Smirnoff Bearcat Question

Sat May 12, 2007 5:52 pm

Is this bird still around?

The car was obtained from Darryl Greenmayer last year, no easy task, and is currently being restored and I was wondering if the Cat is still around.

Would make for a cool reunion.

Sat May 12, 2007 5:56 pm

On display in the NASM as "Conquest I".

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/ai ... an_f8f.htm

Sat May 12, 2007 6:00 pm

Hey King, thanks for the prompt answer!

Sat May 12, 2007 7:58 pm

Jesse,

Here are some shots I took of "Conquest I" at the Udvar-Hazy Center this past spring. Sorry for the low quality, the lighting in there isn't too good.

TC

Sat May 12, 2007 11:40 pm

Thanks Trey! Other than the colors, she has not changed much.

Its wild, today I was at the Model Airplane Club meeting held at the San Diego Air & Space Museusms Gillespie Field site and the theme was top ten Air Museums.

They held a slide show of the museums and when they got to the NASM, they where all dark!

Sun May 13, 2007 11:37 am

At least Udvar-Hazy is painted white inside. The NMUSAF has two of it's big buildings painter black inside. Can't see a thing.
No natural light comes in, don't see the need to make it so dark. I don't believe artificial light with filters will hurt the aircraft.
Nothing better than a U-2, SR-71 or P-61 against a black background.

Regards,
Mike