86D Saber Jet was one of my biggest challenges. During my assignment to the McChord Air Museum.
I had heard rumors about an F-86 jet that had been donated to the museum several years before and wondered why we had not went and recovered it.
I inquired with the Base & Wing Historian about the said jet and all I was told was that we could not get it because it was tangled up in legal issues. At that time oversight of the museum fell to the Base Historian and I was the Museum Administrator. So I put that F-86D into the back of my mind.
About a year passed and the Base Historian had been reassigned to an air base in California. The new Base Historian showed up several months later and her duties did not include the Air Museum. It seemed that it was all my responsibility and I reported directly to the Wing Commander and his Director Of Staff.
I requested an update to my duty title reflecting my new responsibilities and it was change to Museum Director/Administrator.

Not long after this a man stopped by the museum and wanted to have a talk with the director so we discussed his situation and problem.

It was a big problem – the type that the U.S. Internal Revenue Services (IRS) lays on you that keeps you awake at night. He was the person who donated that F-86D jet to the museum and took a $60,000 donation credit on his income tax a few years back. Now he was being audited by the IRS and was facing big fines, penalties, and possible jail for fraud.
I asked him for all documents that proved he had legally donated the jet aircraft to the museum and he produced all the correct papers and documents. I then said, “ this is all well and good, but what about the rumored legal problems.” He went on to explain that he purchased several jets oversea very cheaply and then imported them to the United States. This one was delivered to a small airfield in northwest Washington State. He had a partner that assembled the jet back to its flying condition. The story was that his partner assembled the aircraft as payment for another project. That the partner had turned around and screwed him by filing a mechanics lean on the aircraft. He also said that his partner was currently in prison for fraud and told me his name and where.
It was because of the mechanic’s lean that the old base historian would not recover the aircraft after it was donated. Understandable!

The gentleman told me that if the F-86’s donation did not get completed, and that he couldn’t show that the jet was at the museum, then he was in very serious trouble with the IRS.
It told him I’d look into it, but gave no promises that the museum could help or solve this for him. I then took of all the documents and papers, made copies for the museum and we exchanged business cards so we could keep each other informed.

I took all the documents and papers over to the Base Legal Office or what is called the Staff Judge Advocates Office. I spoke with the office in charge and requested to work with a lawyer that was well versed in Washington State Law and legal matters. He said that he had an Air Force Reserve Major who had a law practice in the state and he could handle this case for the U.S. Air Force.
I handed over all the documents and paperwork to the Major, with complete details of everything that went on pertaining to this F-86 jet aircraft.

Within a week I met with the Major and he informed me that the mechanic’s lean was filed improperly and not within the time limit. His legal expertise said, the lean was null and void, that the jet aircraft had been legally and properly donated to the McChord Air Museum, and if the museum wanted the aircraft - it was ours for the taking.
Ours for the taking! How sweet them words sounded!

I contacted the gentleman that donated the F-86 and informed him what the legal office had said. He was just full of joy. He then asked me when I thought I would have the aircraft moved to the base. I informed him I was working on a plan to recover the aircraft, but I could not give him a date. I suggested that he provide the IRS with my name and phone number if he had trouble then I would brief the IRS on what was going on with recovery operations with the aircraft.

I had quickly realized that untangling the legal problems was likely the easy part of this operation. Lots of time, research, phone calls, and begging for assistance were now in play. Through the Base Transportation Squadron I was able to get the assistance of two flatbed tractor-trailers, two drivers, and two trainee drivers. The Aerospace Ground Equipment Squadron supplied us with an air compressor, generator, and light cart. The museum had all the tools need for the disassembly of the F-86 jet and a USAF Retired volunteer that had worked on F-86 aircraft. I also had two volunteer airmen from the maintenance squadron. All we needed was a crane to lift the aircraft and wings onto the two flatbed trucks.
After many calls I was put in contact with a Sgt in the Army National Guard near Everett, WA. They had a few vehicles called tank recovery vehicles, and they had an extended boom crane on the tank recovery vehicle. If it could pick a tank out of a ditch, it could surely pick up the aircraft fuselage and wings.

A date was set for our recovery mission to Arlington Airport, in northwest WA about 90 miles from the base.

