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    Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001: A Handbook on Where to Find Them
    Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001: A Handbook on Where to Find Them
    Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001: A Handbook on Where to Find Them
    Ebook228 pages2 hours

    Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001: A Handbook on Where to Find Them

    By Harold A. Skaarup

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    About this ebook

    The purpose of this handbook is to provide aviation enthusiasts with a simple checklist on where to find the surviving retired military aircraft that are preserved in the state of Colorado.

    The majority of the Colorado Warbird Survivors can be viewed at the Pueblo Weisbrod Air Museum, the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum in Denver, on the grounds of Buckley Air Force Base in Denver, on the grounds of the Peterson Air and Space Museum and on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy, both located in Colorado Springs. Various gate guards in various cities in the state are also listed.

    The museum staffs and volunteer organizations in Colorado have done a particularly good job of preserving the great variety of American combat veteran aircraft, illustrated here. Hopefully, as more aircraft are recovered from their crash sites in the bush and restored, traded or brought back from private owners, that they too will be added to the record.

    The book lists the aircraft alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. This list is also appended with a brief summary of the aircraft presently on display within the state and a bit of its history in the US military.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateMar 15, 2001
    ISBN9781462047819
    Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001: A Handbook on Where to Find Them
    Author

    Harold A. Skaarup

    Major Hal Skaarup has served with the Canadian Forces for more than 40 years, starting with the 56th Field Squadron, RCE and completing his service as the G2 (Intelligence Officer) at CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick in August 2011. He was a member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment, served three tours with the Skyhawks Parachute Demonstration Team, and worked in the Airborne Trials and Evaluation section. He served as an Intelligence Officer overseas in Germany and Colorado, and has been on operational deployments to Cyprus, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. He has been an instructor at the Tactics School at the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown and at the Intelligence Training Schools in Borden and Kingston. He earned a Master's degree in War Studies through the Royal Military College, and has authored a number of books on military history.

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      Book preview

      Colorado Warbird Survivors 2001 - Harold A. Skaarup

      All Rights Reserved © 2001 by Harold A. Skaarup

      No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

      Writers Club Press an imprint of iUniverse.com, Inc.

      For information address:

      iUniverse.com, Inc.

      5220 S 16th, Ste. 200

      Lincoln, NE 68512

      www.iuniverse.com

      The aircraft described in Colorado Warbird Survivors and the locations listed for them may change from time to time. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy up to the time of publication, there are always amendments to be made. Updates to any of the information found in this handbook would be greatly appreciated, and every effort will be made to include them in future editions.

      ISBN: 0-595-16845-0

      ISBN: 978-1-4620-4781-9(e)

      Printed in the united states of america

      Contents

      Dedication

      Epigraph

      List of Illustrations

      Foreword

      Preface

      Acknowledgements

      List of Abbreviations

      Introduction

      Aviation Museums, Military Aircraft Collections & Gate Guardians in Colorado

      Peterson Air & Space Museum (PA&SM)

      United States Air Force Academy (USAFA)

      Colorado Springs, Fort Carson, Butts Airfield (FCBA)

      3rd Cavalry Museum

      Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum (PWAM)

      Amber Three Beacon Airport Tower

      The Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WORA&SM)

      Buckley Air Force Base (BAFB), Aurora, Colorado

      Other Guardians

      Alphabetical List of Military Aircraft Preserved in Colorado

      Current Aircraft in service with the USAF to 01 January 2001

      A Brief History of the USAF

      World War I

      Between the Wars

      World War II

      Fighter Aces

      The Battle Continues

      Post War Advances

      The Korean War

      The Shift Toward Nuclear Weapons

      The Vietnam War

      The Military Buildup of the 1980s

      The Persian Gulf War and Afterward

      Beyond 2001, the USAF of the Future

      Annex A KEY DATES AND EVENTS OF WORLD WAR TWO

      Bibliography

      About the Author

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to the Colorado Aviation Museum staffs in Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo, who work so hard to preserve the aviation heritage of the state of Colorado, and to those highly professional men and women of the American and Canadian Armed Forces of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). Many of them served in or worked with the military aircraft described in this handbook. Because of this service, you and I can sleep soundly at night. May it continue to be so.

      Epigraph

      To control the air, aircraft bring certain characteristics which are not shared by land or sea forces-the ability to carry weapons over long ranges at great speed, the ability to concentrate rapidly large forces over a distant point, the ability to switch targets and to surprise and deceive-in a word, flexibility.¹

      List of Illustrations

      1. .   North American F-100 Super Sabre Spirit of St. Louis II.

      2. .   Lockheed P-38 Lightning

      3. .   Consolidated B-24 Liberator

      4. .   Alexander Eaglerock Model A-14, NC205Y

      5.    Avro CF-100 Mk. 5C Canuck

      6. .   Bell AH-1G Huey Cobra Helicopter

      7. .   Boeing B-29A Superfortress

      8. .   Boeing B-47E Stratojet

      9. .   Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

      10. .   Consolidated F-102A Delta Dagger

      11.    Consolidated F-106A Delta Dart

      12. .   Curtiss JN-4D Jenny

      13. .   Curtiss P-40E Warhawk

      14. .   Douglas B-18A Bolo

      15. .   Douglas A-26C Invader

      16. .   McDonnell Douglas A-4D-2 Skyhawk

      17. .   Douglas F-6A Skyray

      18. .   Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

      19. .   Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt

      20. .   General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

      21. .   General Dynamics FB-111A Aardvark

      22. .   Goodyear, Vought, Brewster Vought FG-1D (F4U) Corsair ..

