Updated w/Erickson Collection (P-51, B17, Corsair, Skyraider…)-Living Air Museum-Historic Aircraft ….Spruce Goose, SR-71, F-117, & C47A D-Day Flyer

[civilsmoker]

The wife and boy made a found a surprise museum today on the coast of Oregon……the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museums……

First up the Aircraft that is truly one of a kind…..

The Spruce Goose!!!!

Yes it is really made out of wood laminate…..

A view of the tail section. The model guy is 6ft ant the door in the tail is 5ft just for perspective…..

A view of the nose cone and hydraulic pumps….

The wing span is huge…..just a pic down the inside of the wing……

Next up the cockpit……note the coffee machine at the right of the pic….

Looking back from the front…..the big box to the left is the onboard generator motors that ran till the engines that had generators in them.

And now sitting in the pilot seat…….its a rare thing to say you have shared a seat that Howard Hughes sweat bullets as he flew this thing for the first time……

And one would have to look out the hatch above the pilot chair to see the wing full of engines….

Next up one of the most exotic aircraft ever built……UP CLOSE and PERSONAL!!!!! The SR-71 Blackbird……it’s a bird that blows your mind after being on the largest ever wood float plane…..

And now some pics of things I have never before seen on previous exhibits of the 71…..the hidden but not hidden P&W turbojet engines……

Wow…..

Mind blown WOW……the tail cone….ceramic (looks like anyway) coated everything…..

Ever wonder how the swap jets out…..well here you go……just pop the hood…..

A shot at the open hatch at the tail section……..just look and how clean every part is……this is pre-cnc!!

Oh just look at how smooth and sleek…….yes I am under the tall snapping this pic!

This bird was one of the last 3 in service flying for NASA after they were retired…….Ive seen other exhibits of this beauty but this one was so up front and personal I felt like I need to go do a confessional or something afterwards……pure amazement……

This baby is rough is it’s in full restoration mode but the F-117

All the “secrete” panels have been removed and last time is saw one was at a distance behind MPs with no touchy sticks….

And last but not least……this one brought tears to my eyes……. The iconic C-47A! It was missing from its spot but the boy spotted it behind the buildings as it’s being sent off to be restored…..

This particular bird flew not one but 3 missions on D-Day towing the early gliders and followed by carrying members of the 101st! It also flew them in operation Market Garden……..

So how to you top off a memorable day like this……well you have some good grub over looking the Tillamook Bay…..

Roasted red pepper aioli calamari……

I mean YUM YUM!!!!

And the finish……certified black angus NW NY with dungeoness crab and CI seared sides….

Enjoy and thanks for letting me share….

 

[yankee2bbq]

Cool stuff! Thanks for posting!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I love everything aeronautical. If I would've listened to my dad a little more and not been such a hellion, I would've joined the Airforce and learned to fly fighter jets...

 

[Brokenhandle]

Really cool pics! Thanks for sharing them!

Ryan

 

[smokerjim]

Definitely some history there.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Great pics, the food is also interesting.

We've got a C-47 in a city park near Tinker AFB, its in Midwest City, an OKC suburb. I stumbled on it last year going to look at some smoker wood.

Douglas built the C-47's at Tinker, among other places. My Mother worked there during the war as a Time Keeper.

IDK the history of this plane, they've got it painted with D-Day stripes.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I asked Bing AI for the history, using the tail markings ............


Certainly! The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, also known as the Dakota (RAF designation), is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It played a crucial role during World War II and was extensively used by the Allies1. Here are some interesting details about the specific C-47 with tail number 292838:

• Location: The aircraft is currently on display at Roy B. Barnes Park in Midwest City, Oklahoma. It’s situated just south of a veterans memorial.
• Appearance: The C-47 is painted in olive drab and features invasion stripes.
• History: Tail number 42-92838 came off the assembly line at the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Midwest City on March 5, 1944. During D-Day, it delivered a stick of 17 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division while flying low over France2.
• Restoration: After serving in WWII, the aircraft was static display at the Oklahoma Fair Park from 1996 to 2007. It then languished for a decade before being restored and moved to its current location2.

