Private B-36 in Ohio???

John A. Morley

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Dec 1, 2001, 5:24:58 PM12/1/01

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Hi.

I have heard stories of a privately owned B-36 somewhere in Ohio. I am
not referring to the B-36 on
display at the USAF Museum at Wright Patterson AFB. Can anyone confirm
or deny this story??

Thanks

John

Note: remove the nospam. from my email address to reply

Tex Houston

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Dec 1, 2001, 5:48:29 PM12/1/01

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42-13571, a YB-36A is in the collection of Walter Soplata, Newbury, Ohio.
His picture appears in the dictionary under the word character. Is it open
for viewing? Some years. Rumor varies from "He has about 40 airplanes" to
"everything there is junk". I do not know what the situation is but true
seems to the answer you seek. Perhaps someone closer to the scene can help.
I've been hearing various stories for years.

This help?

Tex

"John A. Morley" <sa...@endeavour-usa.com> wrote in message
news:3C095954...@nospam.endeavour-usa.com...

JollyGreenGiant

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Dec 1, 2001, 6:31:24 PM12/1/01

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ive seen a photo of some guy collection with a B36 and a P-82 and other
rare but very ruined state a/cs from the 1980s in a photo.. the b36 was
very um wrecked but still intact ?

--

ListMum, "Soap Naturally"
<http://www.programmer-software.com/soapnaturally>
Aussie Molds and the Great Little Aussie Tin for sale
http://www.dianesnaturally.com

Andrew McNeil

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Dec 1, 2001, 7:32:37 PM12/1/01

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Yes, Soplata is his name, in Northern Ohio. B36 was cut into about 4
pieces. All planes getting damaged by Ohio Weather. Shame.

He got a *brand new* P47N from a local high school, was used to teach
aviation mechanics. Rotting in the weather.

Good article in Oct 1986 "Model Aviation".

Near Newbury Ohio, take Ohio 87 east. Go N on Stone Road. L on Lakview
track, just past Restful Lake. Somewhere near there on "Main St" is "The
Soplata Collection". Not sure if he is still alive.

Andrew

****

John A. Morley <sa...@endeavour-usa.com> wrote in message
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Cub Driver

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Dec 2, 2001, 6:41:28 AM12/2/01

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>Yes, Soplata is his name, in Northern Ohio. B36 was cut into about 4
>pieces. All planes getting damaged by Ohio Weather. Shame.

This is likely the 36 that was on display at Wright? Field before the
museum moved across the interstate to its present location. It proved
easier & cheaper to fly in a replacement 36 (if I'm not mistaken, the
last one every to fly) than to reassemble the one they had after the
move.

See http://www.airspacemag.com/ASM/Mag/Index/1996/AM/bacr.html

(I assume it's still there!)

all the best -- Dan Ford (email: let...@danford.net)

see the Warbird's Forum at http://danford.net
Jihad | Flying Tigers | Pacific War | Brewster Buffalo | Piper Cub

Mark Hutching

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Dec 2, 2001, 3:04:19 PM12/2/01

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" Andrew McNeil" <agt...@inficad.com> wrote in message
news:9ubsr0$6b1$1...@news.getnet.net...

> Yes, Soplata is his name, in Northern Ohio. B36 was cut into about 4
> pieces. All planes getting damaged by Ohio Weather. Shame.
>

> Good article in Oct 1986 "Model Aviation".
>

There is a chapter ( Ch 4 ) about him in a book called Hunting Warbirds by
Carl Hoffman. It's mostly about Darryl Greenamyer & Gary Larkins & their
warbird recovery efforts.

Mark Hutching

Indrek Aavisto

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Dec 2, 2001, 8:27:30 PM12/2/01

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Thanks Dan,

That was an interesting read.

