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Chino on a rainy day

Grant

Well-Known Member
Had Sunday morning off so decided to take a drive out to Planes of Fame in Chino, CA. It was a rainy day so I was one of only a couple visitors.

Here's a photo of two former adversaries now patiently waiting restoration.

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The X-1's relative also awaiting restoration - a long way from the days of flying mach 2 -3.

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Best part of the visit was having the whole P-38 hanger to myself to explore.

Chino1.jpg
 

bfrench

Administrator
Grant said:
Had Sunday morning off so decided to take a drive out to Planes of Fame in Chino, CA. It was a rainy day so I was one of only a couple visitors.

Hi, Grant,

Thanks for the pics - it's amazing how you get to feel so attached to these planes even though you haven't flown them.

Cheers,
Bill French
 

dujardin

Well-Known Member
thanks Grant,

nice pics; i like the nose and canopy of the Sabre

a P-38 just for you, exceptionnal moment
 

SuinBruin

Well-Known Member
Love the X-2. Just reread The Right Stuff and have begun Hypersonic: the Story of the North American X-15. The pilots who flew those planes don't get nearly the publicity that the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo guys got, but they took some huge risks and did some pretty amazing stuff.

The other shots are great too, thanks for sharing. I think the F-86 might be the prettiest airplane ever made.

cheers,
matt
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
Yeah, that's a great shot of the F-86 and Mig 15.
Glad you got a low-crowd day to yourself.
Dave
KC
 

grommet

Member
I understand that they used this airport for the location shots of "Archbury" in the TV series of 12 o'clock High in the 60's. Do they have anything there commemorating that?
 

Andrew

Well-Known Member
Great shots Grant, looks like a really worthwhile trip and yep, that top photo is excellent. What beautiful curves. Thanks
 

navvet

New Member
The Yanks Air Museum at Chino is one place worth visiting. I had the luck to be there on October 25th with my wife and her cousin, who we were visiting. We were thrilled to find out that a few dozen Distinguished Flying Cross recipients from WW2, Korea, and Vietnam were being honored that day. The flyers all signed a big poster that the museum will most likely display. After the ceremony we were able to talk to some of them. What an honor it was to ask these humble heroes questions about their war experiences. The museum owners graciously invited us to have lunch since there were many leftovers. It is a day I will always cherish.
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
Had some free time, so visited Planes of Fame again, which never disappoints.The hanger for the 475th FG 'Satan's Angels' P-38 had a number of A-2's, including these two. The 433rd Possum Squadron has to be one of the coolest patches ever; this one painted directly on what appeared to be a Cable. One other unique thing about Chino is walking around the hangers taking in the smell oil and hydraulic fluid, you can walk right up to one of a kind planes, including the Seversky 2PA.
Also, seeing an original Bf109E up close, you can examine remnants of original paint after being pulled from an icy lake.

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Flightengineer

Well-Known Member
Thanks for these photos. Seversky is a real legend and a man of incredible fate, who is little remembered in his historical homeland.
I visited the Planes of Fame in Valle, but unfortunately never been in Chino.Nice place.
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
One last photo from Chino and this brief description of the B-17 they have displayed.
DISTINCTION
  • The Museum’s B-17, built by Douglas Aircraft and delivered May 7, 1945, arrived too late for World War II, and went into storage in Texas. In March 1950, it was converted into a Drone Director Aircraft (DB-17G) to serve as airborne control of radio-operated B-17 target aircraft (QB-17s). It performed these duties during Operation Greenhouse, the 1951 nuclear bomb tests on Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands), and later at stateside missile ranges. On August 6, 1959, it controlled a QB-17 in the last operational mission of a B-17 for the U.S. Air Force. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, it was acquired by the Museum and has appeared in the movies The Thousand Plane Raid, Fort Apache, and Black Sheep Squadron and the ABC television series, Twelve O’Clock High as 'Piccadilly Lilly'. It is under restoration to fly.

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Lorenzo_l

Well-Known Member
One last photo from Chino and this brief description of the B-17 they have displayed.
DISTINCTION
  • The Museum’s B-17, built by Douglas Aircraft and delivered May 7, 1945, arrived too late for World War II, and went into storage in Texas. In March 1950, it was converted into a Drone Director Aircraft (DB-17G) to serve as airborne control of radio-operated B-17 target aircraft (QB-17s). It performed these duties during Operation Greenhouse, the 1951 nuclear bomb tests on Enewetak Atoll (Marshall Islands), and later at stateside missile ranges. On August 6, 1959, it controlled a QB-17 in the last operational mission of a B-17 for the U.S. Air Force. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, it was acquired by the Museum and has appeared in the movies The Thousand Plane Raid, Fort Apache, and Black Sheep Squadron and the ABC television series, Twelve O’Clock High as 'Piccadilly Lilly'. It is under restoration to fly.

View attachment 72544

Glad that there are people like Planes of Fame working on restoring and keeping these machines flying. It's a labour of love and a very intensive one at that, I suspect...
 

Lorenzo_l

Well-Known Member
Had some free time, so visited Planes of Fame again, which never disappoints.The hanger for the 475th FG 'Satan's Angels' P-38 had a number of A-2's, including these two. The 433rd Possum Squadron has to be one of the coolest patches ever; this one painted directly on what appeared to be a Cable. One other unique thing about Chino is walking around the hangers taking in the smell oil and hydraulic fluid, you can walk right up to one of a kind planes, including the Seversky 2PA.
Also, seeing an original Bf109E up close, you can examine remnants of original paint after being pulled from an icy lake.

View attachment 72510View attachment 72511View attachment 72512View attachment 72513View attachment 72514View attachment 72515

Are they, btw, planning on restoring this Me-109 to flying condition? It's a great machine and a time capsule, displayed as is already, but I am just curious as to the museums intentions with it...
 

Nickb123

Well-Known Member
Probably the best museum I’ve been to. All kinds of exotic Japanese and Luftwaffe stuff.
Fond memories flying in there with the dad.
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Went there back in early 90’s on a self indulgent visit whilst staying in Anaheim and cant believe that 5th AF A2 is still on display! Always loved that patch since that visit - like you Grant (it was a weekday) and I was very happy being ‘billy no mates’ as hardly anyone else around!
 

CBI

Well-Known Member
what a great place, was there last about 4 years ago. There's also the other museum down the street.
 
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