Travel Town F9F Panther, and missing Panthers

[Joe Scheil]

Looking into an F9F Panther census, I find there are 21 remaining worldwide...looking to fill a few holes, and maybe add to the total. So....

Back in the 60's I suppose there was a F9F-2? Panther placed in the Traveltown Museum in Los Angeles with a P2V-3. The P2V went to Eagle Field I believe and was/is stored there? The Panther I have been less successful finding. I did take a picture of her wings back in 88? or so, one was broken, the other in good shape lying on some wood skids. I was looking for a serial/Bu # of this plane and desposition.

Also looking for information on the one near the Beeville TX courthouse. It was replaced or augmented by A4 142717 at some point. All I have found is this very intriguing picture.



Also a F9F in Arlington WA ex Argentina?

There are only two static F9F's in Argentina that I know of...are there any more?


127xxx 3A-118 Argentina outside display El Tigre c/n 0453

127xxx 3A-111 Argentina outside display Punta Indio c/n 0452


Also this one....whats its story?

125177 was seen at Pima Air Museum (possibly also id’d as 125197? Also at Pima?) Spotted at Aerocrafters Santa Rosa

[viking73]

There is a better picture of the Beeville F9F in the Ginter Panther series of books. I could post a scan here but I'm not sure if that's allowed or not?

Hope she wasn't scrapped...

-Derek

[Joe Scheil]

Any Bu #?

That would be helpful..

[viking73]

Any Bu #?

That would be helpful..

I am at work now but I'll check it at lunch time when I go home and let you know what it says.

-Derek

[Joe Scheil]

Derek,

Thank You!

Any other displayed or derelict Panthers are worth posting.

Looking into the China Lake discards...but they all appear to be Cougars!

JOE

[deskpro590]

I seem to remember an F9 in a playground in Beeville circa 1978. I can post what pics I have of it when I get home. No idea where that plane is now.

[Andy Marden]

There are only two static F9F's in Argentina that I know of...are there any more?

127xxx 3A-118 Argentina outside display El Tigre c/n 0453

127xxx 3A-111 Argentina outside display Punta Indio c/n 0452

Joe,
There are three in Argentina. The other is 0425/3-A-113, which is at the Museo de la Aviación Naval (MUAN) at Bahía Blanca/BAN Comandante Espora.
Andy Marden

Author: World Military Out of Service

[Joe Scheil]

Andy,

Thank you! Been practicing my foreign languages...



Discovered that there were a couple of survivors in the Panther ranks that I would like to account for. Also wondering if there is a USN Bu# tie up for the planes....

c/n 417 was damaged during the "coup" of April 1963 and was scrapped...but the fuselage went to the Naval Aviation School in 1969...does this one survive?

c/n 421 was displayed at the Puerto Belgrano Naval base by 1971...then?

c/n 425 Naval Aviation Museum...thank you for this one, is it inside?

plus the two Known on pylons...450 and 453

[tom d. friedman]

don't forget the cougar!!

[Joe Scheil]

Cougars are neat too...but I was mainly looking at the straight winged Jet....

A Cougar census would follow...how many F9F-swepts?



Numbers I have from 1382 Panthers is 26 or so potential survivors...

Total Production of Cougars was 1902, of which 377 were F9F-8T trainers...perhaps the most desirable civilian use aircraft of the F9F family.

[rwdfresno]

Back in the 60's I suppose there was a F9F-2? Panther placed in the Traveltown Museum in Los Angeles with a P2V-3. The P2V went to Eagle Field I believe and was/is stored there? The Panther I have been less successful finding. I did take a picture of her wings back in 88? or so, one was broken, the other in good shape lying on some wood skids. I was looking for a serial/Bu # of this plane and desposition.

We recovered both the P2V-3W and the F9F-2 from Travel Town in 1992. Both aircraft were totally gutted. P2V-3W is still in storage at Eagle Field. It is seriously damaged by vandalizem and some structural cutting that was done to hte forward fueslage to accomodate visitors entering the aircraft when it was on open display. Also a tree had fallen on the port wing while at the park. I wish we could find some organization that was interested in restoring this bird but for now it sits in the CA weather.

