Warbird Information Exchange

I asked Tom at Oshkosh what would be his next project? He said he wasn’t sure. “Others are working on Liberty Belle, for me it’s too personal. “ Then he said “ You know I have a P-51D that was flying , then on display for years and now in storage. I’d really love to restore a Bearcat.”
Okay so the Coutche family has two P-51H’s, a P-51B paperwork , lots of P-51 parts and an unrestored Bearcat that’s surplus to their needs. The Reilly family has a TP-51D project, tons of parts and a world class shop. They want to do a Bearcat.
I’m not even a broker and I can see how to do this deal.

The Tom Reilly Mustang project is Dallas-built P-51D-20-NT 44-12853 that served with the RAAF as A68-641 (only the fuselage surviving). Reilly had it in his garage for a while, and there are some photos of the restored fuselage in one of the first issues of "Mustangs International". It is to be dual-control, but within a stock fuselage/canopy.

N818F is a very special survivor, and I would hate to see the aircraft “restored” In some ways. This is a very low time and little used aircraft, and at some point a few of these planes deserve preservation as it, and to be sparingly flown.

The F8F is a tough one to rank value wise in that her combat use was with the French only. Yes they were sent to the pacific, but her job there would have been as a kamikaze chaser, not close air support or something like that. She was a fast plane, if not the fastest, and historically to me her time to climb record attempts, speed records and racing history make her preservation case rather than racing service. She is an ultimate propeller driven aircraft, but single seat. Hard to say if the $3.0M number will find a buyer. A beautiful aircraft in her own right, if I could afford her I would enjoy the yellow paint, and always think about painting her as a special G-58A I liked.....

I just think a restoration is the LAST thing she needs.

...I had heard previously that Robert Coutches had turned down a 4 million offer for the Bearcat.

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remember the Oogahonk!
old school enthusiast of Civiltary Warbirds and Air Racers

The F8F’s value comes from it being the “ultimate piston driven airplane” “ the worlds fastest list airplane- Conquest I and Rare Bear” and the ultimate and best fighter plane to come from the U.S. in WW II. Of course these are subjective and open for debate.
I was touring The presidential library of President George H. W . Bush several years ago. The docent was an elderly man with a Navy Cross miniaturized lapel pin. He told me he had flown during his time in the Marines the F4F, F6F , F7F, F8F, F9F and the F4U Corsair. He said the Bearcat cockpit was cramped, loud and hot. The cockpit and wing were too small and once you loaded it up with fuel and ammo it could carry very little ordnance. That’s why they were dropped in favor of the F7F and F4U for use in the Korean War. I’ve had so many vets tell me the Corsair was the best. Amazing aircraft apparently.
Two civilian pilots, One of them Howard Purdue, told me the Bearcat was his favorite. He said “it does everything great; climb, cruising speed, acro, and easiest to land. “
In the words of singer Roy Acuff , “ You have to dance with the one that brung ya.” My favorite is the one I’m getting to ride or fly.

Sounds like it comes down to which aircraft is better for fighting a war vs which aircraft is better as a fun flyer. I can live with that.

If it’s like the Br#109s/ Buchons that Connie Edwards had then it could be Air how ready by Spring. Many things to like about this plane. 1) it’s 99% original and no parts scrounging or manufacturing will be necessary. 2) it hasn't been wrecked ten times like most P-51’s. 3) it was never a stripped down modified racer. 4) The interior hasn’t really been civilianized and could be left “as is.” 5) The paint could be left as is, and polished out . It’s possible the paint was applied over it’s military paint. Would it be possible to take it back to it’s original scheme? Did it have a light sanding and paint over? 6) the engine components, hydraulic pumps etc are in good shape. Easy to overhaul, not dug out of the ground somewhere.

Wasn't the Coutches Bearcat up for sale before?

Oh please,please NOooo...there are already enough blue Bearcats, and Steve Hinton's should be flying soon and it will be Blue instead of the civilian colors it was in.

_________________
remember the Oogahonk!
old school enthusiast of Civiltary Warbirds and Air Racers

It has been continually listed as "Taking Offers" for the last 4+ years.


I briefly spoke to Steven Coutches in 2015 and he had said that "the Bearcat will never fly again......", without going into details. Then they moved it to the new location and apparently started a restoration on it.

_________________
remember the Oogahonk!
old school enthusiast of Civiltary Warbirds and Air Racers

Same reason the Bearcat was Stephen Gray's favourite display mount of all the machine's he's had and flown in the TFC fleet in the past almost 40 years.