Where Are They Now? -- August's #4

[k5083]

Ontario Air Museum, Sept. 1969.



August

[steve dickey]

Is it this one?

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p39-p63registry/p63-4269080.html

[C VEICH]

That's Bob Pond's bird now, no?

[51fixer]

That's Bob Pond's bird now, no?

The Pond P-63 arrived as a project from the CAF.
It had been in a park.

[mike furline]

Look's like Lt. Columbo has already invetigated this one.

Just one more thing.......

[Warbirdnerd]

Is it P-63A 42-69080? Now on display at Yanks Air Museum?

[k5083]

I thought somebody would spot the car and made sure not the crop the right edge too close.

Given the date, location, the museum's ties to Hollywood, appearance of the car, and rarity of the Peugot 403, it seems at least possible that this is the actual vehicle used in Columbo.

The "Where Is It Now" answer for the Peugot, if it is indeed Columbo's, would be that it is preserved at Universal Studios Hollywood, but accessible only on VIP tours.

August

[The Inspector]

Yeah, except the car is a HILLMAN MINX not a Piggy-

[Dan K]

That's Bob Pond's bird now, no?

I'm far from an expert on the P-63, but what do the clues suggest?


Notice that the P-63 in the first pic has the ventral fin/strake/whatever installed.

Bob Pond's "Pretty Polly" (42-68864), a P-63A-1, does not have this ventral fin installed.

The Nichols' "Fatal Fang" (42-69080) a P-63A-7, does have a ventral fin installed. I'm guessing that we have a match.


HOWEVER...

Everything I've read states that P-63As were built without a ventral fin.

Everything I've read states that P-63Cs were built with a ventral fin.

42-69080 has a ventral fin, yet is identified as a P-63A.


Perhaps the ventral fins were introduced on the assembly line sometime before the C model?

Or is it possible that 42-69080 has had an identity change?


Time for Dan to let the experts take over.

[k5083]

On the car:

On the plane: Though not certain I believe it is Fatal Fang. There are not many candidates, especially with the ventral fin. I have seen it quoted as both a C and an A model although it is a P-63A-7-BE serial. Maybe a P-63 buff could tell us whether some As were later modified with the fin, as was done with some P-51B/Cs and early Ds?

August

[51fixer]

That's Bob Pond's bird now, no?

I'm far from an expert on the P-63, but what do the clues suggest?


Notice that the P-63 in the first pic has the ventral fin/strake/whatever installed.

Bob Pond's "Pretty Polly" (42-68864), a P-63A-1, does not have this ventral fin installed.

The Nichols' "Fatal Fang" (42-69080) a P-63A-7, does have a ventral fin installed. I'm guessing that we have a match.


HOWEVER...

Everything I've read states that P-63As were built without a ventral fin.

Everything I've read states that P-63Cs were built with a ventral fin.

42-69080 has a ventral fin, yet is identified as a P-63A.


Perhaps the ventral fins were introduced on the assembly line sometime before the C model?

Or is it possible that 42-69080 has had an identity change?


Time for Dan to let the experts take over.

When Ponds P-63 Project arrived it had a smashed ventral fin on it. It was decided not to fix and install it.
The 69 photo featured is not Ponds. There have been a few other threads with photos of Ponds in a park.
Ed Maloney also had a P-39 which was raced at Cleveland. It was sold and rebuilt at Long Beach but crashed on it's 1st post rebuild flt IIRC.

[Steve T]

Rich--

Yes, that P-39 was in fact the 1946 Thompson Trophy champion "Cobra II" flown by Tex Johnston (later famed for barrel-rolling the prototype Boeing 707 over the Gold Cup yacht races). The P-39 was bought by Mike Carroll, who was already campaigning a Sea Fury racer, and as you say the Cobra was lost on its first test flight after more racing mods were done to it; Carroll was killed trying to bale out, and the Cobra crashed into a USN facility at Seal Beach iirc.

S.

[sdennison]

I check my brain at the door Any P-63's flying on a regular occasion? I can't say that I have seen one up close and personal, flying that is.

[Mike]

3 flyers, the CAF P-63F, Palm Springs and John Bagley.