Posted By Kevin M. Pearson on March 08, 2006 at 09:24:53:
In Reply to: Scrapped B-17 airplanes posted by jeffry pages on March 08, 2006 at 06:51:51:
Yes, brand spankin' new B-17s were scrapped after the war, but there weren't many - records are sparse on this subject. The government tried to sell surplus a/c following the war, but a gerneral outcry from the aviation industry, anxious to manufacture a/c for the civilian and commerical market, forced the scrapping of many a/c, some brand new. Although the airframes were scrapped, engines, bombsights, instruments and other components were salvaged, and the aircraft that once ruled over the crumbling remains of the Third Reich became lawn chairs, swing sets, and aluminum pots and pans.
Many of the newer a/c, were sold as surplus and used in a variety of civilian roles from fire fighting to personal shuttle. The Air Corps acquired the better surplus a/c and used them for many purposes, not the least of which was drone aircraft for the atomic and hydrogen bomb testing.
A brand new B-17 in 1947 sold for $15,000, a P-51 for $3,500 to $5,000.
Norden bombsights were collected. New, the Sperry Norden cost the government $10,000 to $15,000 each (depending on the time during the war), and following the war, a person could acquire one for $10 to $15!
Talk about depreciation!
Kevin