 

[JLeonard]

Man I love all things aeronautical! And the history of some of these planes is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the pics.
And I wouldnt have minded putting a fork in your dinner!

Jim

 

[02ebz06]

Wow, pretty cool. Didn't know the Spruce Goose was up there. Thought it was still in Long Beach.

I've seen a Blackbird at Wright Patterson Museum in Ohio.
Awesome plane.
A bit of trivia about it for those that don't know: They put just enough fuel in it to get it airborne.
Seals leak when on the ground, and seal up when airborne. Then tanks get filled.

I happen to own one...

 

[mr_whipple]

Very cool museum, would love to see it but I doubt I'll travel that far again... but you never know. I was an active duty naval aviation maintainer for 24 years and another 8 after retirement. We have a really cool museum in Va Beach. I'm not a beach touristy person, but if I were to recommend anything in VA Beach to someone who asked I'd send them to this place https://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/

You can even fly in a 1941 Stearman for in my opinion pretty cheap. https://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/warbird-rides/

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I heard one of the pilots of the final SR-71 flight speak at Oshkosh Airventure last year.

Before the plane was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1990, the Air Force got permission for a supersonic speed record attempt across the US--Los Angeles to Washington DC.
They took off from Palmdale, California, refueled, flew 300 miles out to sea to get a running start, and hit the afterburners. The published top speed of the bird was Mach 3.2, so they were hauling when they flew over LA. The clock stopped when they flew over DC.

The flight took one hour and 6 minutes.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

All cool.

Did you know that the SR was not the fastest?

The xb-70 Valkyrie ship #1 hit 3.05mach. Ship #2 hit 3.08mach.

Skunkworks was just across the runway from me. SR and dragon lady.

 

[civilsmoker]

Cool stuff! Thanks for posting!

Thanks yankee! Just not something you see every day…..

I love everything aeronautical. If I would've listened to my dad a little more and not been such a hellion, I would've joined the Airforce and learned to fly fighter jets...

My uncle flew the F-4, followed by a fueler….. he said they would have to run the engines in overload speed to fuel the SRs retired with 2 stars at a desk and MP that followed him everywhere….. it was a very good life for him….

Really cool pics! Thanks for sharing them!

Ryan

Thanks and you are welcome!

Definitely some history there.

Thanks Jim, yes it’s hard to believe how they designed them up slide rule style!

 

[civilsmoker]

Great pics, the food is also interesting.

We've got a C-47 in a city park near Tinker AFB, its in Midwest City, an OKC suburb. I stumbled on it last year going to look at some smoker wood.

Douglas built the C-47's at Tinker, among other places. My Mother worked there during the war as a Time Keeper.

IDK the history of this plane, they've got it painted with D-Day stripes.

View attachment 697173

That is just way cool!!!! Thanks for sharing. Just think about moving 130k troops in to France by midnight on June 6th…….

I asked Bing AI for the history, using the tail markings ............


Certainly! The Douglas C-47 Skytrain, also known as the Dakota (RAF designation), is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It played a crucial role during World War II and was extensively used by the Allies1. Here are some interesting details about the specific C-47 with tail number 292838:

• Location: The aircraft is currently on display at Roy B. Barnes Park in Midwest City, Oklahoma. It’s situated just south of a veterans memorial.
• Appearance: The C-47 is painted in olive drab and features invasion stripes.
• History: Tail number 42-92838 came off the assembly line at the Douglas Aircraft Plant in Midwest City on March 5, 1944. During D-Day, it delivered a stick of 17 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division while flying low over France2.
• Restoration: After serving in WWII, the aircraft was static display at the Oklahoma Fair Park from 1996 to 2007. It then languished for a decade before being restored and moved to its current location2.

Just love the history!

Man I love all things aeronautical! And the history of some of these planes is very interesting. Thanks for sharing the pics.
And I wouldnt have minded putting a fork in your dinner!

Jim

Thanks Jim and the steak was perfection!

Wow, pretty cool. Didn't know the Spruce Goose was up there. Thought it was still in Long Beach.

I've seen a Blackbird at Wright Patterson Museum in Ohio.
Awesome plane.
A bit of trivia about it for those that don't know: They put just enough fuel in it to get it airborne.
Seals leak when on the ground, and seal up when airborne. Then tanks get filled.

