Playground Kingcobra identity?

[spartakle]

I know it might be a long-shot to solve the identity of this P-63 Kingcobra decaying in a playground on the basis of a single uncaptioned image but I know my best chance is here! The photo came to me via a friend about 20 years ago and when I dug it out today I saw it had no caption and I forgot the story that went with it. I seem to recall it was in a playground in a southeastern state, maybe Florida and likely during the early 1970s. Curious to know if it went on to better days.
Link to photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N ... hotostream

[51fixer]

I know it might be a long-shot to solve the identity of this P-63 Kingcobra decaying in a playground on the basis of a single uncaptioned image but I know my best chance is here! The photo came to me via a friend about 20 years ago and when I dug it out today I saw it had no caption and I forgot the story that went with it. I seem to recall it was in a playground in a southeastern state, maybe Florida and likely during the early 1970s. Curious to know if it went on to better days.
Link to photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N ... hotostream

Became Bob Ponds "Pretty Polly".

[JDK]

So:
P-63A, RP-63A 42-68864

Elliott White Springs Park,
Lancaster SC: memorial displ. 50/60
Don Whittington, Ft Lauderdale FL: hulk
Confederate Air Force, Harlingen TX 84/88
(hulk stored dism., Mesa AZ & Harlingen TX)
Robert J. Pond/ Planes of Fame East,
Minneapolis-Flying Cloud MN .88/92
(rest. Chino CA 89/92, ff 2.10.92
as "268864 Pretty Polly")
N163BP Robert J. Pond, Eden Prairie MN 5.92/97
Bob Pond/ Palm Springs Air Museum CA 12.97/08

From the Warbird Directory.
http://www.warbirdsdirectory.goodall.com.au/

HTH!

[PinecastleAAF]

I got to pass it as it sat disassembled on the back on a 18 wheeler headed west down I-10 towards Tallahassee about 1980. I couldn't believe my eyes. Many years ater I saw a picture of it in the playground and realized it was the same a/c.

[spartakle]

Thanks Rich Palmer, James K., & Pinecastle AAF for identifying the playground Kingcobra and its' current status and backstory... greatly appreciate the vast knowledge of WIX readers! ...now I can accurately caption the photo.

I have another mystery to solve regarding a P-63 Kingcobra but this time I have a little more information and 4 photographs. The pictures came to me in 1991 and the caption on the back of one image says that the P-63 was located at Malstrom AFB (Great Falls) and was damaged while en route from Buffalo to Great Falls, Montana in 1944 and was slated for restoration & display in Great Falls to remember the WWII connection this small city had in playing an important role in the transfer of Lend-Lease warplanes going to Russia over the ALSIB route. My guess is that this P-63 was damaged during the war at Great Falls, not en route. I also thought that this pic might be taken at Great Falls International airport (formerly Gore Field), not nearby Malstrom but I might be wrong; I did not see it when at GF in 2008. Link to photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N ... hotostream

[John Kerr]

May help solve part of the mystery:

RP-63C 43-11117 USAFM: Yesterdays Air Force, Chino CA 76/79
USAFM: Bradley Air Museum/ New England Air
Museum, Windsor Locks CT 11.79/89
(rest. project, Mooresville NC 82/88:
majority of airframe sold to YAC, Chino CA;
remaining parts of 43-11117 taken back by
USAFM, plus two wrecks recov. ex crash sites:
composite static rest., Malmstrom AFB MT .89/92)
Charles F. Nichols/ Yankee Air Corps, Chino CA 85/92
(rest. to fly Chino, using parts and adopting
id. of 44-4181/N9009)
N9009 (2 Charles Nichols/ Yanks Air Museum, Chino CA 92/94
N91448 Kermit A. Weeks/ Fantasy of Flight Museum
Polk City FL 24.3.94/08
(rest. completed at Polk City 96/99 as
Soviet AF "004/Code 100")
San Diego Aerospace Museum: loan 99
EAA Museum, Lakeland FL: loan, displ. 03/08
(displ. as Soviet “29004/100”)
________________________________________________________________________________________

[spartakle]

Thanks John Kerr for the information about the Malstrom AFB P-63 Kingcobra. I'm still a little confused though about the army serial number for this wreck and if it was used for parts to rebuild another P-63; as I think your info implied.
Thanks
Blake

[zorro7]

Blake/P-63 Folks:

Interesting pictures of a forgotten P-63. Probably taken al Malstrom AFB. MA.

Does anyone has any idea of the black numbers shown of the left wing & what they mean? 137 or 173??

In addition, there seems to be 2 sets of wings in the pictures. One with dark green paint and the other one with metal scheme.

[spartakle]

I have another photo of a mystery P-63 that was sent to me in the mid-1990s that lacked a caption except to say that it was a P-63 re-build in Minnesota. My guess is that the photo was taken between the mid-1970s thru to the mid-1980. Here is the link to the image on my Flickr photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23057174@N ... hotostream

Help identifying would be appreciated.
Blake

[zorro7]

Blake:

Keep finding/posting those P-63 pictures. Tks

The last P-63E link is possibly AAF 43-11734 when being re-built at Jordan, MN c. 1980s by Mr. Dan Chvatal.

Last edited by zorro7 on Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

[SaxMan]

It was cool when they used to have REAL objects at the playground. I remember my nursery school (early 1970s) had a '57 Chevy Station Wagon and an old Fire Truck on its playground. I guess the whole environmental and liability concerns killed off this practice.

[spartakle]

Thanks Zorro7 for the possible identity of the P-63 in someone's garage in Minnesota.

You said: "The last P-63E link is possibly AAF 43-11734 when being re-built at Jordan, MN c. 1980s by Mr. Dan Chvatal."

I will dig through my photos and post more P-63 pictures if I find any.

Blake

[John Kerr]

I have about 10 slides of various P-63's that Dan Chvatal had at one time. Will post them all if you like, here are a couple of P-63E 43-11734. Photos taken in Oct 1993 by me in Jordan, MN.

[spartakle]

Thanks John for posting the P-63 pictures... and yes! please post the others you mentioned. Both Bell fighters fascinate me and its good to see photos of those that managed to survive the smelter or resurface in odd places around the world.

[John Kerr]

Here are a few more:
Serial numbers unknow, P-63 Wings, Jordan, MN Oct 93 John Kerr

Engine and unknow tail cone of a P-63, Jordan, MN Oct 93 John Kerr