A neighbor did knock on the door and ask for me. That's very odd, it's the first time in the nine years that I've lived at my current address that someone has come to the house and asked to see me. It was a neighbor from down the street. Nice guy, I see him when I'm out walking, sometimes we talk.
He remembered that I like airplanes and ask if I could look at a model collection that he and his wife found in their attic. It was an unexpected find, they thought the all of the old airplane model stuff was gone. It belonged to his father in-law. Now, he and his wife are trying to figure out what they have and what they should do with it. I told him I would take a look at it.
Later that day, a guy walks into a bar. It's me walking into what used to be a garage but is now my neighbor's bar. Pass through the bar, down some steps and there are three tables with the models. Ah, these aren't plastic models or RC models. These are desktop display models and aircraft ID models. These belonged to a career Army Air Force and Air Force officer. Turns out my neighbor's father in-law flew B-26s (Baby Bumps and Baby Bumps II) in WW2. The collection includes a couple of B-26s and a lot of transports and jets from the 50s and 60s (F-86s, F-89, F-94, F-100, F-105, F4, Cutlass, C-119...oh and an X-1). There were also some wooden models that has seen better days. I found the wooden models to be the most interesting since the airplanes predate WW2.
The XP-23 needs a bit of work but looks like it could be put back together and restored to it's former glory. The B-2 and B-4 are not busted up like the XP-23. Was very surprised to see them.
I know his wife is trying to find a good home for them. They've been looking, online, for links to model collectors and collectors clubs. If anybody has any recommendations, I'd be happy to pass them along. Kevin
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