OT: Castle open cockpit day

[Race 29]

I just got back from the Castle (AFB) museum "open cockpit day". It was the first "OCD" that i've been to, and it seems like it would be a great idea for other museums to do the same. The turnout was great and I'm sure the museum got some major needed funds. The staff at Castle was awesome and very knowledgable. Most of the volunteers had some kind of attachment to the aircraft type they were responsible for (crew chief, pilot, etc), and had some great stories. Helicopter rides were available, as well as some great BBQ! They even had a flyby from a USCG HC-130. The pictures below are of the museum's SR-71 Blackbird. I'll try to post some of the Consolidated B-36, and Avro Vulcan later on tonight.

I had to size these down, so send me a PM if you want the full size one.
Ye be warned, I ain't no Victor Archer!

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[Eric]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Even got a gilmpse of the start cart for the Blackbird in one of those photos. AGE representing!

[Race 29]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Here's the pictures of the B-36. With only 4 remaining in the world, I felt pretty lucky to go inside! You'll notice that most of the instruments have been removed from the main panel. Although you can stand up on both levels of the main deck, there really isn't much room inside. This beast held a LOT of fuel! The volunteer for the B-36 told me that this type has the record for the longest unrefuled flight. Something like 32 hours aloft! A huge feat considering she has SIX R-4360's!

In the first picture, she looks like she's smiling from all of the attention she's getting!

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[Race 29]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

The Vulcan shots. This is the only Vulcan on display in the United States. England has one that a group is trying to make airworthy. What a sight that would be! I can remember growing up on McClellan AFB, whenever a Vulcan landed there, almost the whole base would stop and watch it! As with most bombers, I was struck by how small the flight deck is. The Vulcan had a crew of five (small) men. Two pilots and 3 systems operators. Overall, the interior of the Vulcan looked the most authentic and almost looked flight ready. The volunteer that looks after her has made a website about her: www.vulcanxm605.20m.com

I'll try to post some more misc. shots tonight.

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[Peashooter]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Any info on the very last B-36 flight?

[AirDOGGe]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

I remember seeing the Blackbird there in the mid-late 90's (before they had the B-36 on display). Looks like it's holding up better in it's outdoor display location that I expected it to. The Vulcan too, as I saw it there even before the SR-71, over two decades ago (I have family in Atwater and nearby Merced, so I've been to Castle's outdoor museum several times).

I still haven't seen a B-36 up close yet, so I think it's time for another visit. Thanx for posting the pics

P.S....How's the B-50 looking these days? It appeared a bit rough the last time I was there. The plexiglas was quite yellowed, and cracked in someplaces.

[Peashooter]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Re: the last B-36 flight...

http://www.cowtown.net/proweb/last_one.htm

[Race 29]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

I might be mistaken, but I think the B-36 guy said this one was flown to Castle sometime in the mid-80's with it being the last B-36 flight. Admitedly, my brain was on overload at the time. I couldn't believe I was in a B-36!!! One thing I have to say about seeing it in person, it is capitol H-U-G-E!!!!! It easily dwarfed everything else in the park including the B-52.

The B-50 really didn't look all that bad. The museum staff did a pretty good job washing most of the aircraft (the B-50 included), but plexiglass deteration is difficult to stop in the central valley sun. Almost all of the planes could use a new panel here or there. They seriously need to hire some kid with a BB gun, give him a pepsi, a bag of M&M's and a lawn chair, and let him get rid of some of the disrespectfull birds! Do we really need THAT many pigeon's?!! It was hard to see the B-50's motors because of the chicken wire that was stuffed into each nacele. There does look like there's some effort to polish it up. Some sections near the cockpit were almost mirror finish. I've included some interior shots from the B-50. Unfortunatly I didn't take any of the exterior. Oops!

Race 29
(No animals were harmed in the writing of this post)

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Hey Larry... thanks for sharing your trip!

I went to Castle in 2001 (man, didn't believe it was that long ago till I looked at the dates on the digis!)

They have a challenge on their hands there to keep these airplanes in acceptable shape. As will any outside museum.

