F9F-8T Cougar being restored for Static Display

[TheBeave]

BuNo: 147418 is located at the Veteran's Museum in Huntsville, TX. I'm hoping to restore the aircraft for static display. I've been trying to scour the Internet for references to this bird. What I have discovered so far is that the aircraft was in VT-25 Training Squadron at NAS Chase Field. After being taken out of service, the acft spent some time on a stick at Camp Shelby, MS. The volunteers at the museum said they received a call one day asking if they wanted the acft. They said yes, however, it took some years to finally get it to Huntsville.

I am working with a good friend that was a Technical Illustrator for Sikorsky for 25 years on creating some great drawings of the acft and what it will look like once restored back to its VT-25 heyday colors.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47607763@N00/

[Dan K]

Nice first post, Beave...even Eddie Haskell approves.





Seriously, be sure to post a parts-needed list for that Cougar project. Quite a few scroungers hang out here.

[Fouga23]

Welcome to WIX! Great project you have there. Would be great if you could keep us up to date on the restoration. And as Dan said; if you are looking for something, just post it here. lot's of helping hands around.

[Mark Allen M]

Hope these help, source NMNA archives


Three Grumman F9F-8T Cougars of Navy Training Squadrons VT-24, VT-25, and VT-26 from Chase Field Naval Air Station, Beeville, TX


A flight of four F9F Cougar aircraft of VT-25 in formation.


TF9-J Cougar aircraft of VT-25 on the ground.


AF8J on touch and go during air operations off Corpus Christi. VT-25 operates with the USS Lexington (CVS-16) for carrier qualifications.


A TF-9J Cougar fighter aircraft of VT 25 crashes into the sea after being launched from Port catapult of the USS Lexington (CVS-16)


Grumman F9F-8 Cougar of Training Squadron VT-25, from Chase Field Naval Air Station Beeville, TX


A Grumman F9F-8T Cougar of Training Squadron VT-25, from Naval Air Station Beeville, TX ,makes an arrested landing aboard the USS Lextington (CVG-16) during carrier qualifications.
A Grumman F9F-8T Cougar of Training Squadron VT-25, from Naval Air Station Beeville, TX ,makes an arrested landing aboard the USS Lextington (CVG-16) during carrier qualifications.


An F-9 Cougar jet pictured on display in Beeville, Texas, home of Naval Air Station (NAS) Chase Field, during the 1960s.

[TheBeave]

Thanks guys for all the warm welcome to the WIX!

I will, indeed, post what I will be needing for the Cougar. Amazingly, the photo belies the fact that the bird is in pretty good condition structurally. The wings are removed and part of the tail for the trip from Camp Shelby to Huntsville, AL. Nothing some new sheet metal and rivets can't take care of.

Thanks for the VT-25 pics. It is the desire of the Veteran's Museum to have the bird carry the original scheme of VT-25. (The first pic showing the 4 A/C).

My WISH LIST is the rest of the landing gear as can be seen from the pic I posted. Most of the cockpit is missing, however, I don't think I'll be restoring that. The static display will be outside with the canopy closed and I really don't see how I will be able to gather all the parts needed for the cockpit. If there is really that much out there to be collected for such an endeavor, please correct my lack of faith.

Beave

[SIDSIKO]

The history of F9F-8T, 147418 is as follows

Accepted on charge at Bethpage, 21 Dec 1959.
NAS NART, Glenview, 11 Jan 1960
NAS NART, Los Alamitos, 26 Apr 1960
Storage Facility, Litchfield Park, 10 Apr 1961
Transferred to Davis Monthan, 10 May 1965
To NARF Norfolk, 13 Dec 1965
TRARON 23, Kingsville, 15 Mar 1966
TRARON 26, Chase, 28 Jul 1970
TRARON 25, Chase, 7 Dec 1970
TRARON 10, Pensacola, 16 Jan 1973
NARF Pensacola, 27 Sep 1973.
Struck off charge due to Depreciation, 2 Oct 1973 with a TT of 4260 hours

[Chris Brame]

Thanks Sidsiko - nice to know there's another Glenview bird still around, even if it was only there a little while.

[TheBeave]

Sidsiko,

How did you get all of historical on BuNo 147418??

Beave

[SIDSIKO]

Hello Beave,

I have a lot of USN Aircraft history cards on microfilm, have to search through a few, but gives you the history of any aircraft.

Hope it helps

Sid

[TheBeave]

The National Air and Space Museum Archives has all the maintenance and parts manuals for the F9F-8T Cougar I am restoring. The maintenance manuals cover all of the F9F variants. The parts manuals are specifically -8T, since that is what I only requested [costs involved].

I additionally requested and received the detailed historical data on the A/C [free].

[TheBeave]

The National Air and Space Museum Archives has all the maintenance and parts manuals for the F9F-8T Cougar I am restoring. The maintenance manuals cover all of the F9F variants. The parts manuals are specifically -8T, since that is what I only requested [costs involved].

I additionally requested and received the detailed historical data on the A/C [free].

Not disrespecting Sid though. His information was correct - I figured it was for FREE, so I asked the NASM for historical on Bu 3: 147418 and they supplied 15 pages of info.

Thanks again, Sid.

Beave

[OldPirate]

I noticed in your post that you stated this F9F was at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Tx. It is actually in Huntsville, Al. Since you live in Madison, I have to assume it was a mis-type. Keep me posted on your progress, I would love to be involved.
Jim
Owens Cross Roads, Al

[RareBear]

Huntsville, Alabama, is correct. You can see the Cougar on the trailer behind the museum building on Google Maps.

Walt

[TheBeave]

I cannot believe I put Huntsville, TX. Sheesh....

It is true...the bird is in Huntsville, ALABAMA. I do live in Madison and work in Cummings Research Park.

The cold weather put the restoration on hold until next Spring. Working on a plan to raise some $$$ for the restoration and a proper course of action to put all of this in motion.

Any help would be appreciated, Jim. The guys at the museum are great and are quite accomodating. I look forward to working some more with them. There is a lot to do around the museum and I have my eyes set on a UH-1H Huey after the F9F. I was a crewchief on Hueys and Hawks in the Louisiana Army National Guard for almost a decade and worked the JRTC Flight Detachment at Fort Polk, LA, so the Huey is right up my alley also.

Jim, feel free to jump right in and lend a helping hand !!!

Randy

[xray_ed]

I found this thread while trying to figure out the identity of an aircraft I saw at a nearby airfield. I think that it may be of help to the original poster! This aircraft is located at Moulton Field, Tuskegee Alabama, which is the site of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site. You can't really tell in this photo but the fuselage has "USS Lexington" and "VT-10" written on it. It appears to to be intact.