[Milsurplus] B-36 run-up

[Bill Strangfeld]

That's Walter Soplata near Cleveland.  I believe he got that B-36 from the Air Force Museum in Dayton.  The story was that he hauled it home himself in pieces on a trailer.  I saw his collection way back in the 1970s when he still allowed visitors.  Absolutely astonishing.  He bought many WW2 aircraft when they were dirt cheap.  There were rows of incredibly desirable machines sitting in the weeds in his back lot.  I remember Corsairs but don't have a list of what else was there.  He fired up a trainer for us that he had sitting in the front yard at the time.  Might have been a T-28  It was a long time ago.  

Unfortunately he no longer lets anyone in.  Here's a little more info:

http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/museums/oh/wasac.htm

By the way, the Air Force Museum still has a B-36 on display.  They've been doing great things there and there are a lot of new displays.  Visited last week and saw a nice Eureka system on display next to their C-47.  It's at the feet of a mannequin in paratrooper gear carrying a BC-611.  Worth a visit if it rains at the Dayton hamfest again this year.

Bill Strangfeld

----- Original Message -----

> Some guy had a bunch of aircraft stored on his farm in Ohio, IIRC. One
> was a B-36 he bought at auction, cut into sections for easier hauling
> and used as storage for a P-38 and couple other planes. Not sure if
> he's still alive and if not, what happened to the stuff. He had row
> after row of aircraft stashed here and there. Lived up a small road,
> too - must've been interesting getting the B-36 up there, even in
> pieces!