Gen. Don Kutyna's F-105D at new home

[Gregory]

Well-known from various Vietnam War dedicated books Republic F-105D Thunderchief serialled 59-1822 will be exhibited in Cracow, Poland, at the Muzeum Lotnictwa Polskiego, or the Polish Aviation Museum. During the war the aircraft was flown by Maj. Donald J. Kutyna. In that time 59-1822 had big nose art "The Polish Glider" with the Polish Eagle typical for the 2nd Republic of Poland (1918-1939) before German and Soviet occupation. Also various personal militaria belonged to Gen. Kutyna are to be exhibited in the museum mentioned.

 

That's a very nice fact. Donald J. Kutyna has alwyas been a patriot of two nations -- the American and Polish ones.

 

About General (ret) Donald J. Kutyna

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_J._Kutyna

 

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancest...ots-kutyna.html

[Cobrahistorian]

I knew "The Polish Glider" was being restored, but wasn't sure where it was located. I had the privelege of working on her sister ship "Good Vibrations" 61-0093 at the Texas Air Museum back in the early 2000s. Both birds flew with the 44th TFS out of Takhli, Thailand in 1970 and had similar intake artwork. At one point I'd intended on building models of the entire 44th TFS as it appeared in 1970, but I've gotten a bit sidetracked. My intent now is to build all of the survivors from the 44th (of which there are several!)

 

Jon

[Gregory]

I knew "The Polish Glider" was being restored, but wasn't sure where it was located.

At Duxford, UK, but that restoration was very low-cost operation. It is the American-British-Polish agreement now that Don Kutyna's F-105D will be restored completely and exhibited at Cracow. We do have much better emotional relations with this aircraft...

 

[BEAST]

Gregory, Could you post photos of "The Polish Glider" when it arrives?

 

After you finish with the Polish Aviation Museum, you need to stop at Wawel Castle to see the final resting place of a hero of the American Revolution, Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Many places in the US are named after this man. Here in Indiana, we have Kosciusko County.

[Cobrahistorian]

Gregory, Could you post photos of "The Polish Glider" when it arrives?

 

After you finish with the Polish Aviation Museum, you need to stop at Wawel Castle to see the final resting place of a hero of the American Revolution, Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Many places in the US are named after this man. Here in Indiana, we have Kosciusko County.

 

We've got the Kosciuzko bridge in NY and I just saw something bearing his name in Maryland the other day....

 

Gregory YES PLEASE POST PICS!!! It would be phenomenal to see the real "Polish Glider" as she is today.

 

Jon

[Gregory]

Gregory, Could you post photos of "The Polish Glider" when it arrives?

Famed "The Polish Glider" has just arrived to Cracow but no images so far. The aircraft is taken apart in crates. It will be exhibited in the newest museum building opened in September 2010. Here is a gallery of this new building:

 

http://www.muzeumlotnictwa.pl/gmach_muzeum/galeria.php

 

After you finish with the Polish Aviation Museum, you need to stop at Wawel Castle to see the final resting place of a hero of the American Revolution, Thaddeus Kosciuszko. Many places in the US are named after this man. Here in Indiana, we have Kosciusko County.

I can see that I have to scan and post in USMF beautiful and almost impossible to find today article prepared in 1939 by the Polish government about the American-Polish military relations. That article was prepared especially for the Polish Week during the New York World's Fair 1939-1940. It is in English.

 

Best regards

 

Gregory

[Gregory]

Gregory YES PLEASE POST PICS!!! It would be phenomenal to see the real "Polish Glider" as she is today.

OK, the USMF may count on my reports but there are also the reports that "The Polish Glider" is in not so good condition and requires a restoration worth at least PLN100.000. Today the Polish media stated that restoration may be three years long.

[Gregory]

Gregory YES PLEASE POST PICS!!!

Pardon!

There is a small gallery showing "The Polish Glider" arrival to Cracow. See here:

http://lotniczapolska.pl/F-105-Thunderchie...980?gallery=yes

[Cobrahistorian]

Great shots! I hope her restoration goes well and quickly!

 

Jon

[m1ashooter]

Wow its amazing were we have come since the fall of the Soviet Union. To see a Thud as a display of pride verses a war trophy in a former WARSAW PACT Country makes my 11 years of SAC Alerts away from my family very well spent.

 

Please keep the pictures coming.

[Gregory]

Great shots! I hope her restoration goes well and quickly!

I hope as well the more so that the USA declared help in the form of F-105 spare parts and documentation.

 

Wow its amazing were we have come since the fall of the Soviet Union. To see a Thud as a display of pride verses a war trophy in a former WARSAW PACT Country makes my 11 years of SAC Alerts away from my family very well spent.

That's right. It is like a sarcastic laugh of history. Half a century long the Poles fought against sovietization being killed for it by the commies and suddenly at long last we are able to show proudly "our" people in the US armed forces who also fought against communism. Such Polish-born Americans and noted soldiers as Col. Francis Gabreski or Gen. Don Kutyna have always been our heros. In my life I knew tens of the aircraft scale modellers. Who built F-105 he wanted to do it in Don Kutyna's painting scheme. The decals for his "The Polish Glider" have always been most desirable item. I think that today Gen. Don Kutyna knows very well what he does when he supports an initiative to exhibit his F-105D in Poland.

[05B4S]

While in college, I helped build F105's for Republic Aviation in Farmingdale, NY.