Lost Airplane Graveyard (Ep. 1 Seg 2)

[MoreBankrBailoutsPLZ]

2:03 that Saber deserves to fly again,just to beautiful

[trancemuziek]

r they served on vietnam? most of them is vietnamwar era

[StreetRodDude]

Cool stuff

[Velotracer]

That looks like a B-17 at the 1 minute mark. And maybe an F-86 sabre cat at the 2 minute mark. Unfortunately, by the time he dies, there wont be anything left of these planes.

[GhostofCicero]

@Velotracer It's a B-25.

[smokeyhunterparrot]

@Velotracer It's a b-25 Mitchell medium bomber, not a b-17.

[TheBByamashiro]

i want so much to see a survive japan battleship:') but nooo you americans destroy everything....sounds pretty cool huh? thubs down from me

[jondatyoo2B]

For all you arrogant arm-chair quarterbacks, why didn't _you_ save these aircraft from the recyclers? You weren't born yet, you say?

Soplata at least had the vision to save what he could, and for a farmer without a rich sugar-daddy backer, I'd say he did pretty well. He's probably got the ONLY B36 in existence, IIRC. So, instead of bitching, how about helping one of the many Warbird restoration organizations already in-existence, and help restore some of these pieces of history???

[tradeaplanetv]

@jondatyoo2B There are actually 4 other B-36's still in existence. The YB-36 in the Soplata collection originally belonged to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Pat and was displayed in the 50's and 60's. When a new museum complex was built, it was determined that it would actually be cheaper to fly in another B-36 to the new facility than to transport the YB-36 from the old facility. The old YB-36 was cut into parts in 1972 and Mr. Soplata transported them to his farm by truck.

[jondatyoo2B]

@tradeaplanetv Thank-you for that update. Do you know where the other two are? Are they flyable? (my guess is "no", that would be pretty major overhead, and I like to think I'd have noticed an article if one was). Is the current Wright-Pat craft airworthy? Thanks again for your input.

[tradeaplanetv]

@jondatyoo2B 52-2827 is at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. It has been meticulously restored for static display but is not airworthy. 52-2217 is on display at the Strategic Air Command Museum in Ashland Nebraska. It is not airworthy, but is receiving an ongoing static restoration. 51-13730 is on display at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA and is not airworthy.

[tradeaplanetv]

@jondatyoo2B The one at Wright-Pat is 52-2220 and was flown to the museum in April 1959. Although I would hesitate to call it completely airworthy, it is probably the closest to being ready to fly than all of the others.

[jondatyoo2B]

@tradeaplanetv Thank-you again, I really appreciate you taking the time to provide this info. I was looking at some old pix of B-36s that had suffered damage (on the ground) during a tornado back in the 50s, and wondered what happened to the survivors.

[CaptJackSpeed]

the rich boys sure found ways to screw this guy out of the most rare stuff. whoever judges this guy needs to get a life. he saved these aircraft, and they are his.

[Jontoronto27]

This is really sad. This guy isn't a collector. Collectors put pride in the planes and would at least remove all the crap from around them. This guy is just a hoarder of crap with an obsession for planes. He cares more about possessing them then taking care of/restoring them.

[Greenhornet270]

that F7U ought to be in a museum somewhere

[TuffBurnOutTeam]

some of those planes need to be restored before they root away very nice planes its a shame there like that

[crpdst2003]

mainly made out very rare Cutlass with that exremely tall nose gear.....skyraider looks more or less intact except for rudder....and B-25 be a nice restoration plane.....

[Tokatt]

whats the music please?

[tradeaplanetv]

@Tokatt It really doesn't have a name. You can find it on freesounds {dot} org. Search for 68155

[GutpileCharlie]

What a waste! That just makes me sick. Yes, they didn't get scraped.....but they might as well have. There are people that would love to try to restore these becautiful old aircraft.

[356butch]

Seeing the B-25 and the TBM just sitting there like that just breaks my heart.

[Briselance]

@356butch

Word.

[kgs42]

Not exactly Museum of the Year .....

Slightly criminal.

[TheEmirates777]

That video is so scary

[TheMrmattpizza78]

@TheEmirates777 why is it scary

[TheEmirates777]

@TheMrmattpizza78 Because of the music

[TheMrmattpizza78]

@TheEmirates777 ooooohhhhhhhh lol my bad

[clearbrainstall]

Mr Soplata needs to rethink and adjust his attitude

[vexviper]

Yeah just dump it over there in a pile on top ot the other ones thanks.

[ostrich67]

Yup, Amma-gonna fix 'em all up someday!

[Segatotheextreme1]

HUNTER HEED THOSE

[RedJoe10]

How mega would it be to have the land and the money to amass a collection of old planes?

[hotrodZack1948]

@brianszoo could have been a pull tractor use to haul planes around an airfield.

[hotrodZack1948]

ugh a b-25! ENVY.

[Maxwellhouse66]

now that he passed away I wonder what his family will do with them?

[illcounttill3]

that idiot shouldnt be allowed to keep them if he cant look after them just sitting outside to perish

[MrFluffy1979]

did i see a wing of a Lancaster Bomber?

[Autobotmech]

this is truly sad, he could atleast put tarps over them...

[s650bandit]

It is an F7U-CUTLASS. It is an early 50' navy plane

[MsCrappants]

i can hear them crying waiting to be useful again and the music fits it perfectly

[Poopingbotham]

Mostly Navy aircraft with folding wings, and very interesting indeed! What's that Brit plane at 1:35 (wings & undercarriage only)?

