8-6-24 Peyton, CO Part II

 Monday was another day of touring, this time at the National Museum of World War II Aviation.  Blair took us on the tour to view the breathtakingly beautiful collection of aircraft in the hangars.  Many of the rare planes were wreckages that have been restored by the museums team of skilled artisans that, I swear, could build you a Swiss watch from a ball of crumpled tin foil.  It is mind-boggling.  We were warned time and again not to touch a single molecule in the museum, including, understandably, the mechanics’ tools and tooling in the restoration shop.  Since many of the planes are many decades old, restoration and creation of replacement parts requires an extensive library of nearly-extinct blueprints and ancient instruction manuals and books. 

"Engine Manual for Older
Engines," copyright 1939

 

One particular plane that is in the final stages of restoration is the USN Martin PBM Mariner Helldiver.   In March, 1984, two 19 year old kids, Jeff Hummel and Matt McCauley, were scuba diving in Lake Washington and found the plane at the bottom of the lake.  They wrote to the Pentagon, told them of the find and asked if they could have it.  The Pentagon replied in government-speak that they did not have a “protocol” for that.  The boys interpreted that as, “Yes.”  After all, the USN was done with the plane.  It had been used in the 1940s for fire drill practices in which they would deliberately create a fire onboard and then put it out.  When they were through with the wreckage, they simply threw it in the lake. 

Matt McCauley and Jeff Hummel
with the Helldiver in their driveway

Bringing the Helldiver
up from the bottom of
Lake Washington, 1984

The boys acquired hoses and balloons and raised the wreckage and hauled it home to their driveway.  The Pentagon learned of this and sued the 2 kids;  they wanted their plane back.  But the story has a happy final score!  Boys – 1 Pentagon – 0.  The judge said, “The divers were energetic and well-mannered young men that helped make this country what it is.”  It became the beginning of what turned into a career of wreckage search-and-rescue for the 2 boys and they are now famous for their discoveries.  The museum hopes the Helldiver will be flying in the air show on August 17-18, 2024.  (Jeff and Matt’s most recent find is steamship SS Pacific.  It sank in 1875 and they found it at Cape Flattery in 1,500 feet of water.)   

That actual Helldiver now, almost
completely restored and
scheduled to fly on Aug. 17-18, 2024

More pictures to do the talking.  

TBM Avenger (Torpedo Bomber)
George H. W. Bush was flying
one of these when he was shot down
over Chichi Jima.

Bomb bay of the avenger

Cessna Bird Dog 
2,400 of these were built.
Its function was recon, help
bombers find their targets 
and then assess damage.  Cool!

This torpedo failed by design (1941).
The props only rotated in one direction
causing the torpedo to veer left 
and miss the target.  It would also 
detonate before it hit the water or
go too deep and miss.
The engineers said that was bullshit,
it worked just fine.  After 3 years,
they completed the redesign.

F4U Corsair
This one was flown by Pappy
Boyington who earned a
 Medal of Honor and Navy Cross.
In all, Pappy shot down 28 Jap
planes.  the Japs called this
airplane, "Whistling Death,"
because they could hear it coming
and that was not a good thing.
(Pappy was a UW graduate!
Go Huskies!)

DGA-1
This plane was designed
and built by Benny Howard
who had a grammar school education.
He called it the DGA for,
"Damned Good Airplane."
Donald Douglas said he was right!
During Prohibition Benny added
an extra tank to the airplane to 
carry whiskey!  I love this man.

PBY Catalina
Patrol bomber built in the 1930s
and 1940s by Consolidated.

PBY Catalina amphibious
One of the most widely used 
seaplanes of WWII.  Served with
every branch of the US armed forces.

T-28C trainer
1,948 were built by
North American.

T-28C trainer at the museum

Restoration shop.  The aces
that work here promise that that
wreck you see there will fly again.

Restoration shop.
Do NOT touch their tools!

The mechanics swear that
this will fly again.

Nose art... looks just like me!

More nose art

And more nose art

Last but not least, a hero of
WWII:  Rosie the Riveter