Warbird Information Exchange

I thought I'd share a couple photos of my visit with my dear friend
Bill Compton out at his Oregon farm. Bill's a complete avaition packrat
and has soooo much stuff it's freaking amazing. ''PLEASE'' don't get any
ideas cause I know what ya'll are thinking. Bill's almost 90 and has in very ill
so no calls or visits please. NOTHING IS FOR SALE! i Just wanted to share
these with you.
R-1830 cut-away
Allison direct drive (P-39)
supercharger
Cirrus Engine UK 1927
OX-5
P & W T34 ie Liberty Belle's motor
R-4360
Ford tractors, stabs and control surfaces
Wright J65 & Hellcat stuff
couldn't quite get the B/n
F6F motor mount
right wing gun bay
tail hooks
F6F cockpit
F6F-3
Gentleman farmer, aviator and 40 year friend!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Great stuff Jack. If it wasn't for guys like Bill, GA and Walter Soplata who valued this type of stuff, a lot of history would have been destroyed.

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The more I learn about aircraft, the more I realize I still have to learn.

....that I would LOVE to have. tell him I am very jealous!

Great pictures! What did Mr. Compton do during W.W.II? How long has he been flying?

An interesting collection to say the least.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

damned drool is getting all over my key board!!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Oh man! I'm looking for a Cirrus engine to!!!!!

Thanks for posting pictures of Bill's collection Jack. Looks like he has lots of cool toys. I love the Hellcat in the barn.

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Share your story: Rutgers Oral History Archive http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/

Jack, you have some neat friends. Thanks for sharing. That looks like many years of collecting. Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

That is awesome Jack. I love the tractors too! Oh man I think I have been living in Indiana too long to say something like that.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Great collection! Please pass along my wishes for a speedy recovery. I would say that I hope it's nothing serious, but at that age, any illness is serious.

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Sure, Charles Lindbergh flew the plane... but Tom Rutledge built the engine!

Visit Django Studios online or Facebook!

This just shows the museum geek I am - I like the cutaway engine!!

Tom P.

Smiles, I think you will find that one a little under powered for you as it looks like an original Cirrus mark I of 60HP (based on the heads), rather than the mark II of 90HP that the Avian's used.

very rare and great to see preserved in good condition.

Can anyone give some background to the forward section of the F6F and why it is cut? is this a warbird wreck that was acquired after a crash? or is this damage from military service?

A great collection and well done to Bill for collecting and preserving it.

regards

Mark Pilkington

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20th Century - The Age of Manned Flight
"from Wrights to Armstrong in 66 years -WOW!"

Jack has written extensively about it in the past. Just do a search under "Hellcat" or "Bill Compton" and you will find a lot more pictures and info. The bottom line is that it was a civilian owned Hellcat that crashed back in the 70's, shortly after restoration.

Both Bill and Jack L. put up alot with this snot nosed puke and his never ending barrage of
questions related to the F6F and FM-2. Had alot to do with my joining the Navy and my love
of aviation. Bill was a B-25 pilot during WWII. He never went overseas but had around 1500
hours in B-25s. We could never get him to go flying with us. He just smiled and said why would
an old bus driver want to see his old bus! I think the F6F ruined him. Therer are some misconceptions
about Bill's crash related to fuel exhaustion. There was some isses with the fuel selector valve.
When the 2800 died the only way for Bill to get gas to it would have been to turn the selector to the
off position. He but mistakes and he admits to it was putting the gear down. He came down in a wet
plowed field and cartwheeled 5-6 times. tore the fuselage off, motor off, and both wings outboard of the
fold. Bill suffered severe head injuries despite wearing a crash helemt and spent over 3 months in the hospital.

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Don't touch my junk!!