Thieves steal historical aircraft wings for scrap

[BEAST]

Edited from "ANTIQUE WEEK" See http://www.antiqueweek.com/Features.asp for the full story.

 

 

Thieves steal historical aircraft wings for scrap

 

PHOENIX (AP) — Thieves have carted off wings from two vintage military planes stored at a compound near Mesa’s Falcon Field.

The wings were off a 1940s-era Lockheed PV-2 Navy bomber and a 1950s-era Lockheed T-33 jet trainer. They belonged to the Wingspan Aviation Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit museum group.

 

Mesa police spokeswoman Diana Tapia says it is unclear if they were stolen for scrap or their historic value. They were stacked on a trailer after being removed from the planes prior to restoration.

[brandon_rss18]

Pathetic Hope they didnt make it to the scrapyard

[Hawk914]

I followed this story on another forum... the wings were recovered a few days after they went missing. If interested, take a looksee HERE...

 

(The recovery is noted on page 2 of the thread)

 

 

Fade to Black...

[gwb123]

Oh but read on.. there is a follow up story on that same thread, pg. 2, about B-24 parts being stolen from a restoraton project in Australia.

 

As for this story... wanna bet they don't store these wings on a trailer again?

[Bob Hudson]

Oh but read on.. there is a follow up story on that same thread, pg. 2, about B-24 parts being stolen from a restoraton project in Australia.

 

I think they just found that one when some guy showed up at a taping of Antiques Roadshow. He tried to claim he found it in an attic, but right after the appraiser told them that if he had this up for auction he'd expect it to fetch $75,000 and for insurance purposes it's valued at $150,000, members of Interpol stepped in and arrested the suspect.

 

[gwb123]

You got me! I bought it hook, line and sinker!

[Bob Hudson]

You got me! I bought it hook, line and sinker!

 

That wing is actually on a hillside near southern San Diego Bay; it commemorates an historic - but little known - 1884 glider flight by John J. Montgomery. That wing has been on the hill since about 1950 and when I was in high school in the 60's it was still a remote area and a bit of a lover's lane. Based on the remoteness of the area then and its roughness now, I'm surprised no one ever cut it down and carted it off to the scrap metal dealer. One source says it is "the wing section of a Consolidated B-32 Dominator (the only surviving artifact of the 118 planes built)."

 

[Scott C.]

I remember that wing on the hillside in SD. I always wondered why it didn't have an aileron. Also, look closely at the Road Show photo - the wing section has been photoshopped in under the guy's arm.

[Bob Hudson]

I remember that wing on the hillside in SD. I always wondered why it didn't have an aileron. Also, look closely at the Road Show photo - the wing section has been photoshopped in under the guy's arm.

 

Yes, I did that.

[Steindaddie]

I always wondered why it didn't have an aileron

 

According to some online info, that is indeed a B-32 wing and it was part of a static test (i.e. non-flyable) aircraft. It is very possible that it was never attached to an aircraft at all and was used for wind tunnel testing, etc. This might explain the lack of an aileron. Another option is that it was re-skinned at one time and they simply faired over where the aileron was. I state the latter because if that wing were around here, some of the local yay-hoos would use it for target practice.

 

Thanks to the moderator for sharing info on the Montgomery memorial - I had never heard of it until now.

 

Will

[Bob Hudson]

According to some online info, that is indeed a B-32 wing and it was part of a static test (i.e. non-flyable) aircraft. It is very possible that it was never attached to an aircraft at all and was used for wind tunnel testing, etc. This might explain the lack of an aileron. Another option is that it was re-skinned at one time and they simply faired over where the aileron was. I state the latter because if that wing were around here, some of the local yay-hoos would use it for target practice.

 

Thanks to the moderator for sharing info on the Montgomery memorial - I had never heard of it until now.

 

Will

 

Montgomery is a little known aviation pioneer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Montgomery - but in the San Diego lots of places are named after him including the city's main general aviation airport Montgomery Field.

 

Yes it is amazing the wing has survived. The image I used for the Photoshop work gives it a false perspective: it's actully 90 feet tall (including the pylons). In the photo below you can get an idea of its real size. Those hills in the background (including the distant ones with visible roads) are part of Tijuana, Mexico.

 

 

Where that building is used to be a dirt parking lot back when we'd take dates up there in the 60's. I recall a cop shining his flashlight in my car window..... but that's another story

[brandon_rss18]

Montgomery is a little known aviation pioneer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Montgomery - but in the San Diego lots of places are named after him including the city's main general aviation airport Montgomery Field.

 

Yes it is amazing the wing has survived. The image I used for the Photoshop work gives it a false perspective: it's actully 90 feet tall (including the pylons). In the photo below you can get an idea of its real size. Those hills in the background (including the distant ones with visible roads) are part of Tijuana, Mexico.

 

 

Where that building is used to be a dirt parking lot back when we'd take dates up there in the 60's. I recall a cop shining his flashlight in my car window..... but that's another story

 

HAHA I can relate to the having a cop shine their flashlight in the window story! I guess kids will be kids.

[kphfun]

I remember that wing on the hillside in SD. I always wondered why it didn't have an aileron. Also, look closely at the Road Show photo - the wing section has been photoshopped in under the guy's arm.

Hahahhahahahah, I pray this is a joke! Or did watson help him?