My other aviation photos

The airport manager has worked out a deal to build Aerobatic planes called the Extra 300. The Extra was designed by German Walter Extra. The Extra 300 out-performs military fighters in turn rate, roll rate, and G tolerance. Looking Glass Technologies makes an excellent flight sim called Flight Unlimited in which the Extra is one of the aerobatic planes you can fly. Next to the civilian hangar is Northrop Grumman's "Home of the Hawkeye". No E-2's around but there was a pile of A-6 fuselages in the back and four EA6B's in storage. Across the road is a junk yard of Grumman S2F Trackers.

Extra 300L #2 from the Northern Light Aerobatic team - note the clear fuselage sections beneath the wing

Extra 300L #1 from the Northern Light Aerobatic team

Extra 300L #2 cockpit

Extra 300L #1 cockpit

Extra 300L AeroShell

Extra 300L AeroShell - Northern Lights birds in the background

Extra 300L AeroShell

Extra 300L AeroShell - Front view

Extra 300L AeroShell

Extra 300L AeroShell cockpit - note aerobatic sequence card in Aresti notation

Extra 300L in rework

Taylorcraft

Pitts Special

SNJ Texan. I learned from my Dad that this plane crashed a week after I took this picture killing the pilot.

EA-6B's in storage and a pile of A-6 fuselages

A-6 fuselages - From the looks of the markings, these were ex-Marine birds

Junkyard full of S2F's

Pictures from Neil Armstrong Museum in Wappakaneta, Ohio

I stopped on the way down to shoot some pics of the Douglas F-5 SkyLancer. It was an updated version of the F4D Skyray that my Dad used to work on. The F-5 never went into production and this is the only one left. Armstrong flew it at Edwards AFB.

Pictures from the Warbird Museum just outside the Kennedy Space Center

We stopped in here as more of a curiosity. A decrepit old OV-1 Mohawk greeted us at the gate. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had one of VA-52's A-6E TRAM birds! The receptionist said it was still in reserve and could be called back. I confirmed that. The buno was pretty recent (162xxx). The only things missing were the engines, bomb racks, and TRAM system. It's not uncommon for all of these to be removed for long term storage. I was surprised the ejection seats were still there! They let me crawl over it and it was great to be around an Intruder again. The only additions I noticed from the time I stopped working on them was the switch over to the ALR-67 RWR, a new ECM control panel, and a command eject selection lever on the BN's side. Inside the hangar was a pallet full of A-6 block boxes. Several ACU's (Armament Control Panel), DVRI's (Direct View Radar Indicator), Throttle Quadrants, etc. Also in the hangar was a nice C-47, a Cessna Bird Dog, a Hawker Sea Fury in Aussie colors for sale, a F9F Panther under restoration, a ton of parts, and a TBF Avenger. The Avenger was pulled up from Lake Michigan not long ago and the restoration, as you can see is almost complete. They are doing a great a job on it. In addition to the A-6 outside there is an A-7A Corsair II, a Polish MiG17, and a junk heap. The junk birds included more Mohawks, a couple of Cessna A-37's, a UH-1 Huey, and a MGM-1 Matador. All were in pretty sad shape.

VA-52 A-6E TRAM Intruder

A-7A Corsair II - Looked like it had belonged to a training center

Polish MiG17 - The frosted canopy is actually water condensation inside

TBF Avenger under restoration

F9F Panther under restoration
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