The Fighter Collection's Wildcat flies again - Duxford, UK

[rwdfresno]

[RANT]...[RANT/]

[Mike]

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?c ... gmark=RUMW

Rajay,

I would suggest you contact the CAA in the UK and correct them. They seem to have the idea, heaven knows why, that this is a Grumman FM-2, manufactured by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation.

[over/out]

I Like Shrimp, do you like shrimp? Let's see...there's fried....

[bombadier29]

Rajay seems to have pulled out a very obscure and little known or needed piece of the warbird business, made himself king of it and now preaches it to all without ever stopping to think that nobody besides him actually cares about it. It doesn't matter what you think somebody should call an airplane Rajay and I'd bet that not a single warbird owner will ever change their paperwork or habits because of your ranting. I'd even be willing to bet not a single warbird owner or operator is even slightly interested in anything you say or do.

I don’t know about your Flight Manual. Maybe it was only a half-ass, reproduction copy that you picked up from some place like Essco for all I know. But you obviously missed the real point; of course the distinction mattered to the US Navy, that’s who created the different designation for the Eastern-built Wildcats and Avengers in the freakin’ first place! (And why.) If it had never “mattered” to the US Navy, they wouldn’t have ever called them an “FM-2” or “TBM” and every single Wildcat ever built would have been just another “F4F” and every single Avenger ever built would have carried just a “TBF” designation instead.

I wish you could have been part of a conversation I had with Dick Foote and another Wildcat owner down in Florida in the early 80s. Dick was a test pilot for Grumman and Vought and possibly GM. He said numerous times at several different venues that there was a bit of hanky-panky going on between Grumman and GM over the data plates, airframes and which company actually constructed certain Wildcats. So your argument about who built what and when isn't totally valid.

[Deuelly]

Just a few questions. In Europe aren't they more critical about making sure that a warbird has the equipment in and service bulletins done that are called for verses, say, an experimental warbird in the US? Could that make an agent of the government ground a specific aircraft if it was called one type but had the structure of another type? I do know that if something looks questionable, at some point someone will probably question it. Anyway, good to see that TFC has the bird back in the air after some downtime.

[51fixer]

Just a few questions. In Europe aren't they more critical about making sure that a warbird has the equipment in and service bulletins done that are called for verses, say, an experimental warbird in the US? Could that make an agent of the government ground a specific aircraft if it was called one type but had the structure of another type? I do know that if something looks questionable, at some point someone will probably question it. Anyway, good to see that TFC has the bird back in the air after some downtime.

Be Careful.
NSA is reading what you post.
If you give the Gov any ideas on how to harass aircraft owners they won't give you credit for your own idea.

[Chappie]

Thank you for the correction Rajay. Does that also mean that we are no longer permitted to refer to Vega-built B-17s as Boeings, or Westland-built Spitfires as Supermarine? Casa 1-131 s as Bucker Jungmanns? How about North American Harvards, if they were built by Noorduyen or CCF?

If the vertical fin of Vega built B-17s was visibly taller than Boeing or Douglas B-17s then.......yes.

I'm behind you Rajay. When I wrote the article on Jerry Yagen's FM-2 for Warbird Digest I went out of my way to explain Grumman vs GM Wildcats and made sure that BuNo 47030 was built by GM.

Another rid-bit: F4Fs produced 57 Aces while FM-2s only produced four.

Chappie

[Rob W]

So anyway, back to the point. It's pretty cool that their Wildcat is back in the air. Any ETA on when the Hellcat is to be returned to the skies?

[C VEICH]

Any ETA on when the Hellcat is to be returned to the skies?

Below is the reply of one David Whitworth (DCW) when he was asked the same question over on the Flypast Forum. I may be wrong but I believe Mr. Whitworth is associated with TFC and thus may have some "inside information". No explanation was given as to why.

The Hellcat is not going to be back in the air soon, I'm afraid.

[bentwingbomber]

Any ETA on when the Hellcat is to be returned to the skies?

Below is the reply of one David Whitworth (DCW) when he was asked the same question over on the Flypast Forum. I may be wrong but I believe Mr. Whitworth is associated with TFC and thus may have some "inside information". No explanation was given as to why.

The Hellcat is not going to be back in the air soon, I'm afraid.

Mr whitworth is in no way associated with TFC.

He has no inside information.

We are working on the Hellcat to return her to flying status as soon as possible.

[C VEICH]

Any ETA on when the Hellcat is to be returned to the skies?

Below is the reply of one David Whitworth (DCW) when he was asked the same question over on the Flypast Forum. I may be wrong but I believe Mr. Whitworth is associated with TFC and thus may have some "inside information". No explanation was given as to why.

The Hellcat is not going to be back in the air soon, I'm afraid.

Mr whitworth is in no way associated with TFC.

He has no inside information.

We are working on the Hellcat to return her to flying status as soon as possible.

Thanks for the clarification. Any estimation as to when "as soon as possible" may be? As far as I'm concerned you can never have too many flyable Hellcats!