3 X Hellcat Registrations July 2020

[paulmcmillan]

Chris thanks - I am sure it would have been similar to the one Mark posted (thanks also ) but at least we have the caption text

Paul

[Vagabond]

Hi All,

I did a trial membership with a different newspaper archive and found a better quality scan of the photo from the Denton paper.



Enjoy!

Hellcat is yellow due to using it as a search term and grabbing a screenshot.

[DH82EH]

That was clever!
Well done, thanks for sharing that.

Andy

[paulmcmillan]

Vagabond

Many thanks great image shame they recovered her in the day - Would have been worth a lot of money if she was there still!

Paul

[warbird51]

I believe the best kill to loss ratio of any aircraft in any war.

Phil

Just off the top of my head, 19:1 rings a bell.

Andy

Nope, not the highest kill ratio. The Eastern Aircraft FM-2 Wildcat had a 34 to 1 kill ratio.

[paulmcmillan]

More details of both incidents in US before delivery


Valley Morning Star
Thursday, October 04, 1951


Plane Crashes FORT WORTH A Hellcat fighter recently purchased by the Uruguayan government.
crashed at the north end of Meacham field Wednesday. The Uruguayan navy pilot and only occupant
of the single-engine Americo Noble. 27. suffered cuts and bruises and a possible neck injury.


Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico · Page 1
Thursday, October 4, 1951


Pilot Has Fortunate Escape in Texas Crash FORT WORTH,
Tex- Oct. 3 (JP) A Uruguayan pilot. Americo Noble 26. escaped with minor
face cuts today when a Grumman fighter plane he was flying crashed on landing here.
The pilot, from Montevideo, radioed for emergency landing clearance shortly before he
struck a utility line near the north end of Meacham Field, then glided to a crash
landing on the airfield. The aircraft was one of several being reconditioned here for
transfer to the Uruguayan military establishment. The pilots on the procurement - mission
have -been flying the F6F Hellcats on check flights for several days

Also


Navy Plane Hits Texas Power Line, Crashes Fort Worth Tex. Uruguayan navy fighter plane hit a 'power line
at the north end of Meacham Field about p.m. (CST) yesterday. The pilot, the only man aboard the plane,
was injured. The plane was coming in for a landing when it struck a power line and crashed.
It did not burn.


Denton Record Chronicle Newspaper Archives
February 29, 1952 Page 1

Pilot Unhurt As Plane Crashes In Lake Dallas

A Uruguayan Navy pilot escaped unhurt from his crashed plane in Lake Dallas about 5:30 p.m. yesterday
as the craft sank in 30 feet of water. The Denton County sheriff’s office reported the pilot gave
his name as Ensign Americo Noble of the Uruguay Navy. “My motor was acting up and I knew I was
going to have to make a forced landing,” Noble told witnesses. “I saw a boat below and landed as
close to it as possible.” He was picked up by J. D. Padgett of Dallas, in a large cabin cruiser.
The plane crashed near the middle of the lake, about 200 yards from the Hundley Boatworks.
Owner Rib Hundley said he heard the engine conking out as the plane I approached the lake area,
and ordered two of his boats to stand by “The canopy flew open as the plane hit the water,”
Hundley said. “The pilot got out immediately and clambered around to the tail section, where
he was rescued by Padgett. Before the plane sank, Hundley and his crew tied three lines
around the tail assembly. Rubber buoys attached to the loose end of the lines thus marked
the spot where the plane sank. Rough water and lack of instructions from an insurance company
today hampered salvage operations on the sunken plane. The plane was a modified Grumann Hellcat
belonging to an Uruguyan naval mission in Fort Worth. Hundley theorized that the plane ran out of gas.
“There was no gasoline floating on the water after the craft sank,” Hundley pointed out.
“Oil came to the surface, however.” The Lake Dallas resident explained that excessive amounts of
gasoline usually float on the surface of the water after such crashes.
“The pilot couldn’t have had much gas in the tanks,” Handley reasoned.
Destination of the plane was not immediately learned, investigating officers reported.
The accident was investigated by Sheriff’s Deputies Roy C. Baker and W. A. Kelly and City Policeman Andy Anderson.

[Vagabond]

I’ll search the newspaper archive for a photo of Noble’s NEXT aircraft. It’s the one with 2 F6F kill markings on it.

[Dan K]

As of November 10, F6F-5 N2094G, s/n 72094, has changed registration to "Navy Fighters LLC" of Caldwell, ID.

https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquir ... rTxt=2094G


And we have a match:

https://www.facebook.com/vintage.airframesLLC/

[Warbird Kid]

So is this the Allied Fighter's P-51 and P-38 now? Is the group moving from California to Idaho?

[Ryan Harris]

So is this the Allied Fighter's P-51 and P-38 now? Is the group moving from California to Idaho?

It's the shop that did "Dottie Mae" and has been working on their F6F-3 for several years now.

[bdk]

So is this the Allied Fighter's P-51 and P-38 now? Is the group moving from California to Idaho?

Does Allied Fighters still have a P-51?

[Scott Rose]

One of the things that makes me proud is the storehouse of information this forum has become. I am updating the Hellcat registry and stumbled across this thread. Thanks again to all the WIX members who made this site great over the last 25 years.

[Chris Brame]

Guess I better hunt down that Air Classics issue unless someone else remembers it.