Current Hellcat restorations...
Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:13 am
Since I got such great responses from my P-47 restoration question I thought I wood ask this, except for the Hellcat at Yanks are there any Hellcat restorations taking place out there?
Re: Current Hellcat restorations...
Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:20 am
Pat Carry wrote:Since I got such great responses from my P-47 restoration question I thought I wood ask this, except for the Hellcat at Yanks are there any Hellcat restorations taking place out there?
FOF progresses on Mr. Weeks'.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yPSOvv7LA_I/S ... ellcat.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yPSOvv7LA_I/S ... cat+32.jpg
(From last June)
Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:44 am
I sort of have a Hellcat project here at Austin Acres.......sort of. I have an F6F-5 R/H outer wing panel that I'm working on and is available for sale. 
(I don't know how much I want for it yet, as I'm still stripping paint and haven't completed an inspection on it at this time. I just want to be fair to both the potential buyer, should there be one, and myself......thanks for all the PMs and E-mails though. 
)
Gary
(I don't know how much I want for it yet, as I'm still stripping paint and haven't completed an inspection on it at this time. I just want to be fair to both the potential buyer, should there be one, and myself......thanks for all the PMs and E-mails though. )
Gary
Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:27 pm
The Weeks F6F seems (to the eye) to be so close to completion, and has looked the same for so many years! It makes me wonder exactly how much work is left to be done. It's served wonderfully as a remarkable piece of window dressing for the restoration shop, but more and more I'm wondering if that has become its "end game" role within the museum.
why not just build a plane out of it...
Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:44 pm
retroaviation wrote:I sort of have a Hellcat project here at Austin Acres.......sort of. I have an F6F-5 R/H outer wing panel that I'm working on and is available for sale.
Gary
well thats what I would do!
Re: why not just build a plane out of it...
Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:45 pm
jet1 wrote:why not just build a plane out of it...
well thats what I would do!
Ahhh, I wish it were that easy.
Gary
Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:34 pm
What about all the Hellcat parts that were for sale in the midwest about 5 years ago? I think they were all China Lake drone wrecks. Looked like a few aircraft could have come from those.
Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:45 pm
There was the hellcat under slow restoration at the Quoset Air Museum, in Quonset Point, RI. I haven't seen any pictures on its status in ages, but I imagine they are still working on it.
Cheers,
Richard
Cheers,
Richard
Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:03 pm
Yanks are doing another one, using the left-over bits from the one now with TFC in the UK (was N100TF)
Hellcat restoration
Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:13 am
Let me clear up some facts about our Hellcat project.The aircraft at this time is only in the shop for storage purposes and is not being actively worked on ,although years ago the wings had some worked completed to them but they are not finished. When Mr. Weeks started the collection back in the 1980's he purchased and donated ten aircraft to the Weeks Air Museum a 5013C non-profit set up. The Hellcat was one of those aircraft and any work or money spent on the project has to be donated from Mr. Weeks himself or money generated by the Weeks Air Museum. At this time the only money generated for W.A.M. is a small percentage taken from ticket sales for Fantasy Of Flight. Because of this when it's time to make a decision on which aircraft to restore next the choice will more likely be on a Week's Aircraft owned project than a W.A.M. aircraft.This all sounds complicated but it's all about tax issues and were Mr. Weeks decides to spend the money.
Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:47 pm
That makes perfect sense to me stetz. Thanks for the insight! 
Re: Current Hellcat restorations...
Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:03 pm
Dan K wrote:Pat Carry wrote:Since I got such great responses from my P-47 restoration question I thought I wood ask this, except for the Hellcat at Yanks are there any Hellcat restorations taking place out there?
FOF progresses on Mr. Weeks'.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yPSOvv7LA_I/S ... ellcat.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yPSOvv7LA_I/S ... cat+32.jpg
(From last June)
Those two pictures that I took are actually from atleast six or seven years ago.
Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:50 pm
Anyone have any updates on the Quonset Air Museum Hellcat?
Wed Mar 18, 2009 10:16 pm
What about all the Hellcat parts that were for sale in the midwest about 5 years ago? I think they were all China Lake drone wrecks. Looked like a few aircraft could have come from those.
Where did they go?
Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:07 pm
How about the FHC Hellcat, any work being done to bring that one back to airworthy?