Warbird Information Exchange

Time to re-resurrect this topic. I was just searching for P-43 survivors and aside from coming across this thread I also found a YouTube video that claims to show a flying P-43 at a desert airport. I'm to lazy to attempt a full confirmation, but it seems to be a possible match. It is in a dark blue U.S. Navy paint scheme with a checkerboard band around the engine cowling, "720" written below the cockpit, and "S" written on the rudder. I'm skeptical of such a airplane existing without anyone here knowing of it and don't really trust the accuracy of the average YouTube uploader. Could it be a replica?

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

It's a Harvard modified to look like a P-64: http://www.warbirdimages.com/the-p-64-screams

Hi all

I'm looking for Lancer parts, advertised on Barnstormers. Would appreciate more leads. A number of people have already come forward with parts and information.

Would appreciate any serious assistance and may be able to organise serious trades for such items.

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Peter
ESAD (E-Science and Digitalisation)

Thanks. So is the P-64 in some way related to the P-43, or did the person who posted the YouTube video just misidentify the airplane?

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

No relation whatsoever I'm afraid. Take note that P-64's are nearly as rare as Lancers and the airplane pictured is, as noted by John Terrell, a Harvard which has been modified to look a bit like a P-64.

The P-64 was an attempt to market a 'down low' cheap fighter to allied nations who really didn't fit even on the list for P-40s but were looking for something newer than the worn out cast off biplanes they had.
I think the one you are reffering to is the one done from a T-6 by Paul Poberzney a bunch of decades ago.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

The Poberezney airplane is in fact the real deal, not a modified Texan. If I'm not mistaken it is the only genuine P-64 survivor.

Seems one survivor.
http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collect ... _NA-50.asp

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Chris Mellor

A second survivor, NA-50 XXI-41-3 (c/n 50-950) is on display at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru:

I am aware of this survivor but I consider the Na-50 and P-64 as two seperate types. If I'm not mistaken the P-64 is as different from the Na-50 as the Na-50 is from a stock T-6.

Either way they outnumber the P-43 survivors, sadly. Earl Reinert missed saving the last intact example by a couple weeks back around 1961; he got the engine dishpan and landing gear from the scrapper. A crash site in Australia yielded some small parts later in the sixties (or '70s?) Another was raised off the Florida coast in the '80s but was considered unsaveable by the folks who pulled it up (there was a photo in Flypast that showed it coming out of the water as a skeletal fuselage and wings).

We've had some threads here from a builder who was starting to do a new-build P-43 but he's been quiet lately.

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I saw 720 at Oshkosh and its a T-6 made to look like a NA50, with a terribley wrong paint job, only 7 NA50s were built and that ain't one of them. The Navy never had one.

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i'm taken aback w/ the numerous statements that the p-43 out performed the p-40 in some categories!! comparing the 2 aerodynamically. 1 has to wonder... the p-40 was sleek as compared to the boxy lug of the p-43.. as for liquid cooled engine vs radial in the armpit hot & humid weather of s.e. asia & pacific, I can only speculate. who was the top ace / or victor in the p-43??

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Good Questions on the performance and capabilities of the P-43. If you read Richard Dunn's "P-43 in China" he gives a number of examples of both good and bad performances of both the P-40 and P-43. He concludes that had greater thought been given to the strategies employed at that time then the combat outcome for the P-43 may have been significantly better.

Ironically, Dunn even speculates that had the US used the P-43 in PNG and other places instead of the P-39 and P-40 this may have saved pilots lives. A big call in my opinion. But certainly Richard Dunn's research is not the definitive last word as I am sure others out there may well be in a better position to rebut some of his examples.

Having said all this, the are examples of the P-43 out performing the P-40 in China but a lack of understanding of how best to use this by those in command meant
the stubby little radial fighter became a secondary consideration. And finally, the P-43 was more inclined to be used as a source of parts for transports getting materials to China during those early days of the War in the CBI region.

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Peter
ESAD (E-Science and Digitalisation)

very astute observations peter. thanks for the enlightenment.

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!