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airplane graveyard

Airplane Graveyard

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Location Class:
Built: N/A | Abandoned: N/A
Status: AbandonedPrivate Property
Photojournalist: Emily Cowan

Never in my life had I ever come across something like what sits in a field out in Northeastern Kansas. A landfill of decommissioned planes that no longer fly, an airplane graveyard. Most of them virtually intact the model planes that call this field their final resting place include:

Douglas DC-3 “Skysleeper”

Airplane Graveyard
DC-3 ca. 1994 Gerald Helmer

The Douglas DC-3 was revolutionary in making airline travel popular, it is internationally known as the greatest airplane of all time. C.R. Smith, President of American Airlines in the 1930’s insisted that designing start on not one but two new planes. One of those would be the DC-2 reimagined, longer allowing for more passengers to be carried. The epitome of luxury its nickname was the Skysleeper. The new and improved Douglas DC-3 allowed for twenty-eight daytime passengers and fourteen overnight. The first DC-3 was delivered to American Airlines of course and followed shortly later by a twenty-one seater “standard” version. American and United Airlines were the first two customers for the DC-3 and shortly after was desired by a few dozen airlines.

The Douglas DC-3 was comfortable and reliable, but one of its biggest reasons for success was it made air transportation profitable. AA’s President, C.R. Smith, said the DC-3 was the first airplane that could make money just by hauling passengers, without relying on government subsidies. This changed the airline industry entirely and by the end of the decade of its release, more than 90 percent of the nation’s passengers were flying on DC-2s and DC-3s.

Douglas DC-4

Airplane Graveyard
Douglas DC-4 ca.1983 Gerard Helmer

After the great success of their D-3 model aircraft, the Douglas Aircraft Co. decided to produce a four-engine aircraft that was about twice the size of the last model. Developed in 1938 was the DC-4E to carry around forty passengers by day or thirty passengers by night allowing for full sleeping arrangements. After maintenance and manufacturing costs became too expensive to keep up with many airlines favored the simpler DC-4 Skymaster which didn’t become commercial until 1946. Only around a thousand were ever built and produced by Douglas Aircraft Co. This DC-4 flew for Central Air Services until around the mid-seventies and was then transported from General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster, California to Kansas in 2000 to spend the next twenty plus years sitting in this field.

Convair 240 “Big Sky One”

Airplane Graveyard
Big Sky One ca. 1981, René Buschmann

Delivered to the United States Air Force in 1955, “Big Sky One” is a Convair 240 model aircraft. The aircraft used to bear the name Montana on the back tip as well as United States Air Force along the side. It last served the 186th Federal Investigative Services Montana Air National Guard (“Big Sky Country”). Decommissioned in 1977 this aircraft resided at the Davis-Monthan Air Base in Tuscon with hundreds of other aircraft until 1992. It came to lay at its final resting place in this field in 2000 as a part-out plane.

Cessna Planes

Also on this lot sits two Cessna model planes, a Titan and a Turbo Skymaster. This Turbo Skymaster was deemed “airworthy” on March 5th, 1968. The pilot and one passenger plane while small in size is a sturdy reliable plane reaching speeds of 140mph. This Cessna 337 Turbo Skymaster has a history in Jacksonville Florida before coming to Rantoul Kansas in October 2014. Its last action date was on May 16th, 2017. The Cessna 404 Titan on this property was given an airworthy date of June 13th, 1979 with room for a passenger and pilot. It has a prior history in Indiana before coming to Kansas in October 2018 to retire.

These planes are on private property but the owner’s nephew lives just next door and with permission will allow you to enter the property.




Bibliography

“Aircraft Photo of 53-7801 / 37801 | Convair C-131B | USA – Air Force | AirHistory.net #19102.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/19102/53-7801/37801.

“Aircraft Photo of 53-7801 / 37801 | Convair C-131B | USA – Air Force | AirHistory.net #233428.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/233428/53-7801/37801.

“Aircraft Photo of N96454 | Douglas C-54D Skymaster | AirHistory.net #14518.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/14518/N96454.

“Aircraft Photo of N96454 | Douglas C-54D Skymaster | AirHistory.net #63234.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/63234/N96454.

“Aircraft Photo of N96454 | Douglas C-54D Skymaster | Central Air Service | AirHistory.net #142902.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/142902/N96454.

“Aircraft Photo of XB-DYU | Douglas C-47B Skytrain | AirHistory.net #62926.” AirHistory.net, www.airhistory.net/photo/62926/XB-DYU.

“Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-3 Commercial Transport.” Boeing: The Boeing Company, www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-3.page.

“Boeing: Historical Snapshot: DC-4/C-54 Skymaster Transport.” Boeing: The Boeing Company, www.boeing.com/history/products/dc-4.page.

“N14MS (1968 CESSNA T337C Owned by DODSON INTERNATIONAL PARTS INC) Aircraft Registration.” FlightAware, flightaware.com/resources/registration/N14MS.

“N54SA (CESSNA 404 Owned by DODSON INTERNATIONAL PARTS INC) Aircraft Registration.” FlightAware, flightaware.com/resources/registration/N54SA.

Airplane Graveyard
Emily Cowan

Emily is a three-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" - "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World" and "Abandoned Kansas: Healthcare in the Heartland. With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Emily Cowan

Emily is a three-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" - "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World" and "Abandoned Kansas: Healthcare in the Heartland. With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Nicole
Nicole
7 months ago

How do I get ahold of the nephew to get permission to go on the propety?

Matthew williams
Matthew williams
Reply to  Nicole
25 days ago

so the planes I believe are owned by Dodson international actually a company I work for the plans are on private property. Dempsey was one of the founders of Dodson and that’s why they are now owned by Dodson. If you are still wanting to try to get permission I would call there number on google look up Dodson international and it should pop up and ask for Jonathan if he isn’t busy if not ask for ruby and they might be able to get you in contact with Robert the ceo or might be able to give you permission.

Mark harris
Mark harris
8 months ago

Central air service planes. Owned by Bill Dempsey. I heard he passed this year. The DC 4; or c54 was used to fight fires..we modified those in 1978. The rest of the Aircraft.were flown in for parts

Pantitathtawarhaputta Paritha
Pantitathtawarhaputta Paritha
8 months ago

Webtake all abadoned aircrafts

nanette a breer
nanette a breer
2 years ago

When I was driving from Lawrence to Gardner I came across this precious gem and was enthralled. I was always curious who owned this and how did the planes get here

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