2018 Restorations

[Lon Moer]

F8F-2 Bearcat BuNo. 121707 is looking more complete at Fighter Rebuilders at Chino with the engine now installed. Anyone know who owns this now?

This is the one we were talking about earlier in this thread

Fighter Rebuilders Bearcat in Chino looks to be nearly done. Perhaps flying by the airshow in May?

Orange or blue?

Bare metal for the moment. Don't know what the plan is.

Steve Hinton is listed as the owner.
Technically it is a G-58, not a F8F, and is supposed to be Orange with white trim.

[Sopwith]

That Airco DH4 looks lovely, has the restoration been covered in any magazines yet?

[The Ripper]

F8F-2 Bearcat BuNo. 121707 is looking more complete at Fighter Rebuilders at Chino with the engine now installed. Anyone know who owns this now?

I believe it's owned by a consortium at Chino.

[marine air]

The D.H. $ is making amazing progress. They have the radiator restored. The engine has been overhauled, ran and delivered. They've located exhaust stacks and someone is building up the cowling now. The wings are cloaked in fabric and being worked on now. I think they're looking for someone to build the replica scarf ring and machine guns.

[Sopwith]

Sounds good, thanks for the update marine air. Looking forward to seeing the pictures of it when it is complete and flying.

[warbirdcrazy]

PV-2 Harpoon 37276 " Bad To The Bone " is set to return to the air later this year.

[avenger2504]

Technically it is a G-58, not a F8F, and is supposed to be Orange with white trim.

Isn't G58 just the company designation for the Bearcat?

[Lon Moer]

Technically it is a G-58, not a F8F, and is supposed to be Orange with white trim.

Isn't G58 just the company designation for the Bearcat?

Yes.
And that specific airframe has always been a civilian G-58 and was never a military F8F.

[Ryan Harris]

There was only the G-58A and G-58B built. The G-58A was Gulfhawk IV, and the G-58B was an airframe made out of spare Bearcat parts and retained by Grumman as a company airplane and now at Palm Springs Air Museum. Gulfhawk IV was destroyed by a post landing fire in 1949. The airframe at Chino is F8F-2 BuNo 121707 that Elmer Ward restored in the ‘90’s and he adopted the Gulfhawk N number and paint job, but it is not the original G-58A. I saw somewhere that the final paint job plan is to be painted as the original Planes of Fame Bearcat, 121714, from the 60’s and 70’s. That airplane is now with The Fighter Collection.

[Matt Gunsch]

Technically it is a G-58, not a F8F, and is supposed to be Orange with white trim.

Isn't G58 just the company designation for the Bearcat?

Yes.
And that specific airframe has always been a civilian G-58 and was never a military F8F.

The only true G.58 is the Bearcat at the Palm Springs Museum,http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f8fregistry/f8f-n700a.html
the Bearcat that is at Chino I believe is the one that Elmer Ward crashed on take off at Oshkosh. http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f8fregis ... 21707.html

[avenger2504]

Ah I see very interesting. So are they restoring it as a military Bearcat or it's original configuration and colours?

[Ryan Harris]

Ah I see very interesting. So are they restoring it as a military Bearcat or it's original configuration and colours?

It’s original configuration is a military Bearcat. I’ve read that the plan is to paint it as the first Bearcat owned by PoF from the 50’s to the 70’s.

[kalamazookid]

Warbird Heritage Foundation FG-1D is making good progress. I heard the engine is now hung, but I don't know how aggressive their timeline is.

[mike furline]

the Bearcat that is at Chino I believe is the one that Elmer Ward crashed on take off at Oshkosh. http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f8fregis ... 21707.html

[GRNDP51]

Ah I see very interesting. So are they restoring it as a military Bearcat or it's original configuration and colours?

It’s original configuration is a military Bearcat. I’ve read that the plan is to paint it as the first Bearcat owned by PoF from the 50’s to the 70’s.

https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/N4995V or is it 56 with a "V" on the tail?

??? Wish they would do something different, 2 Bearcat's airworthy in one year and they are nearly the same. Can't wait til the yellow and white Cat is flying