Cheers,

Indrek Aavisto
Sudbury, Ontario

Iskandar Taib

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Dec 5, 2001, 5:19:29 PM12/5/01

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In article <u0ini3a...@corp.supernews.com>,
Tex Houston <texho...@pcisys.net> wrote:

>42-13571, a YB-36A is in the collection of Walter Soplata, Newbury, Ohio.
>His picture appears in the dictionary under the word character. Is it open
>for viewing? Some years. Rumor varies from "He has about 40 airplanes" to
>"everything there is junk". I do not know what the situation is but true
>seems to the answer you seek. Perhaps someone closer to the scene can help.
>I've been hearing various stories for years.
>
>This help?
>
>Tex
>

If this is who I think it is, there was an article about his
collection in Model Aviation some years back. Essentially, the B-36 is
in parts, and his "collection" is more or less in the state of a
junkyard (parts and pieces all over the place, in the
undergrowth). How he transported the airplane to his place made a
great story in and of itself (unfortunately, I can't remember the
details).

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala
Internet: nt...@steel.ucs.indiana.edu | Frog is Frog ala Peach
Home page: http://bigwig.geology.indiana.edu/iskandar/isk2.html

MLenoch

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Dec 5, 2001, 6:54:00 PM12/5/01

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>his "collection" is more or less in the state of a
>junkyard (parts and pieces all over the place, in the
>undergrowth).

Not true. There are several complete airframes that are EXCELLENT restoration
candidates. An FG-1 in original Akron Navy Reserve colors, the prototype
Skyraider, an XP-47N, a C-82 and several other complete airframes. Best
viewing is by air. You don't need an invitation and everything is in "plain"
view. (Albeit, there are a lot of junkyard parts strewn around, his biggest
treasure are the hordes of boxes of original surplus parts yet unopened.)
V. Lenoch
(Walley is a nice guy, but you must be VERY patient with him).

astron

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Dec 6, 2001, 9:02:21 AM12/6/01

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I read somewhere a while ago that the last B-36 was scrapped , much to
the disappointment of avid enthusiasts .

Can anyone care to verify this ?

PS 1

I want to make a large 1/72 ( 1/48 ? )model of this bomber ( By esci or
monogram ) . Is it still available ? .

PS 2

Some of you guys might want to check out the Russian clone of the B-36 ;
LONG RANGE MYASISHCHEV 6 PISTON ENGINES BOMBER.1946

Tim Savage

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Dec 6, 2001, 12:28:21 PM12/6/01

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" Andrew McNeil" <agt...@inficad.com> wrote in message
news:9ubsr0$6b1$1...@news.getnet.net...

> Yes, Soplata is his name, in Northern Ohio. B36 was cut into about 4
> pieces. All planes getting damaged by Ohio Weather. Shame.
>

Soplata saved these airplanes when no one else wanted them. I am restoring
an airplane that used to be in his collection. It is very rare and only
four exist, I am thankful that Soplata saved it. Yes, it has suffered the
effects of being outside, but at least it exists.

Nick Pedley

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Dec 6, 2001, 3:46:54 PM12/6/01

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"astron" <ast...@bigpond.com.au> wrote in message
news:3C0F7A6D...@bigpond.com.au...

>
> I read somewhere a while ago that the last B-36 was scrapped , much to
> the disappointment of avid enthusiasts .
>
> Can anyone care to verify this ?
>

According to the USAF Museum website,
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap39.htm there is still a B-36J on
display.

It may be one of a different mark (A,B,D etc), or you have your aircraft
mixed up?

Nick

Iskandar Taib

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Dec 6, 2001, 7:49:27 PM12/6/01

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In article <9uolcj$sb1$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk>,
Nick Pedley <nichola...@npedley.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>According to the USAF Museum website,
>http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap39.htm there is still a B-36J on
>display.

Yup.. and it's a real sight, too. It's right next to a B-52, and seems
to dwarf the B-52.

Kyle Boatright

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Dec 6, 2001, 8:22:50 PM12/6/01

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>
>
>I read somewhere a while ago that the last B-36 was scrapped , much to
>the disappointment of avid enthusiasts .
>
>Can anyone care to verify this ?
>
>
>PS 1
>
>I want to make a large 1/72 ( 1/48 ? )model of this bomber ( By esci or
>monogram ) . Is it still available ? .
>
>PS 2

There are 3 complete airframes. One at what was the SAC museum, one at the Air
Force Museum, and one at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth.

