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Tag Archives: Chino

P-38′s in Chino at Planes of Fame – Honey Bunny, Glacier Girl, and three others…

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

P-38 Honey Bunny in Chino at Planes of Fame

Last week  5 of the 7 still flying P-38s flew from Chino to the Sacramento Capital airshow at Mather for the weekend show.   John Maloney flew chase in a P-51!

The fighters joined up over Lake Mathews for a photo shoot and then climbed up and headed north to Mather.  Along the way Hinton decided they would buzz Shafter where his son was preparing “Stega” for the Reno Races.  The WWII  fighters went screaming by the hangar all in a row at about 300 MPH!   The Air Museums P-38  23 Skidoo cracked a head so they followed her to descent at FAT and then pressed on.   At one point in the flight Maloney came from behind in the Mustang and dove down the right of the formation and pulled up into a giant exaggerated barrel roll around the rather loose goose formation so the camera man could snap a photo thru the canopy of the Mustang as he was inverted over the P-38 flight.  Sounds like fun!

Other P-38′s that made it to Mather included Ruff Stuff, Thoughts of Midnight, and Tangerine.

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Bell X-2 StarBuster Replica

Friday, September 3, 2010

Replica Bell X-2 at Planes of Fame

In the back lot of the Planes of Fame Museum located in Chino, CA is a full-size replica of the Bell X-2 StarBuster research aircraft (s/n 46-674). The replica was built and used as a prop in the 1989 pilot episode of the NBC TV series “Quantum Leap”. It was also used in several other movies, including “Space Cowboys”.

Constructed out of fiberglass and foam in less than 10 days, it now sits, wingless, on a wheeled dolly poking its nose between two trees. Even after sitting outside for many years, it is still in remarkably good condition.

The X-2 was a very significant test vehicle, and was instrumental in advancing high-speed aerodynamic research. On 27 September 1956, Capt. Milburn G. “Mel” Apt, flying the real X-2, became the first man to fly faster than three times the speed of sound (Mach 3.196). Unfortunately, he lost control of the aircraft when returning to Edwards and died in the escape capsule. The wreckage was recovered, and although many of the engineers wished to rebuild it, it was ultimately buried in an unmarked grave somewhere on Edwards Air Force Base.

For more information on the real Bell X-2, visit A SHADOW OVER THE HORIZON, THE BELL X-2 by Robert W. Kempel with Richard E. Day

Bell X-2 with no wings

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Planes of Fame Visit

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Planes of Fame

I recently visited the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino California. What a wonderful place to visit and stroll through dozens of old classic birds.  Where else can you find a perfectly restored Corsair and Mustang along side a B-29 fuselage waiting for some loving care?

The Air Museum was founded by Edward Maloney, who recognized the importance of preserving WWII aircraft at a time when most of these planes were being cut up into scrap metal. The Air Museum was the first permanent air museum west of the Rocky Mountains. It officially opened its doors to the public in January 1957, with an initial collection of six aircraft and a great deal of hope for the future.  Of the museum’s approximate 150 aircraft, 30 are flyable. On a typical Saturday, you may see two P-51 Mustangs fly by escorting a B-25 Mitchell bomber, or a Grumman F6F Hellcat with a Chance-Vought Corsair making a formation overhead approach to the airport.

B-29 Fuselage P-51 in hanger P-39 in Hanger

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