Short Version:
George's P-40 is indeed a time capsule and every piece of it is factory built.
They cut the original wings off outboard of the gear and put it on a wooden log strapped raft to float it through the waterways to it's new home. It sat for a number of years like that until my Dad (John Paul) approached George with a proposal to change the wing out for him with a new wing George had acquired in Montana (he found two actually I believe).
George had wanted to get the cut off wings changed out for years but received quotes from IA's and "experts" that were WAY cost prohibitive for the time and they even stated it would take up to 6 months or longer to complete the process! Well, My Dad was building his 2nd P-40 E (Kermit owns it now) and needed all the goodies that were still in that center section on George's P-40 with cut off wings. Long story short ( I know, but this really is the short story) My Dad and Art Zotterelli (RIP) drove the family wagon up there with the trailer and in two days changed out the cut off wings for a perfect new P-40E wing George had found (one of two perfect wings George had acquired) and Dad and Art even installed a new nose case for him because the original was screwed. All in 2 days!!!
My Dad brought home the cut-off wings to our front lawn in Alamo, Calif and removed every single usable part from the center section. EVERYTHING. That means everything that holds the lading gear in especially. This stripped out, cut off center section eventually ended up with Bob Deimert and was used as the basis for the "P-40" he built. My Dad always wondered what the hell Deimert was using to hold the gear into the wing......... we all eventually found out of course. I apologize for not recalling if it was Yeagan or Fagen that bought the "P40" but needless to say, it was completely re-built from the ground up.
Here's the KICKER that nobody seems to know after all these years. The wing that is on George's P-40 is actually the FACTORY WING THAT BELONGS TO OUR P-40E N94466!!! Our wing is the "other" wing George found and passed on.
I've always wanted to swap our P-40E wing for George's so that we would have our own complete Factory matched fuselage and wing.
We've been operating ours (P-40E) for 43 years now and it still flys like a dream.
Another interesting note is that there are only 3 P-40's in the world that still operate with original mil spec 3586 hydraulic fluid. Our P-40E 94466 "SNEAK ATTACK", our P-40N 1195N "Parrot Head" and George's P-40E.
I hope whoever buys this airplane treats it right and I personally believe this beauty needs to fly. It needs it's systems gone thru but the structure should be in perfect condition. I DO NOT believe there would be any reason to go through a ground up restoration. Clean it up, replace seals. make sure all the nose case bearings are accounted for and finally fly this beauty!
If not, then can I get my wing back please
That Maude family will forever be in our hearts for preserving this airplane and the new owner needs to understand it's at the top of the list as one of the most special survivors of WWII.
JC
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that has associated your family name with warbirds since I got "infected" in the early '80's 