Blue Angels Bearcats

Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:05 am

US NAVY Photo

Another one from Trader Jon.

Robbie

Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:29 am

Nice- is there any Hellcat as Blue Angel?

Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:56 am

Anybody have links to vintage video of prop Angel or Tbird shows? (for the base theater, of course) :wink:

Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:00 pm

sdennison wrote:Anybody have links to vintage video of prop Angel or Tbird shows? (for the base theater, of course)

The Tbirds never operated any prop driven aircraft but it certainly would be fantastic to see some video of the Blues in either the Hellcat or Bearcat.

Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:44 pm

Chad Veich wrote:
sdennison wrote:Anybody have links to vintage video of prop Angel or Tbird shows? (for the base theater, of course)

The Tbirds never operated any prop driven aircraft but it certainly would be fantastic to see some video of the Blues in either the Hellcat or Bearcat.

While not Officially, I have seen video of the group that evolved into the T-birds performing in T-6s at Williams AFB, they did a very good show.

Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:08 pm

Mgawa wrote

Nice- is there any Hellcat as Blue Angel?

Took this pic of a bearcat at LSFM couple years ago, not sure where it is now. a Hellcat would be cool

Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:14 pm

Wasn't there, a Hellcat painted with Japanese markings, that was part of the Blue Angels show during their first years?

Tulio

Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:42 pm

The role of a Japanese Zero was played by an SNJ-6 (BuNo 112193 in one source) which was nicknamed "Beetle Bomb". It sported an orange "meatball" on the fuselage and large "0" on the rudder, from photos I've seen. I think it was trainer yellow but not sure.

I think the Blues only flew the F6Fs for about four months before moving to the F8F. Once source says the first show in the F8Fs was at Stapleton Field in Denver, Colorado on 24 August 1946. Hope that helps a bit.

Randy

Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:53 pm

THe LSFM Bearcat is still at the museum.

Here is a past thread on the Bearcat. Also some pics of the LSFM F8.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... highlight=

Last edited by Elroy13 on Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:37 am

another link

pardon me for doing so......

http://www.firstblueangel.com/galleries ... Angel_Team

Martin

Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:30 am

Were those T-6s painted in a T-bird type of scheme?

Matt Gunsch wrote:
Chad Veich wrote:
sdennison wrote:Anybody have links to vintage video of prop Angel or Tbird shows? (for the base theater, of course)

The Tbirds never operated any prop driven aircraft but it certainly would be fantastic to see some video of the Blues in either the Hellcat or Bearcat.

While not Officially, I have seen video of the group that evolved into the T-birds performing in T-6s at Williams AFB, they did a very good show.

Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:29 am

They carried standard USAF markings from what I could tell. The video was not that clear.

Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:00 pm

Ok, it was a T-6. Was it painted orange? And what was the nickname for it? I cannot remember!!!

Saludos,

Tulio

Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:10 am

Tulio wrote:Ok, it was a T-6. Was it painted orange? And what was the nickname for it? I cannot remember!!!

Saludos,

Tulio

Beetlebomb?

Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:36 pm

The name "Bettle Bomb" was on a Yellow Bearcat that the Blue Angles used at the 1949 National Air Races held in Cleveland, Ohio. It also had tail code "0" on it. somewhere thay must had changed from T-6 to Bearcat for their #"0".

Cox has an electric control line model of it.

Dr. Aaron King has a nice color picture of it that he showed several years ago at one of our SARH Symposiums.

Kenn