Comments on: Arizona, heaven for airplane fans

reporter's notebook Two of the best airplane storage facilities in the world exist side by side in Tucson, Ariz.
Photos: A plane enthusiast's dream

[billmosby]

Home

About 36 years ago, I lived about three streets over from the gate
used to enter AMARG (at least that's the gate I went thru when
visiting a couple of years ago). I remember that a C-47 painted in
colors of the Golden Knights Army parachute team was parked on
the other side of the fence not far from my house. At the time,
AMARG was in the middle of the process of receiving all the older
B-52s that had served in Vietnam. That collection took up a huge
amount of real estate. Thanks for the memories!

[idbabe]

Corrections

Reviewing the photos there are a number of errors in describing the aircraft.
First, the WB-57 is not a NASA "spy-plane". The W indicates it is a weather research aircraft. Reconnaisance or "spy-planes" would be indicated by R, S or U and NASA is not a "spy-agency". It was assumed that the aircraft was used in the 1960's as a test for nuclear material in the atmosphere to indicate Soviet nuclear testing. Now NASA uses (amazingly) this 50+ year old aircraft for research and during shuttle launces.
Next, the aircraft identified as a 737 is actually a 727. The tail mounted engine gives it away whereas the 737 only had 2 wing engines (the remaining two engines on the 727 are missing noted by the engine mounts in the back).
Finally, the aircraft identified as a C-5 Galaxy is actually a C-141 Starlifeter (B version I believe). C-5s have a hump for the second floor area where the cockpit resides similar to a 747. This was done to provide a larger loading door in the front of the aircraft.

[arluthier]

... beat me to it ...

I recognized all the things you mentioned except for the 737 vs 727... not much of a civie plane buff.

As for the C5... there is no hump as you mentioned. Some real photos of a C5 can be seen here: http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet_media.asp?fsID=84

The second floor behind the cockpit is for crew quarters. Since they refuel in flight there may be two or more flight crews ready to take over on very long flights/crew days. The second floor behind the wing is a small compartment for passengers (like an airliner but the pax face towards the tail! As big as this plane is it does not hold very many passengers; something like 80 if memory serves me. And the huge cargo area below can't be converted to passenger area because there is no oxygen points available there. Thus the reason the C5 is in its final years in favor of the C17.

[billmosby]

Me too!

But I guess I was just too enthralled by the pix to complain about
the gaffes. Speaking of spy planes, I lived near Davis-Monthan
because I was in the AF at the time, in the 100th Strategic Recon
Wing. They flew U2s and recon drones, and the unit was a
descendant of the one whose flights discovered the missiles in
Cuba if I remember correctly.

[baldgod]

...additionally

The F-100 was not the first plane to go supersonic in level flight. That honor would go to the Bell X-1 in 1947. Similarly, the Bell X-2 exceeded Mach 2.3 (actually exceeded Mach 3) in 1956. The F-100 and F-106 were the first aircraft IN SERVICE to reach those speeds.

[dswtan]

Also

Also, there is no "Saturn Missile", to the best of my knowledge (from the text). The Super Guppy was used to transport parts of the Saturn *rocket*, of moon-landing fame.

[Gromit801]

Semantics

The WB-57 was originally the RB-57. When NASA got it after the
USAF retired it, it was redesignated WB-57.

True, the X-1 was the frist piloted aircraft to exceed Mach 1. The
F-100 was the first in service, production fighter to do so.

Seems they've corrected a couple of the captions.

[KB6OJS]

"P" Designator

I'm surprised nobody else noticed this. The "P" designator (like in P-38) is not for Patrol, but for Pursuit. That designator went out the window as the jet age came into being, since "F" aircraft did double-duty as both Fighters and Interceptors (which is what Pursuit aircraft were intended for originally: interception).

Just a side note: there are a LOT of darn fine air museums just about everywhere in the US. We are fortunate to have one at March Air Reserve Base, not far from our home in Wildomar, CA. They have an extensive collection of aircraft and memorbilia dating back almost to the Wright Brothers.... There's also an excellent museum in Palm Springs, which mainly caters to the World War II era of aviation. And for those of you on the other side of the Mississippi, if your travels ever take you to Ohio you might want to visit Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, home to the Air Force Museum -- they have one of just about every aircraft that the USAF ever flew! (Someplace I've wanted to visit for a LONG time but have yet to have the chance. Someday, though.)

//Steve//
(USAF 1975-1980)

[DougHillman]

"P" no longer Pursuit - "F" not always for fighters?

While "P" used to stand for "Pursuit" until right at the end of WWII, the article's author is correct in that "P" now does stand for "Patrol" as in the P-3 Orion Anti-Submarine Patrol plane. This being the government it should be no surprise that the beauracracy has led to much confusing nomenclature. :)

As the author notes, the designations aren't always even truthful within the military's guidelines. The F-111 was originally designed to be a fighter but when it grew (through design changes & add-ons) too bloated to function well in that role, it was modified to be used as a bomber, without changing its "F" designation. There are also various theories as to why the F-117 Stealth Fighter is so named, even though it is solely employed as a bomber.

[MDPR]

Was that in "can't buy me love?"

Bad 80's movie, with cool planes in the "airplane graveyard' as it's called in the movie.

[Gromit801]

Not Quite

That was at Mojave Airport, where airliners go to storage.

[TucsonAlexAZ]

but it has been in quite a few movies

last one I recall being "Space Cowboys"

[wploger]

back to earth

Like the author, I'm not too knowledgeable about airplanes but
perhaps share the same romanticism that train buffs have about
trains. I have only been to PIMA, but thought it was a wonderful
stroll around a variety of retired planes, including a couple of old
Air Force Ones ? http://www.w-stop.com/zenphoto/boneyard/.

[chuck_whealton]

PIMA Air and Space Museum

I've been to this place several times. I recently took my family and my son loved it.

They've even got an SR-71, several former Air Force 1 aircraft, and as the article stated, a number of other must-see aircraft.

Of note is a very tiny one they house indoors called "The Bumble Bee", which is believe is the smallest aircraft to actually make flight.

This museum is absolutely a must-see if you're even remotely interested in aircraft and in the Tucson area.

Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com

[DryHeatDave]

Nice enough

That's nice. But my quirky favourite is the museum at Valle.

Several times a year I do a long weekend at the Grand Canyon & after I stop for gas at Valle, I'm almost always drawn to the Valle airport & museum - http://www.valleairport.com/

[danielscharles]

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