ChrisG43 Posted June 7, 2009 Share #1 Posted June 7, 2009 Picked this up today, the guy who had it said he took it off a plane that was being used for range testing at Camp Pendleton. He said he had the tail number and a photo removing it from the aircraft, but his computer crashed along with all the info. He didn't know the airframe type unfortunately, still I couldn't pass it up, he put tape around it to protect folks from the sharp edges, I'm going to leave it to protect it while storing it in my shed as I don't have room to display it properly....Chris... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG43 Posted June 7, 2009 Author Share #2 Posted June 7, 2009 Anyone have any idea, approx 35" x 24".....What time period? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG43 Posted June 7, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted June 7, 2009 Interior shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted June 7, 2009 Share #4 Posted June 7, 2009 Nice display piece!! The red bar (I think) means that it is USAF piece and not AAF so post 1947?? I think that the sellers claim that it came from a fighter or similar is a good one due to the size of this piece. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted June 7, 2009 Share #5 Posted June 7, 2009 What a cool yard sale find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMPERIAL QUEST Posted June 7, 2009 Share #6 Posted June 7, 2009 Nice piece indeed, especially from a yard sale. If I may offer a suggestion...since you are going to store this in a shed, the hot and cold temperature changes are going to eventually turn the tape into a very hard, and not easily removed substance. If it were me, I would remove that tape, get some of the air conditioning black foam pipe insulation that comes in a tube, slit it down the middle and place around the edges. You can pick it up at Loews or Home Depot for almost nothing. It will protect the corners while eliminating the potential for cuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hudson Posted June 7, 2009 Share #7 Posted June 7, 2009 Nice piece indeed, especially from a yard sale. If I may offer a suggestion...since you are going to store this in a shed, the hot and cold temperature changes are going to eventually turn the tape into a very hard, and not easily removed substance. If it were me, I would remove that tape, get some of the air conditioning black foam pipe insulation that comes in a tube, slit it down the middle and place around the edges. You can pick it up at Loews or Home Depot for almost nothing. It will protect the corners while eliminating the potential for cuts. Good idea: old masking tape residue can get so hard that you cannot remove it without damaging the underlying surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG43 Posted June 7, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted June 7, 2009 Hadn't thought about that....I will get the tape off this week, considering in the summer we can hit 80, and in the winter -30 that's great advice..... Chris..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMPERIAL QUEST Posted June 7, 2009 Share #9 Posted June 7, 2009 considering in the summer we can hit 80... 80....80 for a high??? Where I live, that is considered jacket weather...I should be so lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG43 Posted June 7, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted June 7, 2009 Anchorage, AK..... Believe me, I can't wait to get back to warmer weather...... Although, summers are nice (except the mosquitoes), but summer is usually over by Labor Day weekend. In fact the leaves are turning by the 3rd week of August. I can't wait to have a "real" four seasons again. The lack of light in the winter sucks too....sunrise at 10, and sunset by 4ish sucks..... Chris.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_B Posted June 7, 2009 Share #11 Posted June 7, 2009 I'd have no troubles with taking a deburring tool to the edges. Since it's an airframe removal piece, the edges are not historically significant at all. The deburring hand tool and 20 minutes with a file will make the edges safe to handle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FightenIrish35 Posted June 7, 2009 Share #12 Posted June 7, 2009 dang...that is an awesome find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobrahistorian Posted June 7, 2009 Share #13 Posted June 7, 2009 Looking at it, the first thing that popped into my head was "straight-wing F-84". The red bar was added to the stars n' bars in 1947, so that would make it a USAF piece and not USAAF. Very nice! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NebrPatch Posted June 8, 2009 Share #14 Posted June 8, 2009 This photo was taken at the Offutt air show last summer. Notice the piece leaning against the wall in the hangar. Maybe you could buy it, scrouge up more pieces & build your own plane! Very nice find, I could imagine the look on my wife's face if I brought that home. