An Abandoned Graveyard for Abandoned Airplanes

In northeast Ohio, there's a sizable collection of vintage aircraft rotting away in an overgrown meadow. Amassed by an obsessed aircraft enthusiast over the course of several decades -- mostly during the 1950s and 1960s -- the collection is familiar to many vintage warbird enthusiasts, but less well-known to the general public.

Reader Michael Wendell contacted Telstar Logistics recently to share his experiences visiting the site, and to share a gorgeous video he took on the property. Describing his interaction with Walter, the owner of the collection, Michael writes:

He may be a bit of a hoarder. While I didn’t see inside their house, I did see that junk seemed to be stacked high against every window. During our discussion he told me that the Federal government changed the rules regarding surplus airplane purchases because of him, tightening them down to the point that he hasn’t purchased a plane since the 1970’s. Since then he’s switched to literature about airplanes, other magazines and books, and all kinds of toys and dolls. In addition to his home, which is full, he has a few large storage units or a barn or something which is full. He was saying that he needs to spend some time sorting it all out, and that he plans to do that, but it sounded like very wishful thinking to me. He’s currently in his mid-eighties, and explained that his heart isn’t very good.

He spoke at length about the P-51, and how it would torque right over on throttle-up, killing lots of young pilots, including many who bought the planes as surplus after the war. He talked about religion and politics a little; I just listened and he seemed to enjoy it. Eventually, he showed me around, but it was getting hot and he was getting tired.

In addition to the airplanes shown clearly in the videos, there’s a B-36 in pieces and some other huge tanker, both forming the north wall of the property. There are sheds and sheds of parts and pieces, and every airframe is stuffed to the gills with... more stuff. Everything is suffering from the harsh lake-effect snows in the area and 30+ years of exposure.

Here's Michael's video. It's lovely and haunting:

Images: From top, a Vought F7U Cutlass, a North American B-25 Mitchell, and a Douglas Skyraider. Screen grabs via Michael Wendell.

Comments

[Ben]

THe Soplata place is (in)famous. A great story from a while back

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/soplata.html

[Troy Paiva]

Spectacular location. I need a patron to get me there to shoot it . . .

[Kevin]

This guy and his 'yard' sound very much like a chap I did an article on in south-eastern Ontario about a year ago (http://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2009/080-eFLYER-FA01-RiseAgain.html Part 1 & http://www.barnstormers.com/eFLYER/2009/081-eFLYER.html Part II). Vince O'Connor has been dealing in surplus aircraft purchased from Crown Assets, the Canadian governments group that disposes of military assets that have been struck off strength. He is in his 70s and has some health issues, and doesn't know how much longer he'll be able to deal with it all. There are airplanes strewn around the property in various states of disrepair and tens of thousands of parts from Lancaster bomber turrets to multiple fuselages and wing sections for Bolingbrokes, a number of Harvard/T-6 wings, and T-33 fuselages and wings.
I'm sure there are other people in Canada and the USA who have vintage and/or classic airplanes tucked away on their properties or inside barns and hangars that we may one day see in the air again, or maybe tucked under the wing of a B-29 or Halifax bomber in a museum. Let's hope that none of it goes for scrap!

[Ron]

I've been to Vince's place North East of Toronto. I bought parts from him. If you were in Vince's house you would not forget it. At that time (many years ago now) he had a Lysander WWII vintage aircraft, in a state of reconstruction in his livingroom!!! of all places. He had a trap door which opened up to a cornucopia of aircraft parts in his basement... Heck he even had a Rolls Royce Merlin Engine in his driveway... not to mention the Yale (Havard trainer variant) sitting in his front yard.. Again.. this is 20 years ago.. I didn't know that Vince was still there!!!