Cool Field Trip

This weekend I'm headed to Madras Oregon....the well known center of the Aviation universe (not) to view one of the best privately owned collections of fully operational WWII aircraft. Jack Erickson is a wealthy eastern Oregon businessman in logging and wilderness fire-fighting including ventures into a heavy lift helicopter operations. As an Aviation history buff he has accumulated the following very impressive private collection of operational WWII aircraft. Pretty cool personal collection of planes..........

http://www.ericksoncollection.com
Plane	Date of Manufacture	Flight Capable	Notes
P-38L Lightning	March-44	Yes
B-17G	October-44	Yes
P-51D Mustang	June-44	Yes	Served in Australian Air Force
J2F-6 Duck	May-45	No	Restored
F4U-7 Corsair	Mid 1952	Yes	Delivered to French Navy
P-47D Thunderbolt	Mid 1944	Yes
T-6 Texan	May-49	Yes	Evolution of the AT series of Advanced trainers
Douglas DC-3 (Originally delivered as C-47B)	February-45	Yes	Served in Britain, then West German Air Force
Nakajima Ki-43	Unknown, believed to be mid 1943	Yes
PT-17 Stearman	mid 1936	Yes
Bellanca Air Cruiser	April-1945	Yes	One off custom
B-25J	mid 1943	Yes
PBY 5A Catalina	March-44	No	Restored
P2V-7 Neptune	October-61	Yes	Anti-submarine aircraft
Focke-Wulf 190 A8		Yes	replica built by FlugWerk of Germany
Aero L-29 Delphin	Unknown	Yes	Russian Jet trainer
FM-2 Wildcat	July-45	Yes
TBM Avenger	June-45	Yes
A-26 Invader	August-45	Yes
PV-2D Harpoon	Unknown, believed to be 1944	Yes
AD-4W Skyraider	October-52	Yes
SBD Dauntless	January-43	Yes
P-39 Airacobra	Unknown, believed to be 1942	Yes
Messerschmitt Me-109/HA-1112	mid 1944	Yes	Spanish built by Hispano Aviation

Will post some pics when I get back... Can't wait!!!!!!

Spent 4 hours here today.... Too freaking cool.... Will post pictures after I get back. When they say there all operational they mean it... All the planes had oil drip pans under the engines. Talked to a local and they have a 2 day air show every august where they fly all of the planes..... I'll be back..... Pics soon

man id love to be able to go visit there..... it sounds like your in aircraft heaven..... cant wait to see some pics.

After watching these pictures, now I tempted to try the Japanese aircraft...
With so many distractions I will never get my Panther D

Man that's rad; I have been meaning to go visit the Planes of fame museum in Chino Ca.

Some closeup pics of what we're flying
http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P51/P51-5.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P51/P51-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P51/P51-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P51/P51-6.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P39/P39-4.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P39/P39-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P39/P39-2.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P38/P38.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P38/P38-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P38/P38-6.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P38/P38-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/P38/P38-3.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/KI43/KI43-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/KI43/KI43-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/KI43/KI43-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/FW190/FW190-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/FW190/FW190-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/FW190/FW190-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/FW190/FW190-Gear.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUFront.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUBack.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUSide.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUSide2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUBack.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUWing.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Front1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Nose2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Nose1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Side1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Side2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Side3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Side4.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Rear.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B25/B25Tail1.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Front3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Front1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Front2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Engine.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Side1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Side2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Side3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Side4.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Side5.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17/Tail.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Tail.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/B17/B17Belly.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/A26/A26-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/A26/A26-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/A26/A26-3.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/Duck-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/FM2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/FM2-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/FM2-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/FM2-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/L29.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/L29-2.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/P47D.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/P47D-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/P47D-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/P47D-4.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/PBY-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/PBY-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/PBY-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/PBY-4.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/SBD.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/SBD-1.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/SBD-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/SBD-5.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/MiscPlanes/SBD-4.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Mis.../Skyraider.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Mis...kyraider-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/PV2-2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/PV2-3.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/T6.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/PV2-1.jpg

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/Bombsight.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/Camera.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/JapCig.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/RREngine.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/RREngine2.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/Sidecar.jpghttp://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/Misc/Tug.jpg

WOW .... just WOW

Very nice Pnut I just spend 30 min just staring at these pics I just wish i could visit that place .

I know, I was drooling the whole time I was there. The biggest WOW factor is this is not your typical "aviation museum" this is actually an aircraft hanger with all fully operational planes. Can't wait for the airshow in late August where they fly all of the planes over a 2 day show.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AOD_PapaPnut

http://www.decisionsnw.com/picts/F4FU/F4FUFront.jpg

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I've been lusting after an F4U-4, especially an F4U-4C in War Thunder for years.

the picture of the Japanese Hiabusa, made me fly the japs, and hate them, so i bought the american one just to save me the pain of doing the Japanese tree anymore

imagine being the poor SOB stuck in that pod...Closed off from rest of craft,just You and a few .50's to do work with

Damn thats cool.

The pictures have also made me be almost in awe of the work that War Thunder have done to make such incredibly realistic versions in the game

Fantastic! I was at the Air and Space Smithsonian just a week ago, and they had a fighter from each major nation in WW2. They were pretty awesome! I wish that I could fly one of those planes one day!

Awesome pic's my friend, I really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing.

damm dude nice