PoF Wildcat Confusion

Fri May 27, 2005 6:09 am

Back in 1997 I photographed this Wildcat at the Planes of Fame in Chino...
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregis ... 86774.html
...I believe this is the one that went to the Flying Heritage Collection (Paul Allen) in Arlington, Washington.

Recently I photographed this second Wildcat at the PoF...
http://community.webshots.com/photo/268 ... 5373GmZGIk
...I just checked my notes and discovered I noted the same BuNo for this one as the as the first one above, 86774. What is the correct BuNo for this Wildcat?

TIA

Mike

Fri May 27, 2005 8:18 am

The FHC website doesn't show a Wildcat on their collection list. Michael O'Leary reported in Aeroplane Monthly Nov 2003 page 12 that it was moved to Vintage Wings Museum in Arlington, WA which is Jeff Thomas' collection, not Paul Allen's FHC. The brief article shows a picture of the Wildcat in the same early Navy paint scheme (with the red ball in the middle of the star) as the one pictured on the WRG Registry. I wonder if the sale to Jeff Thomas fell through since you saw 86774 at Chino recently?

BTW, in regard to the Registry, 86774 isn't registered as N7835C. It was a nonflyer and didn't have an N number. N7835C is the registration for the POF's TBM-3.

I believe Tom Friedkin's FM-2 Wildcat is kept at Chino but it's BuNo is 74560.

Dennis

Fri May 27, 2005 8:18 am

When did you go in 97? I was there in the May of 97 time frame and the FM-2 I saw was a mess. Not nearly was polished up as the FM-2 in your first picture. Could that be a Pond FM-2? It seems that a/c float back and forth between the museums at times, I assume for short visits.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregis ... 55627.html

I can't view Web-shots at work but is that the Cinema Air FM-2?
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregis ... 74560.html

Just an idea. I can post the FM-2 (1997) picture I have tonight, if that might help?

Fri May 27, 2005 8:23 am

Dennis Bergstrom wrote:The FHC website doesn't show a Wildcat on their collection list. Michael O'Leary reported in Aeroplane Monthly Nov 2003 page 12 that it was moved to Vintage Wings Museum in Arlington, WA which is Jeff Thomas' collection, not Paul Allen's FHC. The brief article shows a picture of the Wildcat in the same early Navy paint scheme (with the red ball in the middle of the star) as the one pictured on the WRG Registry. I wonder if the sale to Jeff Thomas fell through since you saw 86774 at Chino recently?

Aaaaahhhh..... I didn't realize that. So maybe the first Wildcat didn't leave Chino. I didn't see it where I was at the PoF in January.

Does anyone know where this one is now?
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregis ... 86774.html

Dennis Bergstrom wrote:BTW, in regard to the Registry, 86774 isn't registered as N7835C. It was a nonflyer and didn't have an N number. N7835C is the registration for the POF's TBM-3.

OK.... I will get that corrected.

Dennis Bergstrom wrote:I believe Tom Friedkin's FM-2 Wildcat is kept at Chino but it's BuNo is 74560.

OK, I will look into that.

Thanks.

Mike

Fri May 27, 2005 8:26 am

TimApNy wrote:I can't view Web-shots at work but is that the Cinema Air FM-2?
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregis ... 74560.html

Yep... I think that is it.

Thanks Tim!

Mike

Fri May 27, 2005 8:36 am

TimApNy wrote:When did you go in 97? I was there in the May of 97 time frame and the FM-2 I saw was a mess. Not nearly was polished up as the FM-2 in your first picture.

I was there and took the picture on 4 December 1997. I don't think it was the Pond machine since I think a Warbirds International issue featured it at one point.

Mike

Fri May 27, 2005 9:37 am

Mike, the Wildcat in your first link (86774) was out on the Tarmac during the 2004 PoF airshow looking pretty much identical to your pics. I too had heard that this aircraft had been sold to FHC but it was definitely at Chino as late as May 2004. The other aircraft appears to be the Cinima Air Wildcat which it the ex-Champlin FM-2 if I'm not mistaken.