Thank God, We saved them BOTH!!!!
F-105-G, #63-8306 Is now HOME, 8/25/05
The "Motley Crew" L-R: Jim Hale, Marty Batura, Bill Lemieux all from Worldwide Aircraft Recovery in Nebraska. These guys are the BEST!
Hooray, The last part is installed!!
Nose Gear down.
Right Gear down.
Right Wing going on.
Fuselage arrives 8/22/05
Wings arrive 8/19/05
F-100-5 Gear doors installed, 8/24/05
F-100-F, 56-3904 after final assembly on 8/24/05
Cockpit section of 62-4422, 8/23/05. This is the only F-105 mobil display in the world. Come and be a part of it's restoration!
The following two pictures are of F-105-G #62-4422 Pilots cockpit on 3/19/05. The next series of pictures is the same aircraft after cleaning the bird nest, rats nest etc. from both cockpits on 3/26/05 with the help of my dear friend and board member Dr. George Tompkins M.D.D.O. who lives about two hours from here in Ft. Smith AR.
These pictures are of F-105-G, 62-4422 pilot cockpit as it appeared on 3/19/05. I have removed the pilot seat for restoration. As you can see the old bird's need lots of work. Why don't some of you guys plan your vacations, or retired trip, to come here and spend some time helping with all of this. It has become much more than Beth and I can do, we MUST have help! With YOUR help we will have a mobile display that will do honor to all who flew the F-105 as well as a perment display for all those who flew this aircraft and the F-100.
422 Bear Front Panel
422 Bear Left Panel
422 Bear Rear Cockpit
422 Bear Right Panel
422 Pilot Front Panel
422 Pilot Left Panel
422 Pilot Right Panel
After four and a half years of work we have picked up F-105-G #63-8306 which flew many missions in Vietnam as a Wild Weasel bird. It was also one of the five aircraft sent north on the Son Tay raid on 21 November, 1970, and one that came back.
Eight hundred and thirty three F-105's were built and 611 of these were lost to combat or accidents. It and F-100-F #56-3904 along with the cockpit section of F-105-G #62-4422, a Linebacker II veteran, and new engine (The J-75 engine in a can is now here) F-105-G #63-8306 is now home after 4 1/2 years of work and $52,000.
The F-100-F and the cockpit section of #62-4422 have to been demilled with the help of the 188th Fighter Wing (ANG) at Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Now we need all the volunteer labor we can find. So far that has been just the usual, ME! Then the restoration will begin. They will be striped and repainted, more volunteers! Then they will be housed in the "Air War in Vietnam" hangar.
The "Air War in Vietnam Hangar" is where we will tell the "True" story of that war, not the "Politically Correct" story. This is the next phase of Silver Wings Field, home of the Aviation Cadet Museum. We MUST build this building NOW. We started out in 2000 with nothing but a vision. We bought 72 acres of prime land, took a storage building and made it into the first "Base Opns." (temporary), we built that building into a fine museum building, we built the first real FAA airport in Eureka Springs, we spent years and a ton of money getting our F-100-F, and F-105-G, both of which will be used to tell stories of the air war in Vietnam, all of the preceding has been completed in less than five years. We must continue to move ahead and keep on building. One project at a time and one day we will have the complete "Silver Wings Field" an operating cadet training base of the 40's and 50's for all to visit and learn about the GREAT men who built the air arm of this great nation.
In the "Air War in Vietnam" hangar will be a memorial to all the brave men who were lost in the air during this war. We will also be telling the story of the ground personnel who served so valiantly in that war. Each aircraft will be set with the canopies up and a platform where, with a guide, our visitors will be able to look into, and touch the cockpit and its controls, etc. We will also have each aircraft in its own theatrical setting where, by using rear screen projection, sound effects, lights etc. we can allow our guests to experience somewhat, what it was like during a mortar attack , take them on a Wild Weasel mission, ride along on a "Misty" fac flight, etc. In short, our guests will be living the war, not just reading about it!
Of course all of this takes two ingredients, one: TIME, the other: MONEY. More money, less time. The cost to bring all of the above mentioned items to the museum was $52,000. The F-100-F and the cockpit section of F-105-G #62-8422 are now home here at the museum and finally F-105-G, #63-8306 has arrived. All of this has been paid for by the Cadets of Aviation Cadet class 61-E. We were one of the smaller classes, only 81cadets, 12 are still unacounted for and 8 have passed on. Just what do YOU think a really LARGE CLASS like yours could accomplish?
Aviation Cadet Museum, Inc., 542 CR 2073, Eureka Springs AR 72632. (Phone number : 479-253-5008)