Geneseo 2008: Gathering of the P-40's - Need Help!

Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:00 pm

Everyone,

Already planning for 2008 over here, I was asked by some folks at the 1941 HAG to research the opportunity of creating one of the largest gatherings of P-40 Warhawks since WWII at the 2008 Geneseo Airshow. As some of you may know, next year the P-40 will turn 70 years of age, and Geneseo is nestled right in the middle of Curtiss country... between Hammondsport, NY (birthplace of Curtiss) and Buffalo, NY where the P-40 was manufactured.

It is my sincere hope to help make this happen... and I'd like the help of WIX as well! If anyone has any contacts for P-40 owners across the US and Canada, I'd really appreciate them. As a personal quest, I'd love to get a contact for Tony Banta and see if it is possible to bring AK940 back to the East for a visit as she spent so many years at Geneseo.

I know that some of you here even have a direct connection to a flying P-40... John-Curtiss Paul, are you here? What would it take to bring your stable of Hawks Eastbound?

I know this is asking a lot, but might as well begin planning... perhaps WIX could take donations to sponsor the appearance of a P-40 from a far flung corner of the US (or Canada). Anyone?

I am sure I'll be all 'riled up after the show next week, so let me know what ya'll think!?

Oh yeah, and we need a B-24A for them to formate up with... Gary, can Ol' 927 handle 4300' of grass runway?

Thanks gang, I'm excited to see where this leads :-)

-Ryan

Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:14 pm

Hi Ryan,

ARE YOU TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK! :shock:

That would be AWESOME to have a P-40 gathering at Geneseo. Earlier in the year Tom K. on the HAG board asked what everyone would like to see at Gene 2007. I said P-40 gathering. He sent our suggestions into the office. I wonder if my idea cought someone's attention?

How many P-40's are we talking about here?

Cheers,
Nathan

Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:41 pm

I'd be willing to donate a small sum of money to help make anything like this happen. They can easily get three P-40s, with the groups and museums that already attend the show. Sounds exciting! May I suggest Ryan that you also look into getting other Curtiss products like a C-46 in there too!?

Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:56 am

If this was going down, you would need to get the Tora Tora group there.

Cant have all those P-40's there without any bay guys to go play around with.

Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:29 pm

I have a new book coming out on the P-40. Look for it at your Squadron/Signal outlet. All new book with many interesting photos and profiles.

Rich

Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:45 pm

Howdy Rich

When exactly will your P-40 book be available and what does the book come under ( ie In Action, Walk around series )

Do you have a picture of the cover ?

Do you have a link for this book ?

Lightning

Get Em Flying !

Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:59 pm

Front Cover - 2nd Lt. George Welch in his P-40B engages a Japanese Aichi D3A1 “Val” flown by Lt. Saburo Makino over Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, on 7 December 1941. Welch and 2nd Lt. Kenneth Taylor
raced to their P-40Bs when the attack on Pearl Harbor began. When the battle was over, Welch was credited with four kills and Taylor with two

Back Cover
Squadron leader Brian Eaton of the Royal Australian Air Force’s 3 Squadron flies his personal Kittyhawk IIA over Foggia, Italy, in late 1943. The checkerboard pattern on the tailplane was used by the
pilots in the formation to find the leader after the madness of a battle. The plane has a Dark Green and Dark Earth paint scheme on the upper surface with a Sky Gray undersurface.

I have some interesting shots in the book including Turkish, Brazilian and even an Egyptian Tomahawk. Have you ever seen a P-40 with a Russian Klimov engine? Several good shots of the XP-40Q as well.

Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:02 pm

Howdy Rich

Any further info ?

When will it be available ?

Thanks

Lightning

Fri Jul 13, 2007 11:42 pm

I'd love to share it but I think that would anger the publishers. However it is an "In Action", number 205 to be precise.

The format is evolving in these books, and they have eliminated the two blank profile pages. So now there are 12 color profiles over 4 pages as opposed to 10 profiles over two pages.

I do my own profile art and line drawings.

This is not a re-hash of their old book, but an all-new title. I made contacts all over the world to get data and photos.

Availability is "August 2007"....that is as much as I know!!

Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:26 pm

Hi Ryan,

It was nice meeting you.

Now it would be great to have a P-40 gathering. But along side the P-40's how about making the theme USAAC aircraft from 1940 to 1942? My idea would be to try and get aircraft in pre-war markings and or aircraft biult during that time frame.

Here is a list of aircraft with early markings and some that would be close to Geneseo.

-B-24A "ol' 927".
-P-38F "Glacier Girl".
-B-25 Miss Hap "40-2168.
-B-17 "Memphis Belle"(I know she is not a real "F" model but the insignia is 1942 :wink:

).
-BT-13A "41-10418" based out of IL.
-BT-13A "41-23075" of DE.
-BT-13A "41-22026" CAF Wing VA.
-P-51C "Betty Jane" 42-103293.

Imagine those early aircraft along side the P-40's?

Cheers,
Nathan

Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:37 pm

oops look below

Last edited by Warbird Kid on Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:37 pm

Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:37 am

I don't think Rudy Frasca's P-40 gets flown much anymore, so I think that one might be a stretch. Also, don't forget about Ron Fagen's P-40K. There are a couple restorations that could be flying by then as well, Vintage Wings of Canada has one and so does Tri State Warbird Museum. Last I heard they were both supposed to fly at some point this year.

Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:01 pm

Ryan, K'zoo et al--

What a tantalizing prospect. I'd like to suggest the same thing I floated on the HAG board (the idea actually stems from a clever photo caption in Classic Wings a few issues back)...

"ALLISON WONDERLAND"

...which means V1710s galore. P-40s, of course, would be the main feature, because of their Geneseo connection and the fact they were built in western NY. But...the P-39/63 series were also built locally and V1710 powered; so get a couple each of those, too. And some P-38s. Anyone for a visit by Glacier Girl to The Greatest Show On Turf? It would also be way cool to have Gerry Beck's new-build P-51A at Gennie. Mr Gabe's Polar Bear, too (she was at Gennie in '86...still the only P-51A I've seen fly). And a bit wilder still, invite Bob DeFord's V1710-powered Spitfire replica!

As has been said, some of the P-40s on the supplied list would be a stretch. The FHC Tomahawk, for instance. Invite 'em anyway...as the old NY Lotto ad said, "hey, you never know!"

Dreaming out loud: reactivate K'zoo's pink P-40N for a year. And how near being complete is that V1710-powered newbuild Fw190D??

Sadly I don't think the VWoC N-1 (externally similar to the Clyman M-model that was at Gennie this year) would be done in time for this event; last I heard she was probably going to be ready circa 2009/2010. As with the less likely ones on the list, though, extend an invitation anyway...

Been a while since I've looked forward this keenly to an airshow that's a full year away. Roll on Gennie '08...

S.

Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:02 pm

The registry should be updated. This P-40 http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p40regis ... ak753.html
is no longer owned by Gerry Beck. It was sold back to Ron Fagan quite some time ago. Now that the P-38 is out of the Warhawks Inc. shop, I'm pretty sure that "753" has been earmarked as the focus of their next ground up restoration.

John

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