That's a whole lot of airplanes

ThePresence

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
27,727
16
81
Amarc-16may1992.jpg


The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG),[1] often called The Boneyard, is a United States Air Force aircraft storage and maintenance facility in Tucson, Arizona, located on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

It takes care of more than 4,400 aircraft, which would make it the second largest air force in the world, including 700 F-4 Phantom IIs, whose total original purchase price is estimated at $27 billion. An Air Force Materiel Command unit, the group is under the command of the 309th Maintenance Wing of Hill Air Force Base, Utah. AMARG was originally meant to store excess Department of Defense and Coast Guard aircraft, but has in recent years been designated the sole repository of out-of-service aircraft from all branches of the US government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/309th_Aerospace_Maintenance_and_Regeneration_Group

Holy hell, that's a lot of money and technology.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
LOL! Our airplane graveyard is bigger than almost every single air force in the world. America, fuck yeah.
 

Elias824

Golden Member
Mar 13, 2007
1,100
0
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Im sure they wouldnt mind if I dropped by and just borrowed a few of those, would anyone really notice?
 

dougp

Diamond Member
May 3, 2002
7,909
4
0
Here's an idea ...

Contract out all our "old" technology - require payment for the airframes, training and maintenance. Also note that all spare parts must be manufactured in the U.S. by our unemployed and we'll have 1) chipped into our budget, 2) have some negotiations/edge w/ more nations and 3) employed those who are out of work.
 

JJ650

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2000
1,959
0
76
Wow there are even F15's, Hornets, and 16s out there. And lots of them! That's kind of surprising. (look along Yuma St, east of S. Kolb).

A crap ton of F-111s and one very lonely F14 (look north of the airfield on Safford St., 2 streets up on the left.).

Pretty intereting pic. B1's on the flight line and the test drone F-4s on the far right of the airfield.

Man I could spend a few days out there exploring and be content doing so.
 

JJ650

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2000
1,959
0
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6061 T6 is worth some coin. It's expensive to buy it in bars for making anything.
We (my brother and I) bought a 6061 stock plate to make A-arms for some RC cars. I think a plate roughly 24"x24" cost us close to 100bucks.

7075 is even more expensive but is light and damn near steel strength. Great for making chassis.


For a while, 6061 scrap was close to a $1/lb.

Not sure on 7075. When steel scrap came prices down, so did AL. Even CU is back down.
 
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