Warbird Information Exchange

I saw this F6F-3 Hellcat for sale at Flushing, NY airport in 1965 . I was a CAP cadet at the time. It had a for sale on it and I can't remember exactly what the price was but I believe it said $4000 or $6000!

Has seen interesting history: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f6fregis ... 41930.html


Picture I took back then:

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Lightninglover

I have many fond memories of the old girl while she was with Champlin. I was crushed when the Hellcat was sold but elated when I discovered that she would be returned to airworthy. I have since had the opportunity to see the Hellcat airborne on numerous occasions and it looks better now than it ever has.

How many hellcats are in flying condition in the u.s?

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

This is off the top of my head but there are not too many so I gotta be close! Should be adding a couple more in the next few years as well.

Friedkin
CAF SoCal wing
Paul Allen's FHC
Lone Star

I hope a couple more join the airshow circuit soon enough. You can never have enough hellcats!

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

a cool shot...

Yanks had one that flew in and they are working on another. Do you define airworthy as actively flying?

This has probably been covered somewhere but I don't remember the answer. Was there enough left of the POF Hellcat to restore? Did POF retain the wreckage?

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Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Lewis Air Legend's Hellcat in flying condition? As is the Palm Springs Air museum's?

Oh to be born earlier! Imagine seeing a Hellcat among the Pipers and Cessnas at the local FBO!

Using an online calculator $6k in 1965 works out to still only $46,576. Wow.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

The Collings Foundation has one in restoration to fly. A year away maybe?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

So this is what I've got:

Actively Flying
Friedkin Family Comanche Warbirds
CAF SoCal Wing
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
Lone Star Flight Museum

Restoration to Airworthy
Collings Foundation
Yanks Air Museum
Lewis Air Legends

Airworthy but not Flown
Yanks Air Museum
Palm Springs Air Museum

Anymore?

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
Warbird Wear: https://www.redbubble.com/people/warbirdwear/shop

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

I am told wreckage remains and POF has it.

https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/Repor ... l&IType=LA

"Grumman F6F, N4994V, registered to Air Museum, and operated by the Airline Transport Pilot, collided with power lines, fell to the ground and burst into flames during cruise flight in Monterey, Tennessee."

"According to the witness, as the road curved slightly to the left, multiple high tension wires came into view running across the westbound lanes. He observed the airplane attempt to pass under the wires and strike the lowest wire and the severed line fell across the roadway. The witness lost sight of the airplane and assumed the pilot was able to recover and flew out of view. The witness attempted to call 911, but was unable to get a signal. He continued on to his destination. Other witnesses stated similar observations but observed the airplane crash into a wooded area and burn."

"WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION"

"Examination of the wreckage on scene found the airplane consumed by fire with the engine separated from the airplane and resting against a tree. Examination of the engine found high tension cable wrapped around the crankshaft between the prop and engine case."

Kalamazoo has one that probably falls in the "Airworthy but not flown" category. At least is was airworthy when it was parked many years ago. I think that covers all of them in private hands in the USA. Regarding the Lewis Air Legends bird, is the the ex-Bill Compton aircraft? I thought that one when to Allied Fighters but my memory ain't what it used to be!

The Rod Lewis Hellcat came from Duxford based The Fighter Collection.The Allied Fighter F6F is the x-Bill Compton aircraft one I think.