When I was there, the birds had been wreaking their havoc for quite sometime and the airplanes were pretty dirty, overall..

An impressive collection, wish there were some way to get them all inside hangar space!

I didn't get inside any of them, but did remember to get the outside of a few...

Good work and keep em coming, getting inside them has to be an extremely rare gig!

Wayne

[Blue Foam]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Wish I'd been able to make it. I'd like to think that we could find enough gauges to re-fill the B-36 panel. I have to wonder if the missing star tracker and mission unit on the SR-71 is STILL classified...

I could be wrong, though I remember visiting Castle in the late 90's when the B-36 had just come on display. The docent told me that they had to disassemble, and even cut certain major assemblies to get it there and then weld and bolt it back together. Never mind the birds. That museum has done more with less than any other I've ever seen. Yes, several other air museums have immaculate collections kept inside, and I give to every one of them when I visit for the sake of their tireless work. Castle holds a special place in my heart for minimal funding and maximum number of historically significant bombers. Some pretty obscure fighters too...

If you ever get out there, go out on the Christmas tree (alert pad area) and stand where the B-52's were parked on alert status. It's easy to see from the oil and fuel scars on the ramp where the engines were and what the outline of the ship was. These guys had live, multi-megaton payloads 24/7/365. In the alert shack were the crews and off to the side, the radar that told you how long you had to get off the ground before an SS-18 incinerated your family in the post housing. Dr. Stranglove never had it so good...

Call me weird, but when I was there you could still feel the menace of the war that never happened.

On another note, the alert fighter hangers are a real piece of work. They have doors on both front and back, counterweighted and hydraulicly powered to open in a little over a second. Steel, 50' wide x 30' high doors. Cool stuff. Imagine sitting in your F-102 waiting for the raid warning coming over the horizon. Light the fire and roll out to lauch your "Genie" nuclear air-to-air missles at the incoming bomber formations!

Good thing the cold war is over. While we remember today all those who gave their lives in defense of freedom, remember those who stood ready; and in doing so, prevented a war that we could never have recovered from.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Yea, I remember reading about Castle's B-36 (actually an RB-36H) being shipped to the museum in pieces. There's a website on the net somewhere that had a pretty good write-up on the project. I'll have to relocate it.

Meanwhile, this site provides an inventory of the many aircraft at Castle, and provides some pictures too:

http://www.aero-web.org/museums/ca/cam.htm

-------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE:

Here's the RB-36H restoration webpage.....Lots of photos of the project:

http://www.air-and-space.com/castlb36.htm

Judging by the dates, I guess it must have been the early 90's the last time I visited, as the RB-36 wasn't displayed but the Blackbird was. The biggest aircraft on display then was the B-52, with a Hound Dog missile displayed beneath one wing.

.

[Race 29]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Wayners,
Thanks! The rarity didn't escape me! Castle has an "Open Cockpit Day" once a year. It's cool to be able to see into the past like that, although they don't let you accually sit in the cockpit. I figure it's really a good thing for preservation. I've scoped out Castle before, and unfortunatly there isn't enough hanger space to house the collection indoors. My impression is that they do pretty good with what they have.

Airdog, your right on the "RB-36". It's a recon version. I also seem to remember seeing something in the newspaper years ago about it being trucked in. Unfortunatly, at the time I was being told about how it got there, I had a gentleman telling me he used to fly "These SR-51's in WWII". Yes, he called it an SR-51!! And in WWII!! He told me of a whole bombing story over Japan. I couldn't tell if he was just BS' ing me or if he had a real problem. I said a Prayer for him last night.

Eric, I wondered the same thing! The display was gone, but the unit is still there. I made sure to get a picture of the unit behind the RSO station. With the sun beating down on it for the past couple years, I don't think it can make out too many stars!!!

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[Race 29]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Here's the missing Star Tracker photo!

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[airnaut2008]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

Here's a few shot's I took on my last visit to the museum back in March 06.

[Curt]

Re: OT: Castle open cockpit day

I have some shots of the 36 when it was on display
At Chanute AFB when i was in school there -1979 1980-

Big Moving Job !