Field of Dreams? Ropkey Armor Museum, Crawfordsville, IN

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

Since O&E has been nuked, I thought it would be appropriate for me to post here. If you guys ever come to Indy or are passing thru Indiana, you have to visit this place…

It is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana about 45 minutes northwest of Indianapolis between I-65 and I-74. The best part the museum is really located in the MIDDLE OF THE CORN FIELD just like the movie Field of Dreams! There’s a huge garage holding about 20 tanks, 10 armored vehicles & jeeps mostly from WWII and few planes, UH-1B Huey and PBR boat from Vietnam War.

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3210.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3212.jpg)

There’s my baby M24 Chaffee which I built earlier this year…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3209.jpg)

You got to be kidding me… Jap tank?

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3219.jpg)

WWI French Renault FT-17 and it still runs…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3199.jpg)

I’d hate to be inside that tiny space…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3200.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3204.jpg)

Believe it or not, he has few planes that still runs and he has his own runway in the middle of the cornfield. You still don’t believe me? Check this out…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3191.jpg)

I know very little about pre-WWII planes. Maybe you can help me out?

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3194.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3220.jpg)

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3221.jpg)

I took my boys there when the museum was having a special annual event that happens every fall where military vehicles collectors bring their stuff to show off as part of Military Vehicles Preservation Association regional convention.

Here’s the best part… I finally got to fondle Ma Deuce for the first time. Too bad it was not loaded! But strange thing it came with a scope?

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3197.jpg)

And you are not going to believe this… all of those toys were part of a private collection belonging to just ONE man! Jeez, his wife must really love him so much! The museum is open to public Monday thru Friday or by appointment.

Trust me you want to visit this place if you ever come to Indiana. I am definitely going back there again soon…

2

Thats cool stuff Andy ! Good pictures young man .[Y]

3

Great photos. Thanks for sharing…[t$t]

Cheers…

4

Actually, it’s not exactly “Pre-” WW2… The Fairchild PT-19 Cornell started mass-production in 1941. The “PT” mean “Primary Trainer”, meaning that was the aircraft used for Primary Flight Training, which was followed by BTs or Basic Trainers, like the Vultee BT-13, which introduced the Cadet to more powerful engines, cross-country flights, Instrument flying, and radios, and finally, the ATs, or Advanced Trainers, like the AT-6 Texan, which taught the cadet to fly formations, gunnery, and more and longer cross-country flights. CMK makes a 1/48 scale resin kit of the Cornell.

http://kits.kitreview.com/plt142reviewrk_1.htm

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3194.jpg)

I’m kinda partial to the PT-19 as it was my first “Real Warbird” check-ride back in 1996. Back then, my goal was to fly, at least once, in every type of USAAF/USAF aircraft on my Dad’s USAAF Form 5… Alas, it ultimately was not meant to be because I ran outta money…(And also because several are types that have no airworthy, two-seat examples of in existance in the US, but I got a few of 'em, lol)…

Another of the “Pilot Makers”, the Stearman PT-17 Kaydet, First flown in 1934, and throughout the entire Second World War.

The US Army Air Corps PT-17 Kaydet (which WAS pre-war designed and manufactured aircraft, although it stayed in production until the almost the end of the war, and thousands were sold as surplus, most being converted to crop-dusting variants) had three different designations based on its power plant: PT-13 Series, PT-17 series,and PT-18 Series. There were also 300 Lend-Lease Canadian versions (PT-27s)…

!(http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/ww137/aleffler/Ropkey Museum/IMG_3220.jpg)

The US Navy version was the N2S, AKA, the “Yellow Peril”…

Lindberg makes a pretty good 1/48 scale kit of the PT-17A… I say “pretty good” since it’s the only 1/48th injection-molded kit in that scale that I’m aware of, and is a 1960’s-era kit… Plus, I like those old kits… It runs about 12.00 and is currently in production… I’ve got two on the bench, one each PT-17 and N2S… Another member here, Fermis, built a copy of it and “took the Gold” at a contest with that kit as well…

5

Yeah, very nice photos! Did you happen to photograph the PBR? I’d love to see it. Thanks for sharing, have a nice day

Paweł

6

A PBR was always my first choice for “Personal Watercraft” if I ever win the Lottery… I could run the Des Moines River in it for some 40 miles down to Saylorville Lake from April through June… Plus, I liked the idea of a boat that can make it’s own berthing space at the docks with the forward .50-cals…

[prte]

7

Great pics, thanks for sharing with us !

