Davis Monthan Pictorial

Again, a decade and a half later Vietnam provided a rebirth for numerous COIN-type aircraft of WWII vintage that were in storage at Davis-Monthan. Today, a war in Europe involving US forces would see the activation of large numbers of stored Phantoms, Cobras, Hercules and Iroquois helos. In fact, when a fire at Nowra in 1976 destroyed the bulk of the RAN’s Tracker fleet, RAN officers were quickly deployed to Davis-Monthan to investigate acquiring replacement aircraft.

Today, most of the aircraft are of 1950s vintage. There are literally hundreds of C-97 and KC-97, C-121 and EC-121 Constellations and scores of Dakotas, C-123s, C-130s and C-118s. There is a large number of helicopters including the Loach, Iroquois, CH-53 and CH-47 Chinook and a veritable forest of Hughes 300s parked together in never-ending rows. More modern aircraft are represented by the early model US Navy F-4 Phantom, F-101, F-102, F-100 and F-105 Century Series fighters.

The odd F-111 was spotted as were about two dozen Lockheed S-3 Vikings. In mentioning the more modern types, it is worth pointing out that more than half of the aircraft that fly into Davis-Monthan will ultimately be returned to active service; in the short term, they are merely surplus to current requirements. The remainder are stored till tactically they are well beyond operational worth; aircraft such as the C-118, C-97 and C-121 fall into this category. Upon being declared unserviceable they are towed to the “graveyard” section of MASDC where they are finally broken down into hulks. Of the 200-odd B-52s at DM, about a quarter are in the graveyard- an awe-inspiring sight for any lover of fine aeroplanes.

Aircraft can be stored indefinitely because of Tucson’s meagre rainfall, 10-20 per cent humidity, and alkaline soil, all of which contribute to a minimum of aircraft deterioration and corrosion.

In addition, the soil, caliche, is very hard, making it possible to simply park the aircraft in the desert without having to provide concrete or steel parking ramps for them.

Before the aircraft are parked, they go through a preservation process. First, the ejection seat charges, guns, classified material, and any pilferable items are removed.

Fuel is drained from the aircraft and the tanks are then pumped full of lightweight oil and again drained, leaving a film of oil to preserve the fuel system. The aircraft hydraulics and tyres are serviced to normal standards.

The bottom half of the aircraft is not sealed so that circulating air can prevent condensation. The engine intakes and exhausts are covered with paper. Any gaps or cracks in the upper half of the aircraft skin are taped. Then the tape and paper, along with any easily damaged surfaces such as fibreglass radomes, fabric control surfaces, and canopies, are covered with a vinyl plastic compound called “Spraylat”. The Spraylat, which is applied with a spray gun, keeps the water and dust out, and it prevents the occasional wind storms from sandblasting the windows and canopies.

However, the main purpose of the white Spraylat is temperature control. In the summer, the temperature inside unprotected aircraft can reach 70°C, causing damage to rubber parts and functional components. With the Spraylat covering. The internal temperature is only a few degrees hotter than the surrounding air. This simple process permits aircraft to be stored for many years with a minimum of maintenance.

The halves of the stored aircraft that do not fly again are used as parts. Parts removal is one of the primary reasons for the existence of the centre. In many cases, MASDC is the only available source for needed parts because the expensive production lines were closed long ago. Last year, over 60,000 parts were returned to service.

To give one example of a priority removal; the B-52, when first built, was expected to be in use for about 10 years. The newest B-52 in use came off the assembly line in late 1962 and is expected to remain in service until the turn of the century. Because of the unanticipated length of the B-52 service, some parts are no longer available and must be removed from older B-52s for use on those aircraft still in the air. One such part is called an alligator clamp. The supplier estimated that replacement would cost $100,000 a piece and require 18 months to remanufacture. Even if the Air Force should decide to contract for that part, it cannot wait a year and a half to receive it. MASDC can remove a used alligator clamp for about $580 in less than a week’s time. Priority removal of this sort is one of the situations in which MASDC is an Air Force resource beyond price.

Besides priority removal, MASDC also does routine removal. This occurs when an aircraft is going to be disposed of completely. Working from a “save list”, MASDC employees remove every required usable part, especially such items as radios and flight instruments that are common to several aircraft types. Precious metals, such as the platinum in sparkplug tips and the gold wire in some electronic systems, are also removed. Contractors then buy the hulks, consisting mostly of aluminium, and melt them down into ingots for recycling.

NEXT ISSUE: Also located at Tucson is the famous Pima Air Museum which will be the subject of our June issue pictorial. Pima contains some of the rarest aircraft ever built, including Eisenhower’s Constellation, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson’s C-118, an F-107 fighter, an original TWA Connie, plus dozens more. Join us next issue for a visit to one of the world’s most interesting aircraft museums.

