Naval Air Museum

[wendovertom]

Thanks! I wish I had hitthe more recent mega bucks - I'd get Walt's Cutlass and send it over to Ezell's. I think there should be one flying!!

Tom P.

[bdk]

I've seen the P-40 up close... It's not actual weathering, as the aircraft is a purely static restoration and I don't believe it was ever flown after being restored.
SN

No, this aircraft was most-definitely never flown after being restored. In fact, I'm a little amused at another poster's comment about it being "fully restored".

A personal examination of it in 2005 revealed bits and pieces that Curtiss certainly never used in the original assembly of a P-40.

Looks pretty good to me! Nice enough to pull a mold off of too I guess. I had some minor involvement in an F7F Tigercat that was "restored" for the Navy. It had a fabricated wing (nothing of remotely airworthy design- lots of screen door extrusions) covered in aluminum, a fabricated nacelle skinned with fiberglass and fiberglass control surfaces. Not sure where it is now, but it was clearly a 20 footer. My primary contribution was in fabric covering some original control surfaces to be used as a plug for the fake parts. I think the donor aircraft was a crashed fire bomber hulk and a bunch of other junk parts.

I'm actually happy that nothing airworthy seems to have gone into either of these projects!

[mustangdriver]

If it is an airplane that is going to be gate guard I get it, but an aircraft that is going to be restored for static and displayed in a National Museum should be restored correctly. I thought I remember the F7F in the NMNA was a firebomber then donated. But I thought it was in one piece. Maybe I am wrong on that. In person it looks nice though. The P-40 looks great in person as well. If you've never been to the NMNA you need to go. It is a great Museum. By the way the Dauntless in the one photo is a survivor of the most nasty battles of the Pacific. It was at like 3 major battles.

[Chris]

Hey Brandon, Your Tigercat may be the one at Pima. I know one of the wings looks like a kids playground swingset on the inside and LOTS of fiberglass. Looks perfect from the outside though.

First, the good wing

Now, the "custom" wing

[over/out]

I see that the F8f Bearcat's Canopy is STILL open! Just like the C.A.F col. told me that when he help restore it way back when, it would'nt stay closed because it is HAUNTED! ,Anthony

[Holedigger]

Bunch of Fiberglass, plumbing pipe, window screens and BONDO? I don't recall working on that one! If it is something that is going to sit outside and just rot away anyways...just get it looking good from the outside. If it is for an INSIDE museum installation...LONGTERM, arrest corrosion, get it stabilized. It is always a bit of a balancing act of just what to replace when it comes to historic aircraft. If you want it to look good, you may have to discard the actual HISTORIC fabric. You do destroy history in preserving history, a bit of a conundrum. I have read that the Smithsonian folks work hard at keeping the actual, HISTORIC bits if at all possible. Sounds like the AF and USN are not quite so committed to the ACTUAL history of the airframe, and more often than not, it is just a "TYPE" aircraft. Make it look good, dress it up like a famous one, GET IT DONE NOW.
Flying vintage aircraft, totally different, you have to make them SAFE, and unfortunately it often means replacing the historic fabric. (I won't even touch the authenticity of today's paint jobs on vintage birds!)

[Django]

Great photos!

In the 12th photo from the top, first post, "The Turtle"... what is that? I'm not familiar with that one at all. Was that a new aircraft in the immediate postwar? The National Insignia piqued my interest...

[Holedigger]

I'm thinking P2V-1 Neptune...but I could be wrong, certainly wouldn't be the first time!

[airnutz]

Great photos!

In the 12th photo from the top, first post, "The Turtle"... what is that? I'm not familiar with that one at all. Was that a new aircraft in the immediate postwar? The National Insignia piqued my interest...

That's an early Vought P2V Neptune, Django. Look up "Truculent Turtle", not sure if this is the original.

[mustangdriver]

Yup, she is the real deal.

[airnutz]

Yup, she arrived at P-cola aboard a barge in 1977 from NAS Norfolk.

[Django]

Neat. Thanks fellas.

[bdk]

Hey Brandon, Your Tigercat may be the one at Pima. I know one of the wings looks like a kids playground swingset on the inside and LOTS of fiberglass. Looks perfect from the outside though.

That's it! It had a painted fiberglass canopy.

[Pogmusic]

Vought? P2V? Isn't that Lockheed P2V

[airnutz]

Vought? P2V? Isn't that Lockheed P2V

Snort! DOH!