Where are B-1A's stored at?

Nov 14, 2004 5 Replies

Does any one know if B-1A 0158 and 0160 are both located in Denver. 0158 was supposed to be a weapons trainer at Lowry and 0160 is supposed to be at the Wings Over the Rockies Aviation and Space Museum. Also any pictures? Thanks Steve


"Steve Jahn" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I was in loader school at Lowry (what a kick ass base!) in 88 and there was no Bone there. We had F-4/15/16/111, A7/10 and the midsection of a B-52. I think they had the Bone at Sheppard after they closed Lowry and moved loader school there.

TF

Lowry only has one B-1. It is the #3 proptotype. I don't know the tail number. Wings Over the Rockies is Lowry. They turned Hangar #1, which was the 462X0 training area, into the museum. The B-1 was for display only and not used as a load trainer.

Vern

Steve Jahn wrote:

As already mentioned by one of the posters, one of the proto- types _IS_ at the Wings Over the Rockies air museum. Al- though not in pristine condition, it is very well kept, and located indoors taking up a large percentage of the hangar space. I was just there back in January and the museum has some ex- traordinary finds. My favorite was the FICON RF-84 that's in the process of being restored.

Email me and I'll check to see if I still have some pics of the Bone or not. snipped-for-privacy@mnstate.diespammerdie.edu [remove the diespammerdie]

"Drew Hill" wrote in news:41979692$1@news.702com.net:

Now they just need a B-36 to hang it from.

I am the Space Collections Curator and FB-111A "crew chief" at the Wings Over The Rockies Museum in Denver on the former Lowry AFB and I can offer some additional info.

Our museum is currently the home to the No. 3 B-1A prototype (s/n

74-160). This aircraft was disassembled into about 40 pieces and trucked to Lowry in 1987 still wearing its three-tone desert camouflage. It was reassembled and repainted with the then operational three-tone gray and green camouflage which it currently wears. This aircraft was used as a weapons loading trainer and was accessioned to the Wings Over The Rockies Museum by the USAF Museum after Lowry closed in October, 1994 and the Museum opened in December, 1994. The Museum also acquired the related AGM-86B ALCM cruise missiles, B-61 special weapons. A little known fact is that most of the USAF aircraft in display in museums are actually "owned" by the USAF Museum and are "on loan".

The No. 1 B-1A prototype (s/n 74-158) was last dispositioned at Rome Air Development Center in New York. The current whereabouts of this aircraft is somewhat of a mystery. In preparing a research paper for the Museum on the topic of the B-1 prototypes, I called the B-1 program office for information. No one there knew for sure what had happened to the No. 1 B-1A. I had some information that indicated that No. 1 might have been dismantled with the weapons bay being used as a weapons loading trainer and they said that was certainly possible. There is also information suggesting that No. 1 may be in storage at Edwards AFB. I'd be interested if anyone had definite info on the fate of B-1A No. 1.

And to complete the story, the No. 2 B-1A crashed on Aug 29, 1985 and the No. 4 B-1A was recently moved to the Strategic Air and Space Museum, in Ashland, NE after being on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton for number of years. The USAF Museum now has a production B-1B to take its place.

More information about the Wings Over The Rockies Museum can be found at:

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Martin

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