We arrived about 0800 hrs and met with the Army National Guard Tank Recovery Vehicle and operator. The aircraft was parked on grass with plates under the landing gear wheels to prevent it from sinking into the grass and dirt. I decided we would relocate the jet to the airports inactive taxiway and do our work there on cement. This turned out to be a good idea as the guy’s wife whom was in prison and had filed the mechanic’s lean showed up and started yelling at us. “That’s our aircraft, we own it, and it was stored on private property and you owe us $8,000 in storage!” After hearing this several times and fearing she might draw a crowd I decided to give her something to think about. I was a Master Sgt and had no legal authority to speak for the U.S. Air Force, but I needed to quiet the situation.

I noticed the aircraft was damage quite abit. Screwdriver holes punched into the aircraft skin, panels removed & stolen, cockpit canopy busted, many aircraft insterments gone, lights missing, etc, etc…….!
I was a little pissed off as this aircraft was said to be in flyable condition when donated to the museum.
I went up to the lady and politely introduced myself and explained that, “this aircraft was legally donated to the United States Air Force Museum at McChord Air Force Base, Washington state.”
She countered that; “there is a mechanic’s lean against the aircraft for $20,000 plus storage filed by her husband at the county courthouse.”
I calmly replied, “the said mechanic’s lean is null and void as it was not filed within time limits, and I know your husband is in prison on fraud charges.”
She again demanded money. I asked her what she thought a flyable F-86 Jet Aircraft was worth. She did not have a clue. I suggested it was likely within a few hundred thousand. Dollars or more. I suggested to her that she could demand and file a claim for her $28,000 but the government might want to be compensated for the damages and loss of a highly valuable historical aircraft in flyable condition that was under her care, and she should have provided proper security. Not to mention that another case of fraud could be looked into with this bogus mechanic’s lean that had prevented the timely recovery of the aircraft contributing to the aircraft’s severe vandalism and damage.
She pondered what I said for a few moments then turned around and went back inside the building she came out of.

Several volunteer’s asked me what I had said to shut her up, and I replied, “You won’t believe it.” I then said, “Lets finish this recovery and get out of this dam airport with the aircraft and I’ll tell everyone about it later.”

Just before we drove off with the aircraft fuselage we put a mannequin in the cockpit with flight jacked, flight helmet, oxygen mask, flight gloves, and we tied up his hand with fishing line to make it look like he was waving. I taped two signs on each side of the aircraft that read, (Recovered by McChord Air Museum). When we drove down interstate-5 it was a kick to see all the kids waving and pointing at the pilot inside the cockpit.

The aircraft disassembly took most of the day. I believe we delivered the F-86 jet to the base museum about 8:00PM.

So, this is the story and pictures of the recovery. Next I’ll tell the story of the restoration work, display in the museum’s airpark, along with some more pictures.

F-86 Recovery


Last minute instructions by me before we set our pilot in the cockpit.


Got us a pilot in major's jacket to fly it down the interstate.

F-86D Restoration, Part II

The F-86D was received by the McChord Air Museum and quickly plans and a volunteer restoration crew was put into action.
The aircraft was in pretty bad shape from sitting outside for years. Vandalism and theft also took its toll. But the museum had very experienced volunteers in which several had worked on F-86’s during their U.S. Air Force careers. My kids also put in some hours helping the crew restore the aircraft. An excellent education, experience, and a hands on history lesson.

The aircraft was disassembled as far as possible. The tail section was removed, cockpit canopy, access panels, lights, flight controls, and the radar nose dome.
The canopy was crated and shipped to California to get a new plexi-glass canopy made and installed into the cockpit canopy frame. The whole aircraft was sanded, stripped, primed, and repainted and historical markings added.

Most of the time we had between 3 to 8 individuals working on the aircraft almost full time for several months. There were also projects completed by individuals in several of the base aircraft maintenance. Many access panels, wing root boots, landing gear doors, and the radar dome either needed major repairs, or complete reproduction. Hours were spent making templates for items that needed to be reproduced from scratch. Aircraft technical drawings were hard to located along with missing parts. I would venture to estimate that maybe 2 or 3 thousand man-hours went into this aircraft restoration project.

