Polar Bear

PinecastleAAF · **Joined:** Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm **Posts:** 1028

Any pictures exist of the Polar Bear P-51 at the crash site in Alaska? Always curious what it looked like prior to recovery.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:02 am

most likely a snow cone by now!!

John Kerr · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:05 am

I have a photo of it not taken in Alaska, but in a very cold hangar in March 1978 at Versailles, Ohio. P-51A, N51Z, 43-6006.

I have also included a photo of P-51D, 44-73483, N351D taken in the same hangar at the same time. This airframe was mated with the P-51A wreck.

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

I have heard that many of the 'left over' P-51A parts from this project found their way onto the Collings A-36

PinecastleAAF · **Joined:** Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm **Posts:** 1028

Thank you sir! Looks better than I was expecting. Looks like it was very intact.

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

PinecastleAAF wrote:

Thank you sir! Looks better than I was expecting. Looks like it was very intact.

Yes, but it's pretty obvious from the photos that the fuselage used was a modified P-51D unit. Weren't the wings from a P-51D (with the larger leading-edge kink) also? So that does beg the question as to exactly how much of the recovered A-model wreckage actually ended up on Polar Bear

PinecastleAAF · **Joined:** Fri May 25, 2007 4:50 pm **Posts:** 1028

I agree completely. As someone mentioned it might be handled differently if recovered today in the same condition. Not sure how to classify Polar Bear's nomenclature but it is one sweet ride. Still love to see some pics of the wreck in situ. Alaskan wrecks have always interested me and this one in particular.

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

There was a shot of it on the mountain in Paul Coggan's 'Mustang Survivors' back in the '80s

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:20 pm

first iv'e heard of the recovery!! i thought it was still out their, while it's right in my back yard in ohio!!! i'm going to look into this !!

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3331

tom d. friedman wrote:

first iv'e heard of the recovery!! i thought it was still out their, while it's right in my back yard in ohio!!! i'm going to look into this !!

Tom,

It's long gone from Ohio. It has been based in Northern California for many years now.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:38 pm

bummer

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:07 pm

Here is a rather early photo of the aircraft, post-restoration, at Geneseo way back in 1986: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawk914/52 ... otostream/

mlenoch · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:36 pm

I believe based in Hollister with Jerry Gabe.

Bear · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:25 am

And it's also for sale.

http://www.davemorss.com/PolarBearSale.html

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:50 am

Would be cool to see this aircraft visit Geneseo again.

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Polar Bear

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