There is a fourth airframe owned by an individual in Ohio. That airframe was
"scrapped" by the USAF, but the individual purchased the badly damaged
remnants.

KB

Thom

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Dec 6, 2001, 9:01:41 PM12/6/01

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On 07 Dec 2001 01:22:50 GMT, kboat...@aol.comnobs (Kyle Boatright)
wrote:

are there any transport versions (C-99) still in one piece??

THOM
>
>KB

Tex Houston

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Dec 6, 2001, 9:54:53 PM12/6/01

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How about the modified one now at Castle Air Museum (formerly at Chanute
Museum)?

Tex

"Kyle Boatright" <kboat...@aol.comnobs> wrote in message
news:20011206202250...@mb-df.aol.com...

Tex Houston

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Dec 6, 2001, 10:01:05 PM12/6/01

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Only one ever built. Was at Kelly AFB, may have moved to Lackland AFB.

Tex

"Thom" <toml...@melbpc.org.au> wrote in message
news:3c102060...@news.melbpc.org.au...

Brooks

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Dec 6, 2001, 10:11:09 PM12/6/01

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kboat...@aol.comnobs (Kyle Boatright) wrote:
>>
>>
>>I read somewhere a while ago that the last B-36 was scrapped , much to
>>the disappointment of avid enthusiasts .
>>
>>Can anyone care to verify this ?
>>
>>
>>PS 1
>>
>>I want to make a large 1/72 ( 1/48 ? )model of this bomber ( By esci or
>>monogram ) . Is it still available ? .
>>
>>PS 2
>
>There are 3 complete airframes. One at what was the SAC museum, one at
the Air
>Force Museum, and one at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth.

One source (Gibson--Nuclear Weapons of the United States) indicates that
there are also complete a/c at Chanute in IL (that one was there when I pulled
a TDY there in the late 80's) and Castle in CA; I seem to remember one being
at Robins in GA back in the 80's (another wonderful TDY experience...), but
IIRC part of the rear fuselage was "faked" to replace damage from a previous
storm.

Brooks

>
>There is a fourth airframe owned by an individual in Ohio. That airframe
was
>"scrapped" by the USAF, but the individual purchased the badly damaged
>remnants.
>
>KB

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Dec 7, 2001, 2:11:14 PM12/7/01

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>> There are 3 complete airframes. One at what was the SAC museum, one at
the Air Force Museum, and one at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth.

Castle Air Museum has one
http://www.elite.net/castle-air/b36.htm

Kyle Boatright

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Dec 7, 2001, 6:00:02 PM12/7/01

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>
>According to Michael Blaugher's guide to aircraft museums there are six plus
>the C-99. Two in Texas (Fort Worth and Dallas), two in Ohio (Dayton and
>Newbury) one in Ashland, NE, and one in California (Merced).]
>
>Tex

Hate to tell ya, but that book is wrong...

According to Jacobson's book (probably the closest thing we have to a B-36
bible), the survivors are:

One at Dayton (been there, got a visual ID).

One at the Lockheed facility in Fort Worth

One at Castle AFB in California

One at SAC HQ in Bellevue Nebraska

The remains of one, located on Walter Soplata's property near Newbury OH

Total of 5 plus the XC-99.

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Dec 9, 2001, 3:32:08 AM12/9/01

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There is a fine looking RB-36A as Castle Airpark, CA. This was the one that
was a Chanute AFB for many years. dmo

leo...@earthlink.net

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Dec 9, 2001, 3:35:22 AM12/9/01

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For sure, the B36 at Castle was at Chanute. I used to march past the one at
Chanute in 1963-64 while attending tech school. Took my son back years later
to find that it had been torn down and sent by train to Castle AFB. It is
now Castle Air Park, but they are running a really fine museam and the B36
fills up a lot of room with its 270 foot windspan. dmo

Merlin Dorfman <dor...@rahul.net> wrote in message
news:9v0v5l$num$1...@samba.rahul.net...