1. Permanently surplus to operational requirements, these early modern A and B model B-52s lie dormant awaiting the breaker’s hammer. In the meantime, their spares-value for cannibalisation purposes is most useful, and though long grounded, these particular aircraft will ensure that the G and H model B-52s will continue to remain operational right till the end of this century.
2. McDonnell Douglas F-101 Voodoo aircraft flanked by rows of CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters, most of the latter will re-enter service in the near future.
3. A row of Convair C-131 Samaritan transports in various stages of decay. The C-131 was the military version of the popular CV-240 (the subject of “In Australia Service” next issue) and was acquired by the USAF through the fifties in large numbers.
4. One of the most prolific aircraft at MASDC is the C and KC-97. Some 888 of these twin-deck transport/tankers were built for the USAF; most were replaced by the jet KC-135 Stratotanker within ten years of their entry to service. These aircraft have only recently been phased out of Air National Guard service and will probably never fly again.
5. Among the veterans at MASDC live many younger types as exemplified by this highly modified AC-130 Spectre gunship. No doubt this aircraft, and its numerous brothers, served long and well over Vietnam, a true product of counter-insurgency warfare and the electronic age.
6. A row of UH-1B Iroquois utility helicopters. Most of the Bravo variants were replaced by the larger Hotel model, rendering the earlier type surplus to requirements.

7. A sight familiar to all Australians. Rows of P-2 Neptunes, most of which would still maintain a credible ASW capability in a crisis. There are more than one hundred Neptunes at MASDC.
8. The most symbolic aircraft at MASDC is the giant B-52 Stratofortress. More than 200 of the type are stored here though few are expected to re-enter operational service. If, however, the E and G models were required in an emergency, each aircraft could be fully operational within a few days of specialist servicing. An interesting sidelight to a visit to MASDC is that the stored (many sans engines, wheels and even flying surfaces) B-52s are all noted in the SALT II accords as operational bombers!
9. The F-101 Voodoo served with the USAF through the fifties and sixties, today, however, the “dead” Voodoos make a sad sight as they enter the “graveyard” portion of MASDC
10. Two famous Boeings. In the foreground is one of the first production B-52 Bravo models which was later modified to research Control Configured Vehicle (CCV) flying characteristics. Note movable flying surfaces below and at the side of the flight deck. In the background is the mother of them all the legendary Dash 80 prototype of the commercial 707 and military CIKC-135 family. Dash 80 was donated some years back to the National Aerospace Museum of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC, but due to lack of available space, the famous Boeing is stored at MASDC.
11 and 12 The AMST twins, the McDonnell Douglas YC-15 and Boeing YC-14 are now languishing at DM awaiting better days. These two photos depict both YC-15 prototypes, one wearing company livery, the other in battlefield camouflage with its Pratt & Whitney JT8 engines removed. AMST aircraft are flanked on one side by Stratofortresses and by Neptunes on the other.

13 During WWII the US Navy developed its own specialised version of the Douglas C-47. Designated R4D, the aircraft featured more powerful 1535 hp Wright radials, a new wing and tall assembly in addition to various structural mods. Most of the Dakota family at MASDC are of R4D heritage, and it is estimated that most of these particular aircraft would have ended their service life with many hours of airframe time remaining.
14. Cobra gunships sit in line awaiting the day they can fly the ravines and valleys of a hostile Europe, Middle East, Africa or Asia. These machines will definitely see the active flight line before they too are ultimately replaced by designs currently on the drawing boards.
15. Predecessor to the Lockheed U-2, the Martin RB-57 was basically an Americanised variant of the English Canberra and featured Pratt & Whitney engines along with a 106ft wingspan which allowed the aircraft to operate at altitudes of 60,000ft.
16. Three of the best. A North American F-100 Super Sabre last in service with the Air National Guard, a Lockheed C-121 freighter and a Grumman Albatross. The Albatross is currently the subject of a refurbishment program designed to return the type to service as a feeder liner in resort areas such as the Caribbean.
17. Enough to make a RAN pilot wince. This row of Skyhawks is headed by a late model A-4M Skyhawk II which in attack capability is far more advanced than our own somewhat depleted force of A-4G models. The large number of Skyhawks in storage at DM will eventually filter through to Third World air arms in the ground support role.
18. Boeing AMST YC-14 sans GE CF6 turbofan. AMST never took off as a Hercules replacement, owing to the high per-unit cost of the aircraft and the high fuel consumption as compared with the C-130. The emergence of effective man-portable SAMs also has made the tactical use of the aircraft a doubtful operation.