      23. .   Grumman F-9F-8 Cougar

      24. .   Grumman F-11F-1 Tiger

      25. .   Ling-Tempco-Vought A-7D Corsair II

      26. .   Lockheed RB-37 Ventura

      27. .   Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

      28. .   Lockheed F-94C Starfire

      29. .   Lockheed F-104C Starfighter

      30. .   Lockheed EC-121T Warning Star

      31. .   Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune

      32. .   Martin EB-57E Canberra

      33. .   Martin Marietta SV5-J Lifting Body

      34. .   McDonnell F-101B Voodoo

      35. .   McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom

      36. .   McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle

      37. .   North American AT-6 Texan

      38.    North American F-86 Sabre

      39. .   North American F-86L Sabre Dog

      40. .   North American F-100 Super Sabre

      41. .   North American RA-5C Vigilante

      42. .   Northrop X-4 Skylancer

      43. .   Northrop F-89J Scorpion

      44. .   Northrop T-38A Talon

      45. .   Piasecki H-21C (CH) Workhorse Helicopter

      46. .   Republic P-47N Thunderbolt

      47. .   Republic RF-84K Thunderflash

      48. .   Republic F-105D Thunderchief

      49. .   Sikorsky SH-34J Sea Horse/Choctaw

      50.    Vought F-8 Crusader

      Foreword

      North America is rich in aviation history, both military and civilian. The vast expanses of our geography and our fundamental dependence on air travel have contributed to our development as air-faring nations. The proud military heritage of the United States Air Force is embodied in the individuals who have served and who continue to do so-and in the aircraft they have flown.

      The preservation of the aircraft that represent this heritage is a labor of love for many. For those who are enthusiasts of military aviation history, those with a passing interest, or those who simply want to learn more, you will find a wealth of information in these pages to guide you along the way.

      George E.C. Macdonald

      Lieutenant-General

      Deputy Commander-in-Chief

      North American Aerospace Defense Command

      Colorado Springs, Colorado

      November 13th, 2000

      Preface

      There are a number of us who have a continuing interest in retired military aircraft that are preserved in the state of Colorado. Many of these old warbirds can be found in the cities of Denver, Pueblo and Colorado Springs, home of the United States Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Headquarters of North American Aerospace Command (HQ NORAD) and United States Space Command (USSPACECOM).

      Colorado has done a particularly good job of preserving a great variety of American combat veteran aircraft, although there are a good number that are still missing from the state list (including at least one example of a B-24 Liberator which the Museum in Pueblo would dearly like to display one day). Many other examples of United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft are still being sought, particularly where they are of significant historical interest. As an aviation artist, photographer and enthusiast, I have attempted to keep track of where many Warbird Survivors are presently located, and specifically for this book, those aircraft that can be found on display in Colorado.

      The purpose of this handbook is to provide a simple checklist of where the surviving aircraft are now, and to illustrate the package with a few of my paintings and photographs. Aircraft are being recovered from their crash sites in the bush, traded or brought back from owners who have been flying them in other countries, or in some cases, being manufactured from scratch. There are still an incredible number of warbirds from America’s aviation heritage for which no single example exists anywhere in the world, and still more for which none exist in the USA.

      One of the uses of this book is to identify where one can at least view an example of the types listed, even if they aren’t to be found in the USA. The book lists the aircraft alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. This list is also appended with a brief summary of the aircraft presently on display within the state and a bit of its history in the US military. The aviation artwork and most of the photographs used to illustrate the aircraft are my own. Due to space limitations, I have provided a selection of only those warbirds that can be found in Colorado.

      No list can ever be completely up to date, so if you as a reader have additional information to add, please forward an update to me at 2110 Cloverdale Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, 80920, or email me at h.skaarup@worldnet.att.net

      .It is my sincere hope that the list of Colorado Warbird Survivors will continue to grow, as more of them are recovered and restored. Grant that you find the handbook useful. Cheers, Harold A. Skaarup

      Acknowledgements

      I would like to acknowledge each and every member of the museum staffs, particularly the volunteers, of the Peterson Air & Space Museum, the Pueblo Weisbrod Memorial Museum, the Wings Over the Rockies Air Museum, The Fort Carson Military Museum, and the United States Air Force Academy, for their patience and assistance in helping me to ensure that the data that has gone into the compilation of this handbook is as complete as it can be to the time of printing. Each and every visitor to your museums owes you that same appreciation, and to all of you, thank you for preserving our aviation heritage.

