(8.8.3/8.7.3) id LAA28958 for kats@maxie.com; Wed, 4 Dec 1996 11:35:30
-0500 (EST)
From: Daniel Pawtowski <dpawtows@cray-ymp.acm.stuorg.vt.edu>
Posted-Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 11:35:30 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <199612041635.LAA28958@cray-ymp.acm.stuorg.vt.edu>
Subject: Re: Truth is stranger....
In-Reply-To: <31F6CB57ABA@pc.iu.hioslo.no> from OESTENGEN VEGARD/1EA at
"Dec 4, 96 01:50:52 pm"
To: kats@maxie.com
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 11:35:30 -0500 (EST)
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Well, that sorta thing has happened before.  I recall a couple land-speed
records back in the 60's were set by jet-cars built mostly from
fighter plane parts scrounged out of junkyards.  One or two workable planes
have been built this way.  Most noteable case:  Somebody in the U.S. purchased
an old F-104 Starfire interceptor from the AIr Force.  The military types
were selling it for display purposes only, as they didn't want civillians
flying current-grade fighters (the F-104 was still in use at the time),
so they cut up all the internal wing spars before selling it.  THe plane
couldn't fly.  The purchaser then went north to Canada, found a crashed
F-104 in a junkyard, and salvaged the wing spars.  Put them into his
"new" plane, and took off in it.
  Shortly afterwards, he killed himself by plowing a rather deep hole
in the ground with the plane.  F-104's are _very_ difficult to fly.

  As a result of this, the U.S. military stopped selling old jets in
_any_ form to civilians.  I think they either keep the old ones in
guarded military "mothball" yards, or crush them into unrecognizeable
pieces.  THey're deliberately _trying_ to make sure that nobody can
scrounge up enough parts to make a workable plane.  Can't say that I
blame them- in the current world, if somebody scavanged 100 wrecked
F-4's and then killed himself with the result, the family would probably
sue the Air Force for "allowing" the idiot to go up in a jet.
  This dosen't necessarily apply in other countries, of course.  I belive
you can still purchase a nice MiG from Russia, and fly it off the base
yourself.

  Hmm.  Yet _another_ example of "One nut ruining it for everyone",
although the "everyone" is a little more limited than usuall.  :-)

                                               Daniel Pawtowski
                                               dpawtows@vt.edu