Dixie Wing P-63 Almost Airborne

Dan K · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2015 6:23 pm

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hp ... e=5609F9B4

Can't be long now...hope they let her travel north now & then.

GregP · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:13 pm **Posts:** 67

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

Tim Savage · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 8:26 pm **Posts:** 622

GregP wrote:

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

Different airplane, different wing, different operation.

Triplane102 · **Joined:** Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:55 pm **Posts:** 491

Thanks for posting that! Dan. Very Cool. I remember being in Harlingen in the Late '70s -'80s for the air shows. I bought a Red & Black Cobras Den Patch ( which I Still Have!) from the original group who wanted to Restore this Cobra. I was told by one of the main members that their "other" P-63 was headed west ( this would be the Bob Ponds "Polly" ) and that since they were not sure if the new owner was going to make it a flyer or static, they kept the better condition components of the 2 P-63s. If this was indeed the case, then it came out the best for both Birds. Bob Pond had Fighter Rebuilders, of course, replaced what needed replacing, & the CAF had a good one to start with, which by NO means was an easy restoration to get to this point now! What a Fantastic Job the Dixie Wing has done!

GregP · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:13 pm **Posts:** 67

Great to see another Bell flying. The P-63 was a pretty darned good fighter that suffered from looking too much like a P-39. The P-39 itself wasn't bad down low, but losing the turbo removed any chance of it being a high-altitude anything.

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2015 10:28 pm

Is this the P-63 that had French markings back in the 70's??

Triplane102 · **Joined:** Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:55 pm **Posts:** 491

Lynn Allen wrote:

Is this the P-63 that had French markings back in the 70's??

Yes , also "Tumbleweed ", All White with Blue & Red trim.

RV8er · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2015 11:50 pm

GregP wrote:

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

Tim Savage wrote:

Different airplane, different wing, different operation.

Care to let the rest of us in on this little secret?

Triplane102 · **Joined:** Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:55 pm **Posts:** 491

RV8er wrote:

GregP wrote:

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

Tim Savage wrote:

Different airplane, different wing, different operation.

Care to let the rest of us in on this little secret?

That would be the Silver, Tall Tail P-63F that had a fuel selector problem and had to execute a gear up landing at Midland. The Centex Wing's April news letter reported that the P-63 is going to a new sponsor. http://www.cafcentex.com Please correct me if I didn't get that right.

Iclo · **Posted:** Sat May 23, 2015 8:09 am

GregP wrote:

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

How do you think the operator of the plane involved in this incident, feel when he come hear and read this kind of comment ?

RV8er · **Posted:** Sat May 23, 2015 11:18 am

TBM Tony wrote:

That would be the Silver, Tall Tail P-63F that had a fuel selector problem and had to execute a gear up landing at Midland. The Centex Wing's April news letter reported that the P-63 is going to a new sponsor. http://www.cafcentex.com Please correct me if I didn't get that right.

Oh, that. Yep, I'm quite familiar with the story there; I was to be a part of a new sponsor group for the P-63 in the Houston area, but things got shuffled a bit... the plane is currently at Pearland being repaired. How far along it is with that I don't know.

And regarding GregPs post, his comment has no bearing on what actually happened.

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat May 23, 2015 1:03 pm

Looking good, keep up the good work guys! :drink3:

Robbie

Chappie · **Joined:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:40 am **Posts:** 987

Iclo wrote:

GregP wrote:

I hope they amend the operating proceudres to check the fuel level against calculations before departing from now on.

How do you think the operator of the plane involved in this incident, feel when he come hear and read this kind of comment ?

......or would you make that comment in the presence of the pilot? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Chappie

GregP · **Joined:** Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:13 pm **Posts:** 67

A fuel selector problem? It is entirely possible that what we heard was incorrect, so I'll wait to hear before opening mouth and inserting foot and farther.

I'm talking about N6763, a Bell P-93 Kingcobra that was damaged in a landing accident on 11 Sep 2013 at Sky West Airport in Texas. The cause I saw on a report was "Belly landing due to a defect of the fuel tank selector."

What we heard doesn't seem to support that, but you hear things that later turn out to be incorrect. I shall say that I am unaware as yet of the real cause of the belly landing.

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Sun May 24, 2015 8:57 pm

Lynn Allen wrote:

Is this the P-63 that had French markings back in the 70's??

Roger that and thanks. I also heard a long ago, it was a gate guard at Love Field, Dallas, Texas. anybody else hear that or know about it??

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Dixie Wing P-63 Almost Airborne

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