Collings Foundation aquires another bird...

[K5DH]

Three passenger seats? Seriously? How does that work?

Take a close look at the photo at the top of this thread. There are two darker rectangles on the fuselage, just forward of the left-hand bar of the star-n-bar. Those are windows. There are three passenger seats down inside the massive fuselage. On the starboard side of the fuselage, there are two more windows and an airstair door. The passenger compartment is actually pretty nice inside with upholstery and carpet, although it's just a bit cramped. Do some Google searching, and you'll turn up plenty of photos and info on this interesting bird. There's also a thread here on WIX that has a very good photo of the interior, taken from the airstair opening.

[Django]

Congrats CF!

This falls into the realm of the blue Mustangs... not remotely correct, but boy does it look cool!

[Sasquatch]

Three passenger seats? Seriously? How does that work?

Take a close look at the photo at the top of this thread. There are two darker rectangles on the fuselage, just forward of the left-hand bar of the star-n-bar. Those are windows. There are three passenger seats down inside the massive fuselage. On the starboard side of the fuselage, there are two more windows and an airstair door. The passenger compartment is actually pretty nice inside with upholstery and carpet, although it's just a bit cramped. Do some Google searching, and you'll turn up plenty of photos and info on this interesting bird. There's also a thread here on WIX that has a very good photo of the interior, taken from the airstair opening.

Dred,

Take a look at this thread, about 1/2-way down. Looks quite comfy in there!
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43036&start=15


--Tom

[maxum96]

Three passenger seats? Seriously? How does that work?

Take a close look at the photo at the top of this thread. There are two darker rectangles on the fuselage, just forward of the left-hand bar of the star-n-bar. Those are windows. There are three passenger seats down inside the massive fuselage. On the starboard side of the fuselage, there are two more windows and an airstair door. The passenger compartment is actually pretty nice inside with upholstery and carpet, although it's just a bit cramped. Do some Google searching, and you'll turn up plenty of photos and info on this interesting bird. There's also a thread here on WIX that has a very good photo of the interior, taken from the airstair opening.

Dred,

Take a look at this thread, about 1/2-way down. Looks quite comfy in there!
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43036&start=15


--Tom

Here's the picture in question,

[Sasquatch]

"Dibs" on the seat by the door with all the leg room! I need the lap room for any cuties that are in there with me!

--Tom the "Wild Cat"

[pjpahs]

Is this the only example of a Wildcat with the additional seating? Was this ever a factory mod. during the war? I have seen this aircraft twice at airshows not really paying attention that it was the same one. Who owned it when it was revised?

[RickH]

Chevron/Gulf Oil did the postwar mod. It was used to ferry a geologist around South America.

[dred]

Thank you, gents!

[Warbird Kid]

Chevron/Gulf Oil did the postwar mod. It was used to ferry a geologist around South America.

SEE?! See! That's what I'm talking about. That bit of interesting history has be worth something! At least not to convert her back to a stock bird. I (usually) am one for aircraft as original as possible, but for some reason I just love this plane the way it is. But *sigh* it's not my decision. I know this. Won't stop me from bitching about it here, but I realize the owners have a larger goal in the grand scheme of things. So I've got to accept that. The only thing I ask is... when I get my Wildcat and make the same mod, will the FAA stop me?

[Rob Mears]

With that much room it makes you wonder why the Navy didn't just stick a small belly gunner back there for fighter ops!

[StangStung]

With that much room it makes you wonder why the Navy didn't just stick a small belly gunner back there for fighter ops!

They kind of did, when they got around to making the Hellcat into the Avenger...

[RickH]

Apparently she's real pitchy with ANYTHING back there. Definitely an aft CG issue.

[krlang]

Good to see it going to a good home.
The first time I saw the airplane was here in Bedford in the 80's.
Many years later we heard a sound overhead of the Leeward Air Ranch, those short stacks are wonderful.
A low approach after a wing over, what a suprise, it was the Wildcat, I had not seen it in a long time.

Any plans to fly it with the Turkey?