There wer 3 TBMs in Israel in the early 1980ties. Stuart Howe photographed them for FlyPast, and were on sale for 10.000 uds the 3. The point was/is that nobody in my country cares for a TBM, although we had around 78 of them. A few months ago I was asked by an organisation to “have a look around what was there”. This might end to nothing, but maybe it won’t. Now, I know of 2 TBMs in Israel, have no clue where the 3rd is. So the IAFM is holding them for swap? Might be possible, depends on what they want. Is there a contact person in Israel?The canopies on the TBM 3U is more or less the same as the TBM 3S. By the way, in the 70ties, there were also 7 to 10 Avenger sprayers in Greece. Did they ever leave? BW Roger

Still looking for a static Avenger (without turret, almost empty shell will do fine). Have lost track on what is around. BW Roger

Somewhere in Holland, this aircraft fuselage is in use as an observation tower. It is said to be a Dakota, but I think it is somehing else. Got the pics mailed in, have no clue where it is exactly

Who van identify the machine?

Nice site, didn’t know it. A few years ago, the remains of a SCW 109 were salvaged from what is now Barcelona airport. It crashed there in soft terain, and was recovered from there when big construction works had to be done on the runway. BW Roger

When you look at the enclosed pics, the first one is showing Memphis Belle after the 25th mission. The other pic shows it in 1961. When you have a look at the pin up, the bombs, swastikas and the lettering, you see that everything has been painted over. So what you see on the machine isn’t even original, and that is only the paint. And that was only 16 years after the war! So how will it be preserved/restored? Wouldn’t be surprised as it will emerge as the 1961 Memphis Belle.

For me one of the biggest disasters was the rebuilding of the sole surviving TBM-3W2 in the world into a standard TBM-3E.

BW Roger

To keep on topic

Ex RNethAF Spitfire XIV MT853 looked very similar as a target at the Harskamp shooting range in the Netherlands during the early fifties. I have seen a pic of it with the tail shot off and the prop buried in the ground.

However there are still rumours about an old aircraft with a bubble canopy in a barn, but where have we heard that before.

Cheers

Cees

Around 1974/75 this bubble canopied aircraft with 5 prop blades was mentioned/seen in a garage in Malde (or is it Malden) near Nijmegen, where I lived at the time. It was in a bad condition, and it was said to be a from nose to halfWay the fuselage. Didn’t investigate it as we were thinking that hunting/searching for German helmets was more interesting in our free time.

BW Roger

The aircraft that is on display at Kermit’s place is the Ex West German Air Force 1 aircraft.

The Starliner was never operated by any airforce. The Luftwaffe never operated any Connie variant.