The whole restoration project was completed in time for a base reunion of an old fighter squadron that operated F-86D’s out of an Air Force Base in Washington State.

F-86D inside hanger #3 McChord AFB, WA








What the F-86D looks like now on display.
Side view.


Front view.

In case you're interested, the American Legion Post in Sherman, TX went belly up a few months ago. They had an F-86 mounted on a pedestal out front which is still there, to the best of my knowledge. I do not know what they plan to do with it, if anything.

Also, there is a museum at the Grayson County Airport (Texas) which is restoring several old USAF aircraft and may have parts you need. The airport was formerly Perrin AFB and many of the planes they have underway were models assigned to that base in the 1960's.

Thanks Stillkit for your post.
I was considering abandoning the thread as no one posted and seemed intrested in WWII history.
Takes time to remember how things went type it out, edit, and dig up pictures and post them.
I'm going to pass your information on to my friends at the McChord Air Museum and they will likely pass it on to the USAF Museum HQ at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
I once found a complete B-25 Mitchell Bomber at a fun park and talked with the owner. Col Billy Mitchell took some B-25's and air crews from McChord for his raid on Toyoko. This would have been a great add to the McChord's Air Park.
All the owner wanted was the shell of a fairly modern fighter jet like an F-4. Did not want the engines just dummy exhausts. I could not get the USAF Museum and the USAF to to trade an old F-4 in the bone-yard for a complete historical B-25 Bomber. Far as I know it is still there. The owner said the B-25 flew in there, shutdown the engines, and parked. He put up a fence around it and no one has ever touched it. He said the engines likely need overhaul, but he belives after that being done it likely would fly. What a waste.

Note: The attachment photo is a post card from my Dad's WWII collection.

Post_Card,_B-25.JPG (73 Kb, 5 downloads)

You might also be interested to know that there are two companies in Paris, Tx which deal in old military aircraft parts.

The one on the east side of town had a nearly complete F-111 body in their yard and the one on the west side had a functioning B-25 at one time, though I don't know if they still do. They also have either a straight-winged F-86 or an F-84 Thunderjet just sitting there.

I can't tell you names of those businesses, but I'll bet the Paris Chamber of Commerce can:

http://www.paristexas.com/chamber_of_commerce.php?mid=1

Thanks Stillkit, I'll pass that on to the museum staff.


Attached photo is the coolest museum warbird I have ever seen. It's at the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon.
I've never see another one like it anywhere.

If I could have a flying WWII aircraft this would be it.

What do you all think about it?

Tillamook_AM,_Spitfire_(sideview).jpg (14 Kb, 9 downloads)

2nd view. Awesome.

Tillamook_AM,_Spitfire_(sideview_close-up).jpg (14 Kb, 4 downloads)

Thanks for posting about your aircraft restorations and some valuable WWII history. I just recently came across your thread and took note of your comment on the B-25 parked in a fun park. Myself, being a long time admirer of the B-25, was wondering the location of this rare find.

My facination with this aircraft is attributed to my Dad's association with the craft - he was a B-25 pilot in the South Pacific during WWII, assigned to the 345th Bomb Group, the Air Apaches.

It's been many years now, but I believe it was in Kansas.

Great pics, Bullhunter, and great stories about the efforts to restore those classic birds. Have you had any dealings with the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton concerning some of the restorations? I ask because they also have a PBY and F-86D which they restored. Their big project right now is restoring the "Memphis Belle" (the museum's website has some great pics of the work being done on her). They also have free tours of the restoration hanger which is a great experience if you're ever in the area, although the waiting list is quite long.

Thanks, USNVet940.
I hope to do a few more spreads on a few more aircraft when I get time.
As for the USAF museum at Dayton. I've never been there. But its on my list of places to see.
I would surely be intrested in a tour of the restoration area.

Time for a bump in this thread.
I'm sorry for dropping out here but its been a busy summer with taking care of our property, had our granddaughters for the summer, eldest son got married, salmon fishing, and just recently hunting season.
Currently I've been involved with writting a book covering my experances from our farms, 24 years, in the Air Force, and after.
Got 100 pages done now.
I'll try to post another story of resteration work when I get a chance.