It's just an old rifle!

[Machodoc]

Any time that you hear someone say, "It's just an old rifle!", and they suggest that it doesn't need to be preserved because so many of them were made that they are now selling for dirt cheap prices ... keep this in mind.

 

[somd_mustangs]

Reminds me of the pictures post-WW2 of vast fields of P47s, engines removed, upended waiting for scrap, and farmers buying surplus P51s, etc for the avgas still in the tanks, and then scrapping them....

 

[Machodoc]

Reminds me of the pictures post-WW2 of vast fields of P47s, engines removed, upended waiting for scrap, and farmers buying surplus P51s, etc for the avgas still in the tanks, and then scrapping them....

I knew a guy who chipped in with his buddy and they bought a surplus 2-seat P51 trainer for $500 ... and flew it away. Fuel then cost them about $10 for an hour of flying (55 gals at 19 cents per gallon), so they sold it after a couple of years when someone offered them $600 for it.

 

[mawkie]

I'm actually shocked that there are just 2 Jennies registered. They were so common post war. The scene I always think of was at the end of The Best Years of Our Lives where Dana Andrews is in the "graveyard" of B17s and P39s. The jet age obsoleted so many WWII veterans that only a few (B29, F4U, P51) were still in use when the Korean war erupted. So many other classics were modified for air racing or fire fighting which quickly took a toll on their ranks.
As an aside, my Uncle has a classic aircraft: a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Luckily, just like with MDShooters, there's a thriving community keeping these trainers flying.

 

[Machodoc]

I'm actually shocked that there are just 2 Jennies registered. They were so common post war.

There are about 11 "Jennys" registered, but most are reproductions/copies/homebuilts that look kinda like a Jenny. There are a very small number of other original planes left that are in museums, but are no longer on the FAA registry.

As an aside, my Uncle has a classic aircraft: a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Luckily, just like with MDShooters, there's a thriving community keeping these trainers flying.

That's one of my favorite planes! That, and the de Havilland "Chipmunk".

 

[Rack&Roll]

I saw a Chipmunk being rebuilt at Lee Field in Annapolis.

I think the owner was going to take it to NJ or Conn. when he was done.

 

[reverendbeer]

I saw a Chipmunk being rebuilt at Lee Field in Annapolis.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I'm actually shocked that there are just 2 Jennies registered. They were so common post war. The scene I always think of was at the end of The Best Years of Our Lives where Dana Andrews is in the "graveyard" of B17s and P39s. The jet age obsoleted so many WWII veterans that only a few (B29, F4U, P51) were still in use when the Korean war erupted. So many other classics were modified for air racing or fire fighting which quickly took a toll on their ranks.
As an aside, my Uncle has a classic aircraft: a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Luckily, just like with MDShooters, there's a thriving community keeping these trainers flying.

Not only obsoleted "veteran" aircraft but people as well. A lot of skilled pilots couldn't make the transition to jets which didn't help us in the early days of Korea. Flying those early jets wasn't like more modern variants with advanced avionics, seat of the pants is an understatement. My grandfather was qualified on piston pursuit and bomber and left the reserves when the last of the B29s were decommissioned in the late 50s/early 60s.

 

[johnnyb2]

There was a history channel or discovery, I forget, but it was about racing boats. They said there were SOOOOoooo many P51 mustang motors left over, (I think they were the Allison, not the Merlin, but not sure). That they would run them full out, and when they blew up, they would just throw them away and buy a new one! hahahaha

Yeah, times sure do change. I was working towards getting my private pilots license back in the early 90's, and had 5 hours solo. MAN IT FELT GREAT....UNTIL i BOUGHT A HOUSE..Hahahahaha no more flying from then on out....now I was Harry homeowner...different project every weekend it seemed like :-) I do miss the flying though. I wanted to go back to the Flying Circus, outside of Manassas and pay for a couple rides ( flips, rolls, barrel ) but never did make it back there. I went to 1 show it was great. The wing walker for 1 guy, was his daughter!!! Hmmm Would have loved to hear that conversation between him and his wife for the first time. :-)

 

[Machodoc]

There was a history channel or discovery, I forget, but it was about racing boats. They said there were SOOOOoooo many P51 mustang motors left over, (I think they were the Allison, not the Merlin, but not sure). That they would run them full out, and when they blew up, they would just throw them away and buy a new one!

The same thing happened with the OX-5 engines made during WWI and shortly after. They were popular to put into racing boats because they were cheap enough to run flat out, then bolt another one in.

 

[BigDaddy]

This place is a short drive away http://www.goldenageair.org/

It's sort of a museum/club for guys who want to restore or replicate old planes.

 

[28Shooter]

I may be wrong but I thought that I understood that the PT boats suffered the same fate at the end of the war. I remember as a kid that there were a couple of converted PT boats named "P-Tee 1" and "P-Tee 2" operating as headboats out of Jersey(?). We never went out on them but man the sound of those engines!

 

[psoyring]

The PT boats were made out of marine plywood and at least one of the major manufacturers (Higgins) had a real problem with rot spreading through the glue in the wood layers, I know because I had a 1947 inboard made by the same company with the same issue.

 

[JHE1956]

There are about 11 "Jennys" registered, but most are reproductions/copies/homebuilts that look kinda like a Jenny. There are a very small number of other original planes left that are in museums, but are no longer on the FAA registry.

Yes, there is one in the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, along with a D.H.4.

 

[BigDaddy]

I may be wrong but I thought that I understood that the PT boats suffered the same fate at the end of the war. I remember as a kid that there were a couple of converted PT boats named "P-Tee 1" and "P-Tee 2" operating as headboats out of Jersey(?). We never went out on them but man the sound of those engines!

There was one out of Indian River DE in the 70's. Edit, I recall wrong. It sunk after a collision
https://books.google.com/books?id=1zmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=indian+river+delaware+pt+boat+sunk&source=bl&ots=NEPaZyR2bu&sig=n-YNhWTYYhvb7BmfmdSiAW7zH9k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBs6q37qvJAhULOD4KHTCvDx4Q6AEIOTAD#v=snippet&q=indian%20river%20&f=false

 

[28Shooter]

There was one out of Indian River DE in the 70's. Edit, I recall wrong. It sunk after a collision
https://books.google.com/books?id=1zmNAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA225&lpg=PA225&dq=indian+river+delaware+pt+boat+sunk&source=bl&ots=NEPaZyR2bu&sig=n-YNhWTYYhvb7BmfmdSiAW7zH9k&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBs6q37qvJAhULOD4KHTCvDx4Q6AEIOTAD#v=snippet&q=indian%20river%20&f=false

That's right, they were out of Delaware. Thank you! I was about 9 or 10 so my memory is a little faulty. I do however clearly remember that there were two of them as they passed us going out one morning.

 

[lee2]

there is no doubt that yesterdays trash is todays treasure. just take a look at all the military rifles that have bubba'ed over the past few decades.

 

[T-Man]

Any time that you hear someone say, "It's just an old rifle!", and they suggest that it doesn't need to be preserved because so many of them were made that they are now selling for dirt cheap prices ... keep this in mind.

BUT....It's just an old plane! Who cares if they are preserved.



Kidding, kidding, don't hurt me.