I happen to own one...

View attachment 697174

Thanks 02!

I was aware of the leaky nature of them and I loved hearing my uncle talk about fueling them and about what he saw them do….. those stories were equal to his F-4 stories…..he said the F-4 was like climbing on a rocket with a little stick attached to it and holding on for 8 seconds…..lol.

Oh yes the Long Beach place was going to scrap it as it wasn’t bringing enough $$& in so the son of evergreen aviation CEO (F-15A Eagle pilot) wanted to start a museum and raised money to buy it and ship it. The purchase price is undisclosed but it cost 3.2M to move it….. he flew this one and it was the oldest and last one to be retired….

 

[civilsmoker]

Very cool museum, would love to see it but I doubt I'll travel that far again... but you never know. I was an active duty naval aviation maintainer for 24 years and another 8 after retirement. We have a really cool museum in Va Beach. I'm not a beach touristy person, but if I were to recommend anything in VA Beach to someone who asked I'd send them to this place https://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/

You can even fly in a 1941 Stearman for in my opinion pretty cheap. https://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/warbird-rides/

That’s really cool. Not sure I will ever get back east again but we always look for air museums to visit anywhere we go…..there was a B-17 that came to our area and it was 200 per person for a flight but it sold out before I could get a ticket….our neighbor lady got a flight she is a air force widower…..

I heard one of the pilots of the final SR-71 flight speak at Oshkosh Airventure last year.

Before the plane was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1990, the Air Force got permission for a supersonic speed record attempt across the US--Los Angeles to Washington DC.
They took off from Palmdale, California, refueled, flew 300 miles out to sea to get a running start, and hit the afterburners. The published top speed of the bird was Mach 3.2, so they were hauling when they flew over LA. The clock stopped when they flew over DC.

The flight took one hour and 6 minutes.

I mean 66 mins…… those pilots were bigger than life!

All cool.

Did you know that the SR was not the fastest?

The xb-70 Valkyrie ship #1 hit 3.05mach. Ship #2 hit 3.08mach.

Skunkworks was just across the runway from me. SR and dragon lady.

Thanks a that’s some real deal stuff BGKY! I would love to see a XB-70 in person! I have seen a few SRs and they are just sleek and have lines and fitment that amazes……..

I will say though that the most memorable and will never forget aircraft exhibit was to be in one of the test tours of the Enola Gay fuselage and viewed the bomb targeting area……I can say no pictures were allowed and not a word was spoken by any in our group…….we were asked to fill out a questioner after but no one had any words they could put down…..

 

[old sarge]

What an enjoyable post. Thanks!

 

[civilsmoker]

My wife’s and boys fish and chips on the beach…….

I happened to have smoked tri tip over cheesy pan fried mash and pineapple coleslaw……

pure money on the beach!

 

[civilsmoker]

What an enjoyable post. Thanks!

Thanks old sarge…… here is one more pic for ya….

This exhibit seems like a side show but it happens to be only 1 of the 4 exhibits of the DEF systems on the blackbird in the world…… part of the displayed DEF is still classified…..

 

[noboundaries]

Great pics. The Evergreen museum can EASILY be an all day event. Love that place. My pics are on my computer, not my phone.

Boeing's museum up the road is worth the trip, too. Here's a couple pics of the two sexiest WWII aircraft ever built, the Vought F4U Corsair (namesake for the A-7E I flew) and the P51 Mustang. When I hear a P51 take off, I tell my wife I need to rollover and have a smoke.

 

[Fueling Around]

Regret never getting down there before leaving the PNW.
I wonder if they ever restored any engines on the goose. Some low life stole all the spark plugs to sell for platinum salvage. Engines all seized up.

Talked with a AF pilot that flew a refueling tanker when the 71 set the London to LA speed record back in the 70's. He had to fly in a steep descent to get enough airspeed for the bird to refuel

P&W J58 was the most unique engine. A turbojet ramjet combination.

The 71 outperformed the Valkyrie hands down. The difference was the bird was surveillance (and most of the juicy stuff is still classified) whereas the Valkyrie was a bomber and most of that juicy stuff is still classified, too.