CAF Centex Wing P-39 News

[Ray Clausen]

Making Progress on the P-39 Airacobra

Even while we hung a new engine on the Yellow Rose, the B25 Mitchell bomber, and while continuing to work towards returning the P-63 to the air, we have worked to make repairs to the CAF Centex Wing's P-39. Much of the work, until recently, has been fabricating parts and fitting them. These parts are all internal to the wing and it has been tough for folks to see what progress we were making. That changed last week when Scott Phifer and I started fitting the wing leading edge skins. We are taking our time, trying to get it right with minimal foulups, but the plane is looking better every day. Jim Liles is helping out with much of the trimming and fine-fitting. We still have what seems like about a million rivet holes to drill, then we have to dimple all of them. We have to reproduce several of the inspection panel doors that were destroyed in the landing incident. We'll also have to remake the gun door. There were a couple of dents and scratches under the wing that are being worked out and the left horizontal leading edge has a couple of dents that Teresa Smith, wife of plane captain Randy Smith, started going after this past Saturday. The new gear door skin is ready to rivet but I'm short of good sheet metal people.... Here are a couple of photos of the new skin going together.





The annual condition inspection is as complete as I can do it with the plane in its current condition. We hope to see our work pick up speed and are seriously looking forward to seeing both the P-63 and the P-39 streak by low and loud!

Thanks!

[SPANNERmkV]

Outstanding on the P-63 Engine start!!!

Outstanding on the P-39 sheetmetal wrangling!

Go COBRA DEN!!!

SPANNER

[Lynn Allen]

Looks like a good time for an authentic paint job.

Is this a Pin Ball P-63? Never seen a AWR system on the tail and the back windows replaced with sheet metal. Thanks for sharing it...

Lynn

[Nathan]

That P-39 has had bad luck for awhile.

[Randy Wilson]

Mike - I'm curious where you found the image of 11719 with what do look like Pinball mods. I've never seen a reference suggesting that either of the 2 F models were Pinball aircraft. Very interesting.

Randy

[mike furline]

Mike - I'm curious where you found the image of 11719 with what do look like Pinball mods. I've never seen a reference suggesting that either of the 2 F models were Pinball aircraft. Very interesting.

Randy

The pic is from the National Archives.
The description has it incorrectly listed as a P-63E.(Not unusual for the Archives, most likely mis-labelled way back when.)
Other information indicates the picture was taken by Bell and given to the Air Force in 1948. No date for when the picture was actually taken.

Mike

[Django]

Sounds like great news!

[Lynn Allen]

Delete

Last edited by Lynn Allen on Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Lynn Allen]

I was over in Breckenridge today and Steve Dickey has a great book on the Cobra's and it shows "719" as an experimental aircraft...

[bluehawk15]

According to Mike Collier, pilot and sponsor of the -63F, she's painted as she was when she rolled out of the Bell plant.

[Speedy]

How much of a donation would I have to make to get you guys to paint it up in the gloss-green Russain scheme (including the bright red and yellow "COBRA!" lettering) again, just like when the Whittington's donated it?


(Ducking and running.... )

[bluehawk15]

I'll ask, everything always seems to have a price, but something tells me that would take a couple of armored cars to bring the money in! Mike told me about how many layers of paint he stripped off before putting this paint job on.

Now there is going to be a little paint touch-up done, but I doubt it's going to be green!

[b17engineer]

Any new news from the Cobra Den? I've been holding my breath waiting and I'm almost to the point of no return.

Rick

[Pogo]

Yes, I'm terribly worried about Rick ...... and I don't even know him! Better post an update soon!!

[bluehawk15]

All I know is both planes are getting closer to flying by the day now! I'll be at the Cobra Den in the morning, I'll see if there's anything I can add as an update.