Polar Bear

[PinecastleAAF]

Any pictures exist of the Polar Bear P-51 at the crash site in Alaska? Always curious what it looked like prior to recovery.

[tom d. friedman]

most likely a snow cone by now!!

[John Kerr]

I have a photo of it not taken in Alaska, but in a very cold hangar in March 1978 at Versailles, Ohio. P-51A, N51Z, 43-6006.



I have also included a photo of P-51D, 44-73483, N351D taken in the same hangar at the same time. This airframe was mated with the P-51A wreck.

[Mike]

I have heard that many of the 'left over' P-51A parts from this project found their way onto the Collings A-36

[PinecastleAAF]

Thank you sir! Looks better than I was expecting. Looks like it was very intact.

[Mike]

Thank you sir! Looks better than I was expecting. Looks like it was very intact.

Yes, but it's pretty obvious from the photos that the fuselage used was a modified P-51D unit. Weren't the wings from a P-51D (with the larger leading-edge kink) also? So that does beg the question as to exactly how much of the recovered A-model wreckage actually ended up on Polar Bear

[PinecastleAAF]

I agree completely. As someone mentioned it might be handled differently if recovered today in the same condition. Not sure how to classify Polar Bear's nomenclature but it is one sweet ride. Still love to see some pics of the wreck in situ. Alaskan wrecks have always interested me and this one in particular.

[Mike]

There was a shot of it on the mountain in Paul Coggan's 'Mustang Survivors' back in the '80s

[tom d. friedman]

first iv'e heard of the recovery!! i thought it was still out their, while it's right in my back yard in ohio!!! i'm going to look into this !!

[Mike]

first iv'e heard of the recovery!! i thought it was still out their, while it's right in my back yard in ohio!!! i'm going to look into this !!

Tom,

It's long gone from Ohio. It has been based in Northern California for many years now.

[tom d. friedman]

bummer

[JohnTerrell]

Here is a rather early photo of the aircraft, post-restoration, at Geneseo way back in 1986: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk914/52 ... otostream/

[mlenoch]

I believe based in Hollister with Jerry Gabe.

[Bear]

And it's also for sale.

http://www.davemorss.com/PolarBearSale.html

[Warbird Kid]

Would be cool to see this aircraft visit Geneseo again.