8

Very cool place Andy,but i don’t know if I can get my wife to Indiana for this,gotta find some excuse to “pass” by [:D]

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Carl- Gosh, thank you so much for making me feel so young! [B]

Bill, Castel- Anytime!

Hans- Jeez, is there anything that you DON"T KNOW??? Maybe ships? [:D] Now I do remember seeing that old avatar picture of yours in that plane. Didn’t realize it was the same one. Now you have an excuse to get your b*tt out of Iowa to visit this museum and I can meet you there. Don’t tell me you can not afford a trip… everybody here knows you can convert water into fuel. [;)]

Thank you so much for the information about those planes again! [B]

Pawel- No I didn’t take pictures of the PBR. Now I wish I did… I will make sure I take more pictures next time I visit.

Anthony- Just tell her there’s a huge Vera Bradley purse factory an hour and half away from this place! LOL Thanks for looking!

10

Andy, Work, work, work… Kept me away from the show this year. Did they have many of the vehicles out and running. I think he prides himself in keeping that inventory in running shape. He’s got a great set up there. He has had several of his vehicles appear in movies. One of his Shermans was the star in “Tank” with James Garner. Sorry I couldn’t get out to meet you this year, gotta pay the bills. It looks like it was worth the trip. Rick.

11

Nice place Andy. Some cool armor in there. Thanks for sharing.

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Rick- No worries! I am glad you have been working hard so you can afford to buy me MANY kits at next Roscoe Turner IPMS show and National AMPS in Auburn! [:D] There is always next year… maybe we can invite John and others to join us too.

Yes, they had several vehicles running. It felt so weird seeing many Willy jeeps running on the property. I was told that it is better to go on Friday to see more running vehicles but with my boys being in school it was easier to come on Saturday.

Saw many movie posters in the garage that his vehicles were involved. My favorite was his Patton tank in the Invasion from Mars movie.

Eric- Glad you liked the pictures! Now you can ask your wife about coming here…

13

Well , compared to me …

14

Hans , thanks for the baskground history on the aircraft . [Y] PBR as personal watercraft ,[:P]

15

Nice pictures Andy! I’ve never been up there to see the museum but I’ve heard of it. After seeing your pictures I guess I’m going to have to make it up there sometime.

16

John, we’ll have to plan it out a little in advance, and maybe get some of the Indiana and Illinois guys to join in next year. I really didn’t hear any publicity about the event until Andy told me about it. And I’m only 15 minutes from Ropkey’s driveway! It would be a nice excuse to get together. Auburn would be a good one too. We could road trip together to that one. Hey Andy, could you be talked into that one? Hope to see you all soon. Rick.

17

Hey Matt & Aaron; This would be a great event for a road trip from Wisconsin. Some rolling armor, grass strip airplanes, lunatics hot roddin’ around hangin on to 50 cals. Crawfordsville will even have a Cracker Barrel Restaurant by then. Let us know if you are coming down, I’ll tell Andy to aim high. Rick.

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Sure… Probably… Maybe not… I dunno… [;)]

Yeah, it’s old, lol… The plane was a 40’s model, I was a 90s-model…when the pic was taken… As far as affording anything, I can afford to spend the money… I’m just too cheap to SPEND it… See, I PLAN on taking it with me…

Turning water into fuel is a good idea, but I don’t wanna spend the money to actually DO it… I’d just hitch a ride… Heck, I even go uptown sometimes just because someone I know is heading that way and I don’t wanna burn MY gas…[;)]

19

No sweat… I like finding as much as I can find out about the stuff we build… Wish FSM’s build-articles would include more history… Always liked that about Scale Modeler and Military Modeler… 'Course, that can bite you in the butt if you don’t get it right… Even moreso these days with the internet and all… Back then, you couldn’t easily find a correction anywhere because the “Letters to the Editor” would only publish a couple-three at a time…

You think a PBR out on the lake would be over the top? I want a DUKW as another "personal water-craft " too… Don’t even need a boat-ramp for one of these, lol…

!(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/HansvonHammer/Army Pics/GMCDUKW.jpg)

20

Thats one of those dukw’s that dont kwakw …built a model of one back a few .

oops , its this one

Ok i’m done hijacking the thread …for now .