No, the XC-99 has been based in San Antonio ever since she was retired from
Air Force duty (1957?). The last B-36 built, serial number 52-2827, was on
display at Amon Carter Field/Greater Southwest Airport for many years after
she was retired there in February 1959. This is the same airframe that has
been restored by volunteers, many of them former Convair/General Dynamics
employees, and is currently in storage at Lockheed/Martin awaiting a
permanent museum site.

Steve

Iskandar Taib

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Dec 9, 2001, 9:39:23 PM12/9/01

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In article <3c107d44$1...@news.iglou.com>,

John Keeney <jdke...@iglou.com> wrote:
>
>Iskandar Taib <nt...@steel.ucs.indiana.edu> wrote in message
>news:9up3mn$g15$2...@flotsam.uits.indiana.edu...
>> In article <9uolcj$sb1$1...@newsg2.svr.pol.co.uk>,
>> Nick Pedley <nichola...@npedley.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >According to the USAF Museum website,
>> >http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap39.htm there is still a B-36J
>on
>> >display.
>>
>> Yup.. and it's a real sight, too. It's right next to a B-52, and seems
>> to dwarf the B-52.
>
>Not unless they have moved one or the other very recently.
>The two aren't even in the same building.

Hmm.. I could've sworn they were next to each other, then again, I was
last there more than three years ago, so I'm likely mistaken. In any
case, the thing's huge. The only other airplane in there that seems
anything like it size-wise is the Valkyrie, and that gives a totally
different impression.

Steven Levin

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Dec 10, 2001, 5:20:16 PM12/10/01

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Regarding the XC-99, it's down in San Antonio, but in pretty bad shape.
General Metcalf (director of the USAF Museum) went down with a team to look
at bringing it up to Dayton.

However, they opted not to do so because:

1) It would take about $1 million to relocate, and

2) There is a lot of corrosion, especially in the main gear assemblies.
General Metcalf's comment was that after he climbed up and looked in the
gear well, he decided that standing underneath the aircraft wasn't a good
idea.

Given the limited interest in the aircraft and the extensive requirements
just to make it worthwhile and safe to exhibit, I suspect that the XC-99
will eventually be torn down.

Steve

John Keeney

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Dec 11, 2001, 4:49:25 AM12/11/01

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Steven Levin <thu...@vfr.interceptor.com> wrote in message
news:AyaR7.769$Cc1.1...@newshog.newsread.com...

Shame, I'ld really like to climb aboard that beast.
Guess I'll have to go stand by the fence while I can.

Ron

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Dec 21, 2001, 12:22:05 AM12/21/01

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>> Given the limited interest in the aircraft and the extensive requirements
>> just to make it worthwhile and safe to exhibit, I suspect that the XC-99
>> will eventually be torn down.
>
>Shame, I'ld really like to climb aboard that beast.
>Guess I'll have to go stand by the fence while I can.
>
>

The guy who does some of the mowing at Castroville Airport (15 miles west of
San Antonio) was in training to be a flight engineer on the C-99. He doesnt
even want to go see that plane at Lackland, says its too painful to see it like
that

Ron Chambless
Pilot - Beech Twin Bonanza
Alamo City Skydivers
Looking for work

flash...@gmail.com

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Jun 15, 2019, 1:36:56 PM6/15/19

to

Collection of Walter Soplata, Newbury, Ohio can be partially seen on Google Maps or Google Earth at;

41°28'08.84" N 81°13'11.09" W

a425couple

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Jun 16, 2019, 11:37:08 AM6/16/19

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On 6/15/2019 10:36 AM, flash...@gmail.com wrote:
> Collection of Walter Soplata, Newbury, Ohio can be partially seen on Google Maps or Google Earth at;
>
> 41°28'08.84" N 81°13'11.09" W
>

I have looked at that collection of old airplane
hulks and parts. No complete B-36 is visible.

Meanwhile, you might read:
https://www.airplanesofthepast.com/b36-survivors.htm

"The B-36 Survivors

Only four complete Convair B-36 Peacemaker air frames have survived of
the 384 that were built. We have had the good fortune of viewing and
photographing all four.

The B-36 survivors are listed below ... click the links for additional
information and photographs of the airplane at each facility.

