nice atmospheric shot spring of 45

[Erich]

at Langensalza with the Ju 88G-6 factory, a bit strange to see the US armor amidst the LW nf's. this is really one of my favs of a/c pics. none of the many Ju 88G-6's had been admitted to any of the LW NJG's at this time of spring 45, the field later taken over by a 9th AF P-61 squadron ironic really ........

E ~

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Awesome pics!

I would love to see some pics of the airfield I work at in 1945. You sent me some with American P-51s on the field but I would love to see some with some Luftwaffe aircraft.

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent picture Erich, as you say a really atmospheric shot.

 

[Micdrow]

Very interesting picture there Erich, All those aircraft look fully flyable. To bad most of them didnt end up back in the state's for testing.

 

[Erich]

probably one or two and the rest were junked lined-up and then blown away out in the grass fields and then scrapped into a big heap and carted off. Some 25-30 88's were on this field/in the hangers, and the US armored boyz took some really clear and nice shots of these birds, at least a dozen are in my collection via J. Crow archiv's.

Chris I am trying to find them again that I posted as I was hoping to send to planD sometime ago, will have to check through the Ansbach records soon again....heck my stuff is so buried right now due to Christmas festivities

 

[syscom3]

Nice pic Erich!

 

[Crumpp]

Very nice picture Eric!

probably one or two and the rest were junked lined-up and then blown away out in the grass fields and then scrapped into a big heap and carted off.

Yep!

In some places they dug large pits at the ends of the runway and simply bulldozed the aircraft into them.

At the time, they were swimming in airplanes and after 6 bloody years cared very little for preservation of commonly available vanquished remnants of an ultimately evil political system.

It is easy to sit back after so many years and wonder why it was not conducted with more forethought to the preservation of History. I know I do and I wish it where so.

 

[Micdrow]

Still a very interesting picture. When the war ended in Japan they made them take the propellors off the aircraft to prove that they could not take off even if they where damaged.

Do you know if this practice was true in Europe?

 

[Erich]

yes props removed and rudders either removed or locked into place for non authorized flight from those that would luv to take em for a spin

 

[Erich]

little note the US 6th armored captured this field and later the US 8th AF P-51 grp the 474th fg was also stationed here towards wars end still with the Ju's lying about ........ as per photos

 

[ccheese]

Very good Pic, Erich. Damn shame someone didn't have the foresight to
cart a dozen or more of these to a safe place for history's sake.

I saw a pick of P-38's that were bulldozed into a pile then lit off with a tank
mounted flamethrower, in the Phillipines. All becasue they didn't want to
cart them back to the US. A real shame....

Charles

 

[model299]

And the ones that DID make it back, or weren't delivered to the theaters befor the end, could be had for a song, if they didn't get melted down first.

When I worked at the now-closed Planes Of Fame Museum at the Flying Cloud Airport, one of the Friday volunteers worked at a surplus aircraft proccessing center in Arizona. He told me that you could have a near-new P-38-L with the 6 hour delivery flight on it, less guns and radios, but with full tanks, for $4,500.They'd even even install ballast in the nose for you and show you how to start it. Fly it away. Ones with more hours could be had for as little as $2,500. That would be almost $29,000 to $52,000 in today's money. Some of them did end up on the racing circuit, of course, but let's be honest. What would people back then do with a P-38 once you have it? OK, OK, I know what I'D do with mine. But for the average civil aviator, with one seat, it's not much use for anything but racing and sport flying, really.

They got a few takers, but not that many. Most ended up in the smelter, to help fuel the post WW2 house building boom. Seems ridiculous now, but like Crumpp and ccheese said, we had lots of aircraft, the jets were just over the aviation horizon, and the prop jobs were considered near worthless to the Army Air Corps.

GREAT photo, Erich!

 

[mkloby]

Thanks for the picture!

 

[Heinz]

Fantastic photo, thanks for sharing.

 

[Micdrow]

And the ones that DID make it back, or weren't delivered to the theaters befor the end, could be had for a song, if they didn't get melted down first.

When I worked at the now-closed Planes Of Fame Museum at the Flying Cloud Airport, one of the Friday volunteers worked at a surplus aircraft proccessing center in Arizona. He told me that you could have a near-new P-38-L with the 6 hour delivery flight on it, less guns and radios, but with full tanks, for $4,500.They'd even even install ballast in the nose for you and show you how to start it. Fly it away. Ones with more hours could be had for as little as $2,500. That would be almost $29,000 to $52,000 in today's money. Some of them did end up on the racing circuit, of course, but let's be honest. What would people back then do with a P-38 once you have it? OK, OK, I know what I'D do with mine. But for the average civil aviator, with one seat, it's not much use for anything but racing and sport flying, really.

They got a few takers, but not that many. Most ended up in the smelter, to help fuel the post WW2 house building boom. Seems ridiculous now, but like Crumpp and ccheese said, we had lots of aircraft, the jets were just over the aviation horizon, and the prop jobs were considered near worthless to the Army Air Corps.

Thats actually kinda expensive for a aircraft of that time. Was reading a article about Frank Tallman who picked up 4 F4U Corsairs at Litchfield Park Arizona for $420 each in 1950 and flew each one of them out.

Eventually they had to be sold but he work with all the owners he sold them to for the move Black Sheep Squadron.

If you think about it now would be the time to gather up any phantoms, skyhawks or older aircraft before they disappear. Even a tom cat before they are scrapped. But because of security most of these aircraft if not all will probably get scrapped except for those on static display.

 

[Njaco]

Great pic, Erich. Do you know what NJG? (stupid question, really).

 

[Micdrow]

Great pic, Erich. Do you know what NJG? (stupid question, really).

The way I read Erich's posting none of these where assigned to a squadron yet and that the aircraft are still sitting at the factory where they where built.