Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:42 pm
Hopefully they can keep her in the air and keep the gear under it on landing. Looking at it's history it's met the ground a few times more than it needed to. She looks good in French/Thai markings.
Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:37 pm
By my count, Rod Lewis now owns THREE real Bearcats and ONE semi-Bearcat. Am I wrong?
F8F-1 #14
F8F-2 #214
F8F-2 Thai
F8F-Whatever (Rare Bear)
He's got Bearcat-scratch fever.
F8F-1 #14
F8F-2 #214
F8F-2 Thai
F8F-Whatever (Rare Bear)
He's got Bearcat-scratch fever.
Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:16 pm
octane130 wrote:By my count, Rod Lewis now owns THREE real Bearcats and ONE semi-Bearcat. Am I wrong?
F8F-1 #14
F8F-2 #214F8F-2 Thai
F8F-Whatever (Rare Bear)
He's got Bearcat-scratch fever.
Correction
F8F-1 bu 95255 code 204S N58204
Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:32 pm
Hello,
Here are some pics today of the the Lewis Bearcat@ Chino having a some work done:
And speaking of the wreak the plane was built from, the "old" QEC was on display outside the hanger:
Here are some pics today of the the Lewis Bearcat@ Chino having a some work done:
And speaking of the wreak the plane was built from, the "old" QEC was on display outside the hanger:
Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:52 pm
Interesting postscript, There's another Bear flying in Thai markings. Anyone know where?
It's easy...
It's easy...
Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:14 pm
thailand
Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:18 pm
RMB wrote:thailand
Yup!
And good for them, too.
Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:49 pm
The Royal Thai Airforce's Tango Squadron operates an F8F-1 Bearcat that flew with the RTAF into the early 1960s. It sat idle as a gate guard until 1995 when it was sent to Grumman in Bethpage, Long Island where a group of retired Grumman employees and others restored the aircarft to flight status with an engine overhaul performed by an American commercial firm. After being returned to Thailand in 2003, the first test flight occurred in 2005. The engine seized on the first landing rollout with much internal engine damage occurring. The engine was subsequently replaced with an R-2800-99W from a C-123 that was overhauled in Thailand with some new parts machined by the Thai military shops. The aircraft was successfully test flown in 2007 and as far as I know, continues to be occasionally flown today.
I saw a video of an engine run-up the Thais were performing on this aircraft during an incredible monsoon rainstorm that would have sent me to go hunker down in a reinforced bunker, ha!. I haven't been able to find the video again but I'll post a link if I do.
I saw a video of an engine run-up the Thais were performing on this aircraft during an incredible monsoon rainstorm that would have sent me to go hunker down in a reinforced bunker, ha!. I haven't been able to find the video again but I'll post a link if I do.
Thu May 07, 2009 9:46 am
There's a great A2A shot by Jim Mumaw in the Airshow Previews section on FenceCheck of Rod's new bird...or should I say, cat.
Thu May 07, 2009 10:45 am
Thu May 07, 2009 10:54 am
Nice one Mike!
Thu May 07, 2009 11:27 am
Very nice indeed, Mike
Fri May 08, 2009 10:41 am
Mike wrote:
Just noticed this...what are the two bumps on the wings?
Fri May 08, 2009 11:20 am
Just noticed this...what are the two bumps on the wings?[/quote]
If it's like the 1/32 scale Bearcat models I'm building, it's because of the 20mm cannons being so much larger than the 50 cals on the F8F-1...
Mike
If it's like the 1/32 scale Bearcat models I'm building, it's because of the 20mm cannons being so much larger than the 50 cals on the F8F-1...
Mike
Fri May 08, 2009 7:36 pm
From back in the days when there were cannons in those wings. You answered your own question.... 
Lynn
Lynn