Wildcat locations

[Pat Carry]

Can someone update us as to where all the Wildcats in the US are located at now. A few have changed hands lately like the one now at the Pacific Aviation Museum in Hawaii and the one at the Fighter Factory.

[kalamazookid]

Here's what I have as far as the airworthy population goes:

F4F-3 BuNo 12260- Rod Lewis, TX
FM-2 BuNo 46867- Mike Gillian, IL
FM-2 BuNo 47030- Fighter Factory, VA
FM-2 BuNo 47160- Greg Shelton, OK
FM-2 BuNo 74560- Tom Friedkin, CA
FM-2 BuNo 86572- Tom Camp-?
FM-2 BuNo 86680- Heard it was sold to a new owner in Florida?
FM-2 BuNo 86711- The Fighter Collection, Duxford, UK
FM-2 BuNo 86746- Rudy Frasca, IL
FM-2 BuNo 86777- Howard Pardue, TX
FM-2 BuNo 86819- Commemorative Air Force, CA
FM-2 BuNo 86956- Cavanaugh Flight Museum, TX

Airworthy but not flown:
FM-2 BuNo 86581- Kalamazoo Air Zoo, MI

Unknown:
FM-2 BuNo 86690- John Dimmer, for sale by Courtesy Aircraft
FM-2 BuNo 86741- Kermit Weeks, FL
FM-2 BuNo 86754- Tillamook Air Museum, OR
FM-2 BuNo 55627- Palm Springs Air Museum, CA

If anybody has any corrections or updates, let me know and I will correct/add to the list. Hopefully we'll see a few of these flying around a bit next year for the 100th anniversary of Naval Aviation.

Last edited by kalamazookid on Fri Oct 08, 2010 10:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[John Ceglarek]

FM-2 BuNo 86581 Airworthy but not presently flown, at the Kalamazoo Airzoo.

[tom roberts]

Is Bu 55627 at Palm Springs still a flyer ??

[Pat Carry]

How about static Wildcats? Off the top of my head I can think of the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Planes of Fame, Museum of Flight, the NASM, Cradle of Aviation Museum, Pima, USS Midway Museum and the 5 on display at the NMNA. Which ones did I miss.

[tom roberts]

U.S.S.Yorktown

[jdvoss]

Here's a couple more static examples:

U.S.S. Hornet @ former NAS Alameda.
Flying Leatherneck Museum @ MCAS Miramar

Also, it seems to me that there one at the NMUSMC @ Quantico. Need confirmation however


It's interesting that so many remaining Wildcats are the FM-2 model.

[tom roberts]

O'Hare Chicago IL

[Jerry O'Neill]

The New England Air Museum has an FM-2 that was never Civilan.

[whistlingdeath77]

The New England Air Museum has an FM-2 that was never Civilan.

why this sits in storage and not by the other naval aircraft, i'll never know

[Buzzking]

The New England Air Museum has an FM-2 that was never Civilan.

why this sits in storage and not by the other naval aircraft, i'll never know

Because their is a Ownership dispute between the US Navy and NEAM hence why it's been in the storage building for the past 20+ years.

[whistlingdeath77]

The New England Air Museum has an FM-2 that was never Civilan.

why this sits in storage and not by the other naval aircraft, i'll never know

Because their is a Ownership dispute between the US Navy and NEAM hence why it's been in the storage building for the past 20+ years.

oh wow. i didnt know that. That darn navy! fighting over a 65 year old plane. How were they able to tailor it to locations such as the big e with the navy claiming ownership?

[Buzzking]

why this sits in storage and not by the other naval aircraft, i'll never know

Because their is a Ownership dispute between the US Navy and NEAM hence why it's been in the storage building for the past 20+ years.

oh wow. i didnt know that. That darn navy! fighting over a 65 year old plane. How were they able to tailor it to locations such as the big e with the navy claiming ownership?[/quote]

That was done prior to the whole NHC issue's.

[b747cf]

Tico has a wildcat.


Mark F.

[RickH]

Dick Foote's Wildcat now lives at EFD Ellington Field, Houston, Texas. I don't remember the name of the Dr. who bought it from Dick.