The F9F-2 "Grace" was in relatively good condition. We did find a good home for this aircraft with Kermit Weeks. He stores the aircraft indoors and has plans to restore the aircraft but with all that he has on his plate who knows when that will happen. For now it has a good home being stored indoors and I bleeive can bee seen on his "backlot" tour. Taigh Raimey took a picture of "Grace" while he was there visiting and posted it here on WIx some time back.

Ryan

[Joe Scheil]

Thank you for the information on the Traveltown one...that is good to hear that it is safe!

So that would be 123420, registered as N32313 with the Weeks Air Museum...

That makes 26-27 F9F Panthers extant worldwide....

From the preserved aircraft board, my initial worksheet for the swept wings...


F9F-6 128109 DEC94 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL) South Wing
F9F-7 130802 MAR01 National Warplane Museum Elmira-Corning (NY)
F9F 131063 DEC02 P Cresson (TX), PATE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
F9F-8 131230 APR95 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL)Outdoors
F9F 131232 AUG94 B Seattle (WA), MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
F9F 141117 OCT95 NEW YORK (NY), USS Intrepid
F9F-8 141121 FEB95 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8P 141722 FEB95 Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation MCAS Miramar (CA)
F9F-8P 144426 AUG97 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8B 144275 MAY03 Patuxent River Naval Air Museum (MD) under restoration
F9F-8T 147276 OCT94 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL)
TF-9J 147283 AUG96 Kalamazoo (MI) MUSEUM
F9F 147385 DEC97 B Patriots Point Mt. Pleasant (SC)
F9F-8T 147397 FEB95 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8 ? JUN97 B Pueblo (CO), Memorial Museum
F9F-8P ? MAR01 National Warplane Museum Elmira-Corning (NY)
F9F-8 ? JUN06 P Brainerd (MN) Airport in Marine markings
F9F ? SEP02 P VFW Hall, Janesville (WI)
F9F ? AUG98 Kenmore (NY) as playground equipment in a park
? ? DEC03 USS HORNET MUSEUM Alameda (CA)

[Steve T]

There was a Cougar in faded white/vermilion training colours (single seater, though) at Breckenridge TX many moons ago...not sure where it ended up but it looked like a good project airframe.

S.

[Sasquatch]

Wasn't there an F7U Cutlass at Travel Town in LA back in the mid-80's too?

Whatever happened to that bird?

--Tom

[Dan K]

Thank you for the information on the Traveltown one...that is good to hear that it is safe!

So that would be 123420, registered as N32313 with the Weeks Air Museum...

That makes 26-27 F9F Panthers extant worldwide....

From the preserved aircraft board, my initial worksheet for the swept wings...


F9F-6 128109 DEC94 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL) South Wing
F9F-7 130802 MAR01 National Warplane Museum Elmira-Corning (NY)
F9F 131063 DEC02 P Cresson (TX), PATE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
F9F-8 131230 APR95 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL)Outdoors
F9F 131232 AUG94 B Seattle (WA), MUSEUM OF FLIGHT
F9F 141117 OCT95 NEW YORK (NY), USS Intrepid
F9F-8 141121 FEB95 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8P 141722 FEB95 Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation MCAS Miramar (CA)
F9F-8P 144426 AUG97 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8B 144275 MAY03 Patuxent River Naval Air Museum (MD) under restoration
F9F-8T 147276 OCT94 B National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola (FL)
TF-9J 147283 AUG96 Kalamazoo (MI) MUSEUM
F9F 147385 DEC97 B Patriots Point Mt. Pleasant (SC)
F9F-8T 147397 FEB95 B PIMA COUNTY MUSEUM (AZ)
F9F-8 ? JUN97 B Pueblo (CO), Memorial Museum
F9F-8P ? MAR01 National Warplane Museum Elmira-Corning (NY)
F9F-8 ? JUN06 P Brainerd (MN) Airport in Marine markings
F9F ? SEP02 P VFW Hall, Janesville (WI)
F9F ? AUG98 Kenmore (NY) as playground equipment in a park
? ? DEC03 USS HORNET MUSEUM Alameda (CA)

Joe et al,

The F9F in Janesville, Wisconsin, is a -2 Panther, BuNo 123557 (and still on the pole). No swept wing version there I know of.


Here are a few views of schemes she has worn:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1201/921 ... 41db12.jpg