Warbird Information Exchange

Is the Hellcat the one that Mike Rettke once owned?
Robbie

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Not 100% but I think that is the ex-Friedkin machine that is now flying with TFC. As I recall the airplane was put down on a road after engine failure but was forced off the road and through some trees by an oncoming truck! Or am I thinking of a different Hellcat?

This is what Love's 51 looked like at the time.
http://www.mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/su ... 3079.shtml



I noted that. I can just not remember seeing photos of it in the old colors with a national insignia, but it is a candidate. Anyone that remembers "Red Nose" from the early 70's?

T J

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Thanks..and agreed about the paint job. Although it was a bit inaccurate on that bird. It was dark blue over light blue, and should have either been overall dark blue or three-tone. There've been several TBM's restored in Bunker Hill markings, but until you mentioned it I didn't realize that was the only Corsair.




The joke was unintentional..I didn't realize why you found that funny until I noticed the owner's name..


SN

I don't know if the "Oogahonk Special" #97 and Bob Loves "Non Carborundum Illiegitemitis" (Bonnie's Bo) were the same plane (I don't have N #'s handy), but from the late 70's it was in an erzatz WW2 paint scheme, all white base, until his death. It carried various markings from his career.

Same a/c.

T J

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Make my day, punk!

The hellcat was owned by some airline pilots from delta.One of them was Mike Retke.The duck was Frank Tallmans and I helped him change the tail wheel after it schreaded.As a 14 year old kid that was just the coolest thing.The Hellcat brings back memories for me because one of the owners gave me a QEC from a dash 3 model after they robbed some goodies off of it. I would skip school to go over to the old Atlanta a/p to help work on it.Mostly cleaning the belly. Its been down hill ever since and I wouldnt change a thing.

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The camo wing in one picture is Jack Hoves' P-51 that Bob raced at Reno after he converted the Special back to stock, Icrewed on the one 79' to 83'

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The P-47 was on loan to the CAF at the time by Duane Egli and Ed Jurist, flown by Randy Sohn. I remember seeing two P-51s there with For Sale signs in their canopy, I remember one had a price of $49,000! Boy, have times changed! I also got a ride in the tri-motor for $5.00, $10.00 got you a seat as copilot! The next year I got a ride for $5.00 in a Boeing 247, $10.00 for a copilot seat. There were gaps in the show line during the afternoon airshow, I hear now it's 20-30 people deep!

For reference here is a shot of Mike Rettke's Hellcat N79863 that I took at AirWar74, Windsor.

PeterA