      I would very much like to specifically thank Jason B. Unwin (who invited me to participate in the PWAM guest speaker program), Allen E. Seamans, Mark Morris, Charles McCandless, Rudy Eskra and Ted Baer of the Pueblo Weisbrod International B-24 Memorial Museum, Pueblo Memorial Airport; Gerome Schroeder and Dr. Thomas Fuller of the History Office at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs; Scott Wirz and Dr. Rick W. Stewart with the HQ AFSPC History Office (who provided great assistance in tracking down hard to find serial numbers); Dr. Mary Elizabeth Ruwell (who keeps a P-38 by her desk) and Sgt. Kenneth Burton of the Peterson Air and Space Museum, Colorado Springs; Paul Martin (who also showed me how to rig my grandfather’s spurs) of the Fort Carson Military Museum; Bruce Borman of the USAFA Flying Team; Curtis Shannon (who knew the serial number for the B-52 in Denver), of Malmstrom AFB Museum; Ron Neuberg, John Graff, Chuck Stout, and Lance Barber of the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver; Joyce Selders and Leona Aka from Walker

      Field Airport at Grand Junction; Patrick Champe of Maxwell AFB; Sherry Yates and Patricia Ochs of the USAF Museum in Dayton; Steve Brandt (who helped me find the X-4), Aaron Byerly, Randy Saunders and Capt Mike Johnson of the USAFA; and Michael Reisman of Greely (the last person to clear the B-52 on display at the USAFA for landing at PAFB). Their support and assistance in tracking down the information pertaining to each of the individual aircraft listed here was invaluable.

      List of Abbreviations

      BAFB         Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado

      CF         Canadian Forces

      DIA         Denver International Airport, Denver

      FCBA         Fort Carson, Butts Airfield, Colorado Springs

      FCMM         Fort Carson Military Museum, Colorado Springs

      NORAD      North American Aerospace Command

      PA&SM      Peterson Air and Space Museum, Colorado Springs

      PWAM         Pueblo Weisbrod Air Museum, Pueblo Memorial Airport

      USAF         United States Air Force

      USAFA         United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs

      USSPACECOM         United States Space Command

      WORA&SM         Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver

      Introduction

      In May 1999, I got my first close look at a Republic P-47N Thunderbolt shortly after I entered the main gate to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs to check in as a new member of NORAD HQ. I had read about the Jug, I had seen other warbirds that could be considered contemporary stable-mates of the P-47, but I was not aware that there was one in Colorado Springs until I saw it. This book is intended to provide a where are they guide for residents and visitors to Colorado who are interested in its rich resources of historical Military Aircraft.

      I have had a serious interest in military aircraft for most of my life. My father had served 20 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and later the Canadian Forces (CF), and retired as a Warrant Officer. As a dependent member of his family, I had my first flight in a four-engined RCAF Canadair Yukon transport when we returned to Canada following his four-year tour of duty in Germany. It was quite a change in transportation from the chartered Greek Lines passenger ship Arkadia that we had sailed on going across the pond. We had been stationed at Zweibrucken, Germany with No. 3 Fighter Wing from 1959 to 1963, where I also had a chance to view a great number of visiting American military aircraft.

      As CF army officer, I have had the opportunity to tour a number of aviation museums in North America and Europe. It is one thing to see historical aircraft in pictures, but if you are a true enthusiast, it is a truly memorable experience to see them for real. I will never forget the first moment that I put out my hands and touched a genuine, real-McCoy North American P-51D Mustang. It was smartly painted in a late-war camouflage pattern and was parked in one of the old hangars (long since demolished) that was used at that time to house the remarkable collection of aircraft in what was then called Canada’s National Aviation Museum (now the Canada Air Museum). This museum is now located on the airfield at Rockcliffe in Ottawa. Since that time I have been lucky to have participated in a great number of airshows as a skydiver, and I have therefore also had the opportunity to hear the sound of a P-51D and watch one tearing down a runway at full throttle (it still gets my blood pumping!).

      Later, the Army provided me with the opportunity to serve as a member of the Canadian Forces Parachute Team (CFPT) the Skyhawks. While based at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Edmonton, Alberta, I had the privilege of jumping from De Havilland Twin Otters (similar to the type used by the cadets at the USAF Academy) and Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports (like those at Peterson AFB), and Chinook helicopters. We also jumped from Douglas DC-3 Dakotas (similar to the ones on display in Denver and Pueblo) from Number 402 Squadron in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I had the fantastic experiences of participating in airshows across Canada and in some parts of the United States for a number of years. During these airshows, I never missed an opportunity to ask various owners of old WWII Warbirds such as the Mustang and Firefly (and there are still many Mustangs around), for permission to climb into the cockpit. Based on my flight experiences and observations to date, however, I have come to conclude that you should never land in an airplane if you do not want to die in one. (I have two parachutes and you have only one airplane, and there is no such thing as a perfectly serviceable airplane as any mechanic will tell you).

      I continue to serve as Army Intelligence officer with the Canadian Forces, and it is my great good fortune to have been posted to Colorado Springs, where I work for HQ NORAD and USSPACECOM up on the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (CMAFS). Although I am in the army, I have never lost my fascination for old warbirds. Because of this, I have continued to identify and research the locations of as many of them as possible. I have then

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