136433:  Valiant Air Command, Titusville, FL

On July 16, 2021, I visited 136433 at the Valiant Air Museum in Titusville, FL.  This Tracker was in the maintenance hangar to bring it back to air worthiness, or near air worthiness condition, as the museum wants to get all the systems working, but does not plan on flying the aircraft.  It instead will run the engines and do wing fold demonstrations.  It was not specified when these demonstrations would be done.  DDJ 7-27-2021.

It was a pleasant surprise to see 136433 had been moved from its display area in the Vietnam War hangar to the maintenance hangar.   Author's photo added 7-27-2021.

The props have had their five-year Air Worthiness Directive recently completed.  Author's photo added 7-27-2021.

The spare engine for the Tracker is in front of the port engine.  Author's photo added 7-27-2021.

The photos below were taken in July of 2011 in the new VAC display hangar dedicated to Vietnam era aircraft.  There was some working going to determine what it would take to make it air worthy again.  The mechanical team can be seen discussing the issues in the second photo.

Below are photos taken at the Valiant Air Command Air Show in March of 2006.  Included are shots of the weapons bay, flight deck and original radios.

Below are photos taken at the Valiant Air Command Museum in 2001.  Included are the wing fold, engine bay and gear wells.

---

136464:  MAPS Museum at the Akron-Canton, OH Airport January 2008
The Tracker below is currently on display the the MAPS Museum at the Akron-Canton, OH Airport. The following gallery photos were taken at the MAPS Aviation Museum in January or 2008.  Note the documentation in the co-pilot's window indicating damage to the bottom of the right horizontal stabilizer trim tab and the associated photos of the damage.  This aircraft does not belong to MAPS, but to Phil Bamberger in the St. Louis, MO area.  He has it registered under Aviation Business Corporation.

The photo below shows 136464 taxiing up to her parking spot at the 2001 Indianapolis Air Show.

Included in the next series of photos we have shots of the interior, which in this aircraft includes the remains of the number 3 and number 4 stations.  From the left the first photo is of the Number 3 Station, then the number 4, a shot between them into the flight deck, and then looking straight into the aircraft through the door.    

---

136468:  Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, AZ  May 2009

---

136475:  AMARC, Tucson, AZ  May 2010  These photos were taken from inside the Pima Air Museum tour bus that runs for an hour and a half visit of "The Boneyard".  The Tracker is located on the left side of the bus during the tour as it proceeds down Celebrity Row.

---

136486:  Combat Air Museum, Topeka, KS  May 23, 2009   This Tracker last served as a maintenance trainer at NAS Olathe, KS before coming to the Combat Air Museum (CAM) in Topeka, KS.  One of the things that happed to 136486 at Olathe was that the gasoline was drained from the tanks and replaced with water to prevent fire.  Once acquiring the Tracker the CAM spent six months at NAS Olathe preparing the aircraft for flight, including draining the water from the fuel cells, which was a very tedious task.  On or about takeoff the left engine failed and to be replaced, which was provided by the Navy.  The CAM flew the aircraft for several years before it grounded all of its aircraft due to liability issues.

136486 sits in the farthest corner away from the front entrance at the museum in the #2 hangar.  In order to get photos I had to move other items out of the way to get as good as photos as possible  Aircraft specific history is provided in the photos below.

---

136508:  At the Carson City Airport in May 2010 after being flown out of McClellan Airport since May of 2009. - It is now owned by Specline of Carson City which is Rick Clemons company.  Apparently from the photos 136508 will be getting a brand new paint job.   

 

---

At the Cal Fire Maintenance Facility at McClellan Airport, Sacramento, CA May 2009 - The aircraft was at this time being prepared for flight to Carson City, NV.

---

136534:  Kissimmee, FL Airport -

On the ramp of the Kissimmee Air Museum  July 2021

This 135534 in July 2021.  It has been moved from its previous position on the ramp.  The wings have been folded and the propellers removed.  For the wings to be folded, an engine would have needed to be running, unless an external source of 3,000 psi hydraulic pressure was supplied.  The propellers would have also have been on the aircraft at the time of the engine run-ups.  The bombs on the wings were also removed.  The Tracker was deregistered in 2018.  Author's photo added 7-27-2021.

The crew hatch is slightly open and is not secured.  Author's photo added 7-27-2021.

On the ramp of the Kissimmee Air Museum  July 2010

 

---

136560:  Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, AL
This is located at the Southern Museum of Flight on the SE corner of the Birmingham, Alabama Airport in an airpark two blocks west of the actual Museum building.  The Executive Director of the Museum stated there was a plan to re-fence the airpark so that all of the aircraft would be accessible to the public.  Currently, as can be seen, the Tracker and other aircraft are behind the fence.

The museum, along with the airpark, will take about two hours to view.  For myself this also included a five minute drive around the east side of the Birmingham airport to view the Alabama Air National Guard Base Airpark on the north side.  The Museum and airport are just off of I-20/59 and ten minutes east of I-65.  It will be well worth one's time.

These photos were taken in November of 2008.  This time I made arrangements to get inside the fence.

These photos were taken in November of 2006 and larger views can be seen by clicking on the photos..

 

                          

                          

  Master Tracker Photo Page   Special Groups   133090 - 136427   136431 - 136560   136573 - RCN 1600