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted June 8, 2009 Share #15 Posted June 8, 2009 Looking at it, the first thing that popped into my head was "straight-wing F-84". The red bar was added to the stars n' bars in 1947, so that would make it a USAF piece and not USAAF. Very nice! Jon It could also have come from a Navy or Marine fighter. That same national insignia was used by all branches of the Armed Forces back in the days before subdued insignia became standard. It also may have come from a trainer considering the fellow didn't know what type a/c it was. No matter what it came from, it's still a nice piece and would really look great on someones "war room", wall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinO Posted June 8, 2009 Share #16 Posted June 8, 2009 That's a lot cooler than the b17 parts I found at a yard-sale last year (flap control parts, radio antenna)! Should look good in your war room if it ever gets there, mini-fridge door anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandon_rss18 Posted June 8, 2009 Share #17 Posted June 8, 2009 That's a lot cooler than the b17 parts I found at a yard-sale last year (flap control parts, radio antenna)! Should look good in your war room if it ever gets there, mini-fridge door anyone? HA! Im going to disagree with that statement, but then again, to each their own. If you get tired of those B-17 parts let me know and we can work something out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobrahistorian Posted June 9, 2009 Share #18 Posted June 9, 2009 It could also have come from a Navy or Marine fighter. That same national insignia was used by all branches of the Armed Forces back in the days before subdued insignia became standard. It also may have come from a trainer considering the fellow didn't know what type a/c it was. No matter what it came from, it's still a nice piece and would really look great on someones "war room", wall! It looked like it was bare metal initially. After looking at the pics again, it does look like it could be a Navy gray bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plant#4 Posted June 9, 2009 Share #19 Posted June 9, 2009 Judging by the fasteners that I can see, I would hazard a guess of a Vought F-8 Crusader, or it could be a F-4B Phantom. Both were flown out of Camp Pendelton by the Marines, and one of them could have ended up a target photo bird real easy. I am not too familar with the brown paint, possibly fuel coat or an anti corroision type for the Navy / Marines I suppose, having only worked on Airforce birds, we use green zinc chromate. (altough now I am working on Airforce, Navy, and Marine birds....all at the same time!) It would be fun to figure out which type of bird it came from. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmcaviator Posted June 9, 2009 Share #20 Posted June 9, 2009 I know of an F-4 carcass and an A-4 carcass onboard Camp Pendleton. The A-4 is on the side of a hill, the F-4 is just north of the Pulgas Lake and painted just like this. I take students out to practice rocket delivery dives on it all the time. It has noticably shrunk over the 8 years I have been flying over it!! Now I know why! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinO Posted June 10, 2009 Share #21 Posted June 10, 2009 HA! Im going to disagree with that statement, but then again, to each their own. If you get tired of those B-17 parts let me know and we can work something out! Sorry bud, long gone to some rich Californian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted June 17, 2009 Share #22 Posted June 17, 2009 I know it would be time consuming but you could try aviation books that show top and side views of recent 60's - 70's era aircraft and try to match up the seam/rivet/screw lines and panel shape to the right aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted June 17, 2009 Share #23 Posted June 17, 2009 Unless the edge shows that it was cut out from something, then as a panel it would probably have come from the fuselage, of what aircraft I have no clue... but the brown anti-corrosion paint isn't USAF unless it happened to be one of the Navy a/c sent to the USAF during VN. We used greenish. I can't really tell what the outside color is supposed to be, but don't remember any USAF that shade of gray or whatever it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG43 Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share #24 Posted July 1, 2009 I would definitely lean towards Navy or USMC, it came from a USMC base, and the shade of gray would be more appropriate for Navy/Corps I would reckon.... Thanks for all the great comments guys! Chris.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC_GAU-21 Posted September 9, 2009 Share #25 Posted September 9, 2009 Your piece is off the A-4 that is or was up at Camp Pen. the brown-chromate primer leads me to believe early Douglas Aicraft A-4C, maybe D. I Crewed CH-53's out of MCAS Tustin from '86 - '97 and I have seen the two aircraft mention by the USMC Pilot. Also up at "K" Springs laying on its side is a Marine H-19 Helicopter, HRS-1 for USMC, just south east of the pond down in some trees. Painted "green" after it crashed so it would blend in. I have the tailboom off of it. Has the BuNo and squadron markings HMR-161. Really neat piece. Nice old panel. r/Gunny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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