Wildcat Sold

[Jack Cook]

I just had a note from John Dimmer. He has sold his F4F-3
Wilcat b/n 12296 N3210D to the Pacific Air Museum at Pearl Harbor.
It is still at MOF I believe but will be shipped over in September.

[Rob Mears]

Dang, all those Lake Michigan birds sitting in Navy storage and the museum had to purchase a flyer.

[Mike]

What a bloody waste.

99.9% of the people who see it in the museum won't know the difference between a cosmetically-restored static example, or even a fiberglass model, come to that.

Might as well chuck it back in the lake!

[Brad]

I know that John has offered that Wildcat to several warbird collectors over the last couple of years and found no buyers. He mentioned to me last June that the people in Hawaii were interested in the plane and I'm not surprised to see it go there. I enjoyed working on that old girl and sure do hate to see her locked up, never to fly again.

[N3Njeff]

Thats too bad.........hate to see a perfect flyer get grounded to a museum. I have always thought that the Wildcat would be the perfect warbird in the Fighter class. As far as maint and fuel costs, is there a fighter that would be cheaper to operate???
It should not be any cheaper to operate than a T-28. I would think the only thing that would be higher is ins costs.

[Brad]

As far as maint and fuel costs, is there a fighter that would be cheaper to operate???
It should not be any cheaper to operate than a T-28. I would think the only thing that would be higher is ins costs.

Maintenance costs are quite a bit less than the T-28. The condition inspection can be done over a couple of days if preventive maintenance has been tended to during the year. There are no systems to worry about. The vacume operated flaps, manual gear, cowl flaps and wing folding(on the FM-2) are very simple. The only hydraulics are the brakes, the electrical system is extreamly simple.

Direct operation costs are relatively cheap.

[C170BDan]

Hate to see one parked... sounds like that museum is really putting together a rare collection.

When I grow up I want a Wildcat in my hangar.... Not the slickest looking bird but it sure pegs the cool meter.

[TimAPNY]

I wish I had had the chance to see it fly. Its had enough to see a FM-2 up here in the Northeast let along a real F4F. That is too bad. I wish someone grabbed it that would have kept it in the air, but that is the way things work somethings.

[Pat Carry]

The Pacific Aviation Museum must have some very deep pockets! They also recently acquired a Japanese Zero. I wonder what other planes they have their eyes on?