[mrACEinator]

2:03 is that a ME 262?

[tradeaplanetv]

@mrACEinator No, that is not an ME-262. Those are uber-rare. There have been a couple of new ones constructred recently though.

[ArcticHellfire]

@mrACEinator Seems more like a post WW2 North American F-86 Sabre or FJ-2 Fury..

[mrACEinator]

@ArcticHellfire looking back on it.... i dont know why i said that.... that has to be a sabre

[thunderlock110]

@mrACEinator Thats and F-86 Sabre

[PhantomUAV]

@mrACEinator no its a NA Sabre....frankly, apart from the CV Cutlass, there is nothing but scrap let alone interest here.

[garrittpwl]

@mrACEinator mb its a f4u sabre

[ian8354]

@mrACEinator Its a Sabre !

[Ar1k1]

@mrACEinator Looks like a f86 sabre

[xxxchrist1]

@mrACEinator F86 Sabre I believe.

[SRTST51]

@mrACEinator That is a North American F-86 "Saber" 

[bad74maverick1]

@mrACEinator No it's an F-86 super sabre and this grave yard is located 50 miles from me in Ohio.

[MrJp990]

@mrACEinator F-86 Sabre....

[gammarotor]

@mrACEinator my guess it's a F-86 I don't know witch one.

[356butch]

@mrACEinator That's a variation of an F-86 Sabra Jet used in Korea.

[LiberalsArePigs]

Wrong Turn anyone? LOL

[megatwingo]

Cool video. Sad to see, that not even the holes in Cockpits are sealed with covering sheets against the rain and snow.

Thumbs up for the video!

[MrJp990]

2:02 F-86 SABRE!!! :D

[Jeblueazure]

@gridlocke13 No the fusalage is a skyraider and the prop is either from a C-133 or convair transport. the XF-88 ended its days as a target on a nuke range.

[stefansmom]

was the plane with the upturned wings a corsair?



[bompiberlot]

Para qué este tipo quiere tanta chatarra ? Si por lo menos los reparara...

[vetitoe362]

Im sure we will see these again in a warbird magazine, freshly painted, possibly flying. It sounds and looks like there are some amazing pieces of history here.

[TheAmessz]

Did you know "TAP" Is an portugese Airliner?

[cobrachoppergirl]

What a bunch of junk. You know what needs to be done with this? Someone with a tractor and some know how needs to pull this crap out of the weeds, do some basic put back together job on them, sharp objects taken out, and then each need to be parked at a playground for kids to climb on and sit up in the cockpits, to fire their imaginations. No repaint, no nothing, leave them just like this, diamonds found in the rough to fire a kids dreams, with a ladder to climb up into the cockpit.

[skeligandrew]

@1995marines What?

Grow up asshole, you know how much these planes cost to restore? hundreds of thousands.

And if he didn't take them under his wing they would of been melted down into scrap by now.

[folkrace4life]

This makes me saad :(

[tradeaplanetv]

We couldn't find an XF-88 in the documented list of aircraft that he owned.

[JDK73772]

The one that hurts the most is the Vought F7U that leads off the video, and I believe that was a F-86 Sabre not a Mig in about the 2 min mark

[kaysandesses]

@JDK73772 that is absolutely an F-86. Skyraider, B-25, B-36..... wow. There was a very interesting article on this several years ago in Air & Space, with a very enjoyable account with his children about dismantling and moving some of the planes.

[TheChuck624]

Obviously another crazy old hoarder. Neat stuff, but if it not taken care of then what is the sense in owning it?

[432ps1]

I have never understood people that hoard things in this manner. Sitting in the open and rusting away all while the owner grows older and more senile while refusing to sell at any price. In a way, I feel sorry for these hoarders and have it quite a bit with automobiles too. Sad.

[Ismalith]

Once about a time these aircrafts fight for the whole world and now the world let them die from rust like old rubbish.

Shame too us poeople that we let this happen.

[pilot20066]

wow b-25 a gutless, skyraider

[4crevis]

Wow... is all i can say!

[HuasoPodrido]

Man, a Martin Mauler !!

[wamb17]

Sad sight

[rpar372]

Sadly, Mr. Soplata died last November at the age of 87

[speed150mph]

same thing will happen to him as what happened to a guy who owned a yard full of stuff in my town. he will die, the wife and kids wont give a rats and sell it in an estate sale.

[kbecker204]

@speed150mph They should call the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson They would love to have some of this stuff. At least it would be saved and possibly restored

[weathertap]

I think it is actually an F-86

[ccrosekyle]

Was that a mig at 206

[apatheticempathy]

i believe he did in sell his  F-82 twin mustang.

[dundermuffin90]

how the hell did he get all these aircraft. he can't be rich or anything if there just sitting around like that, he should at least have them IN A HANGAR!!!!

[bondophobic]

sucks that they are just sitting there, but if it wasnt for this guy they probably wouldve been turned into beer cans long ago.

[pacificbound67]

A waste of rare aircraft allowed to simply rot in the bush.

[tradeaplanetv]

You're not alone. A lot of people feel this way. Walt generally wants to see his airplanes restored, however, he only wants static restorations. He is vehemently opposed to his airplanes being restored to flying condition. That being said, over the years, when he has needed money, he has let a few slip out of his collection and some of those have been restored to flying condition.

He has a particularly large number of prototypes, including the prototype B-36 and the prototype Twin Mustang.

[CptPunisher]

@tradeaplanetv Kermit Weeks would love to see this stuff fantasy of flight

He has one of the world largest collection here in Florida. If I was you guys I would let him know if you have not already