WIX Archives

Re: San Nicholas Island

Posted by Mick on Wed Feb 13, 2002 05:48:52 PM

In reply top San Nicholas Island posted by bdk on Wed Feb 13, 2002 03:30:47 PM

I asked about these months ago on the WW forum but never got an answer.
This is what it says in the 1992 Michael O'Leary book Grumman Cats...........

"As we go to press, restorer Roy Stafford has recovered over half a dozen damaged F6F-5K airframes from San Nicholas Island off the California coast where the Navy has a large drone base. It is hoped that at least one of the aircraft can be rebuilt into a flyer."

It also says on the next page on the bit about the Bradley air Museum Hellcat recovered from China Lake in 1976.....

"Several wrecks are still on the China Lake range and may eventually yield a few more parts for other restorations."

Now given that the Navy were still denying all knowledge of B29's at China Lake as little as 3 or 4 years ago, and then lo and behold at least two more turn up, one of them very suitable for flying.......I should think it is highly probable that there are still Hellcats and other aircraft still at San Nicholas and China Lake.
In fact I asked about China Lake stuff a couple of weeks back and didn't get an answer to that either (!).
There is an article in Classic Wings mag that shows a burnt-out Hellcat wreck out in the sticks, and a burnt-out B29, it also mentions that there are approx 300 aircraft wrecks at China Lake.......so is anyone looking to do a deal with the navy over them ?

Acoording to the story from the CAF and their finding of all the B29's 30 years ago, the navy denied they had any B29's because they had long ago been logging them as targets instead of aircraft, so the pen-pushers were not aware they actually had any aircraft there, and the same is probably true of San Nicholas Island......hopefully.

I don't have the third edition of the WW directory so are these Roy Stafford Hellcats listed in it, I've never seen them listed or mentioned anywhere else at all ?
Perhaps Mr O'Leary spoke too soon about them being recovered and that something maybe went wrong with the deal and they are still there waiting for someone else......?

TaTa
Mick



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