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This has got to be the most stamped tank I've ever seen. Like to see someone duplicate this in a Model .

T55

Hull Stampings
1
2
3
4
5a
5b
6
7

Turret
a
b

Joe,

Is that Davis-Monthan? When were (are?) you in AZ?

I'm in Washington right now, but I'd buy you a beverage if you are then when I get back next week...

Chuck

Appreciate the offer Chuck,

Yep, Davis-Monthan. Bone yard was quite interesting too, but a lot of the older birds are gone now . I'm home now, did a turn and burn to Tuscon, was only there 24 hours for my cousins' wedding. Would've stayed longer but had to be back to close on my new house. The old Crown Vic (PI model) was fun to run in the Desert between here and there, Especially through West Texas on I-10/and I-20. Still was too long of a drive.

That's not a T55. It started out as a T54, then the IDF got a hold of it and converted it in to a Tiran 4. Main ID feature for a T54, the ventaltor on top of the turret. Also the so called "Z" weld on the front slope. ID features for a Tiran are the front fenders and the U.S. sstyle AMU. Almost all T54/55 OPFOR tanks the U.S. got were Tirans from the IDF.

I figured someone would ID her properly,

Register had her as T54/55. Thanks.

Thanks!! Very nice pictures, seems to be a Czech built tank (MHY).

Any pictures of the T-72 over there?

Off topic, are there still F-106's at the bone yard left? Last time I was there they were converted to QF-106. Very beautiful aircraft

Regards,
Lesley

Lesley,

No sign of the T72, but I had a limited time there. All the F106's are gone, along with all the other interesting/older aircraft from what I saw , The F106 is one of my favorites, growing up we had them at the Air Base my Dad was stationed at. Oldest Fighters I seen were former Navy F4's along with some MiG 21 and 17's.

- Joe_D

Lesley,

No sign of the T72, but I had a limited time there. All the F106's are gone, along with all the other interesting/older aircraft from what I saw , The F106 is one of my favorites, growing up we had them at the Air Base my Dad was stationed at. Oldest Fighters I seen were former Navy F4's along with some MiG 21 and 17's.

Hi,

I'll track down the T72 in the next week or two, after I get back to Tucson. I'm pretty sure I know where to look for it.

The older aircraft at D-M have slowly been dwindling for a number of years. They are victims of two different factors:

First, the mission of the boneyard became Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Command (AMARC) about 15 years back. The emphasis shifted from storage to salvage, repair, replacement and reconditioning of aircraft and parts. It was pretty obvious that the older aircraft weren't going to be returned to service, and the parts were pretty much obsolete. Once every MAP program country that used a particular model switched to a newer aircraft, there was simply no point in keeping them.

The second factor is that AMARC has a limited amount of space to absorb the reduction in active forces in the last 20 years. Most of the aircraft we use now are largely the same as they were during the Cold War, and a lot of MAP program nations use those airframes. So, it's not desirable to get rid of them. Since we also have more current aircraft than we can actually fly at one time, there is also a fleet rotation program that stores high-hour airframes and rotates lower-hour ones in the fleet. To make room for the new aircraft (which have parts and bits that can be reused, even if the entire aircraft will never fly again), the older aircraft had to go. Since they weren't worth much more that scrap, they went away.

If you want to see the old airplanes, visit the Pima Air Museum on Valencia Rd. They got first swipe at pretty much anything that D-M was getting rid of, so they have examples of most of them including some pretty unique stuff. The AF Museum still steals stuff they decide they want, but there are lots of cool aircraft still at Pima.

Chuck

Thanks in advance!