Facility
Location
Model
Serial No.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, Ohio B-36J-1-CF 52-2220

Pima Air and Space Museum Adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
Tucson, Arizona B-36J-10-CF 52-2827

Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum Near Omaha, Nebraska
B-36J-1-CF 52-2217

Castle Air Museum Atwater, California RB-36H-30-CF
51-13730

Parts of a fifth B-36, S/N 42-13571, on display at the Air Force Museum
in Dayton until December of 1957, are located in Newbury, Ohio, in the
Walter Soplata Aviation Collection. It was originally a YB-36, the first
Peacemaker with the domed cockpit, and later converted to a RB-36E.

So, looking further from this, I Googled

Collection of Walter Soplata, Newbury, Ohio

and got interesting results.

About 3,910 results (0.44 seconds)
Search Results
Web results

21 Photos of Northeast Ohio's Deserted Plane Sanctuary
https://photos.clevescene.com/21-photos-of-northeast-ohios-deserted-plane-sanctuary/
Nov 17, 2015 - In the late 1940's a man named Walter Soplata began
collecting warplanes on some land in Newbury, Ohio, just east of
Cleveland. Today ...

The Soplata Airplane Sanctuary | History | Air & Space Magazine
https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of.../the-soplata-airplane-sanctuary-22000009/
... immigrants, my father, Walter Soplata, amassed an extraordinary
collection of warbirds. ... Dad took a job in a Cleveland, Ohio
scrapyard, junking thousands of ... On land in Newbury, east of
Cleveland, he began his airplane collection in ...

YB-36 — Walter Soplata Collection, Newbury, OH - John A. Weeks III
https://www.johnweeks.com/b36/b36soplata.html
YB-36 Peacemaker Walter Soplata Collection Newbury, OH. B-36. The second
B-36 produced started as a YB-36. The first two B-36 featured a single
tire main ...

Videos
2:24
Visiting Walter Soplata's Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"
youtuuba
YouTube - Dec 25, 2014

2:11
Airplane Junkyard - Newbury, Ohio
Michael Wendell
Vimeo - Jun 4, 2010

2:41
Lost Airplane Graveyard (Ep. 1 Seg 2)
tradeaplanetv
YouTube - Jan 11, 2011

Web results
Walter Soplata: A Man Who Did Great Things For Aviation History ...
https://architecturalafterlife.com/2019/03/18/airplane-sanctuary/
Mar 18, 2019 - Walter Soplata is a name well-known amongst aviation
enthusiasts. Soplata grew up in Ohio raised by Czech immigrants. ... He
was able to purchase most of the aircraft in his collection for a few
hundred dollars ... airplanes in ohio where are the abanoned airplanes
in newbury wwii plane abandoned ...

B-25 Recovered From the Soplata Collection | Warbird Digest
https://warbirddigest.com/warbird-news/2017/09/11/1114/
Sep 11, 2017 - Famed collector Walter Soplata, of Newbury, Ohio,
acquired the aircraft in 1980, and it remained with him, even after it
was sold to Steve Detch, of Apparetta, Georgia nineteen years later in 1999.

Ohio Man's WWII Aircraft Collection - War History Online
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war.../ohio-mans-wwii-aircraft-collection.html
Jul 11, 2014 - A staggering WWII aircraft collection has been discovered
in the city of Newbury, Ohio. The collection belongs to a man named
Walter Soplata, ...

A Very Special Avenger – Hangar Flying
inspire.eaa.org/2018/10/04/a-very-special-avenger/
Oct 4, 2018 - In the small town of Newbury, Ohio, lived a man named
Walter Soplata. He owned a farm, and through his efforts, many rare
aircraft were saved from the scrap yard.

Owner Of Ohio Airplane Graveyard Dies - Jalopnik
https://jalopnik.com/owner-of-ohio-airplane-graveyard-dies-5701640
Nov 29, 2010 - Walter Soplata, owner of the secret backyard Ohio
warplane collection, died earlier this month at the age of 87. His
family has not said what ...

---------------------------
Indeed, this video pretty much shows what was there in 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVYWfHca5Ts