Two Warbird F9F Panther jets???

Nathan · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 11:29 am

all you guys gotta do is go to youtube. There's video of both flying in airshows.

T-28mike · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:23 pm

Rajay wrote:

What kind of shape was Cavanaugh's aircraft when he bought it?

The Cavanaugh Panther required a great deal of restoration by the Dilly / Ft. Wayne Air Service team. There were several nearly insurmountable (at the time) issues to contend with. I was working for Jim at that time, and remember well the work that the Panther and B-25 required to make them what they are today. I also remember that many people thought Jim had gone off the rails for investing the cubic dollars necessary to make it happen. The result is worth every penny of it!!!!

Thanks Jim!

AFWhite · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:49 pm

Nathan wrote:

all you guys gotta do is go to youtube. There's video of both flying in airshows.

Oh yeah...forgot about the ol' you tube...

Looks as if the Doan F9F needs the nose strut serviced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NffYKWQz_7A

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Mon Jul 21, 2014 6:27 pm

I was at that TICO show and I've got slides and video of both Panthers. Harry had chunks ?of steel railroad tracks welded down in the nose for weight and balance!! Fun show!

FG1D Pilot · **Joined:** Fri Mar 04, 2005 10:42 am **Posts:** 450

AFWhite wrote:

marine air wrote:

Jack Levine's/ Wolks Panther was highly detailed and similar to the one in the lead of that photo. Is it possible that the Panther with no unit markings, just Navy and U.S> insignia went on to be the one purchased by Cavanaugh and then properly restored?
I only remember Levine's, then Cavanaugh's, and then the Whittington's Cougar. Howard Pardue had a Panther project but didn't put too much money into it before selling it. What kind of shape was Cavanaugh's aircraft when he bought it? My dad was pretty good friends with Jack and his girlfriend Jill. I remember going to dinner with them the first year he had it at Sun N Fun. He said there were only about 3 of those engines even available on the civilian market. His engine was the only airworthy one and it was borrowed from somewhere, like Pensacola.

The aircraft taxiing in lead is the Levine/Wolk F9F. It was pretty awesome seeing the two of them fly together.

So, back to my original question, I guess I can conclude that the "non unit marked" F9F is currently on static display at Cavanaugh flight museum (though their web site makes no mention of it...?) in TX and that there are currently no flying F9Fs out there.

here's directly from the website http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/in ... article/76

Rajay · **Posted:** Wed Jul 23, 2014 3:28 pm

Speaking of wonky record keeping (as I just was in another thread) I just noticed that although the EAA Sport Aviation article I referred to earlier frequently identified the Bill Pryor - Jack Levine Panther (later owned by Art Wolk) as Bu. no. 123073, it later also identified it in the same article as Bu. no. 123072 - and of course in all of the photos, it was clearly stencilled as Bu. no. 123072...

However, after watching some of the aforementioned YouTube videos, I got curious about how many F9F aircraft are still listed on the FAA Registry and that led me to:

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=90729

The former Jack Levine/Art Wolk Panther is "currently" (except that it has expired) registered as N90729 to Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in Portage, MI and it is identifed as a "Grumman-Pryor" (as in a Grumman design actually "built" or as the case may be "rebuilt" by Bill Pryor and others) model F9F-2 with serial no. (i.e. ex-USN Bureau no.) 12078 - clearly a mistake!

On top of that, Joe Baugher has it "correctly" (AFAIK) as Bu. no. 123072 but as a model F9F-3

As I recall, one of the primary differences was that the F9F-2 had the Pratt J42, the -3 had the Allison J33, and the heavier -5 had the more powerful Pratt J48, and the -4 production run was passed over and essentially absorbed into the -5 production run.

hbtcoveralls · **Joined:** Sun Jan 03, 2010 9:51 pm **Posts:** 151

I've always been curious about the Pryor Panther. I used to fly from the same airport as Art Wolk (ABE) and would see the Panther from time to time. Sure made me jealous sitting in a Cherokee while that Panther taxied to the active. It was so beautiful and perfect that it took your breath away. Shame it was wrecked
Tom Bowers

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Mon Aug 19, 2024 5:01 am

Soooo, no mention anywhere of the F9F-2 Panther that was owned/wrecked by Art Wolk many years ago, that was part of the topic on this thread back in 2014. Anyone know what ever happened to 123072's remains?
https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=56243

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Mon Aug 19, 2024 5:01 am

sorry, duplicate post

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Mon Aug 19, 2024 6:20 am

Roger Cain wrote:

Soooo, no mention anywhere of the F9F-2 Panther that was owned/wrecked by Art Wolk many years ago, that was part of the topic on this thread back in 2014. Anyone know what ever happened to 123072's remains?
https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=56243

It is most likely in storage around Quonset Point somewhere. The most recent mentions I can find of the airframe are from 2017.

At one point it was associated with the JFK Carrier Foundation, but the plans for that museum obviously fell through. I did a lot of internet digging on this a while back and found that the Panther was at one time destined for the New England branch of a Ted Williams museum, but I could never find any mention of where it might be displayed or where it is now. The Panther was also once associated with the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame and may actually still be with that group.

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Mon Aug 19, 2024 4:25 pm

Thanks Matt.

raconnel · **Posted:** Mon Aug 19, 2024 5:11 pm

kalamazookid wrote:

Roger Cain wrote:

Soooo, no mention anywhere of the F9F-2 Panther that was owned/wrecked by Art Wolk many years ago, that was part of the topic on this thread back in 2014. Anyone know what ever happened to 123072's remains?
https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=56243

It is most likely in storage around Quonset Point somewhere. The most recent mentions I can find of the airframe are from 2017.

At one point it was associated with the JFK Carrier Foundation, but the plans for that museum obviously fell through. I did a lot of internet digging on this a while back and found that the Panther was at one time destined for the New England branch of a Ted Williams museum, but I could never find any mention of where it might be displayed or where it is now. The Panther was also once associated with the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame and may actually still be with that group.

I remembered seeing it at Quonset Point, longer ago than I thought. Photos from 2007.

100_3749 by Richard Connell, on Flickr

100_3748 by Richard Connell, on Flickr

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1593

Great shots that say a great deal. Too many times we see comments in an aircraft's timeline to the effect that, "aircraft last noted at xxx" and then nothing, so it's great to fill a gap and stretch the timeline a bit more.

Thanks for posting.

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2024 8:37 am

Slightly changing the airframe topic but - I wonder who ended up with those two Panther airframes that Platinum Fighters had for sale a year or so ago? It would be great to see someone bring the type back to life!

Tom P.

ricusa · **Joined:** Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:12 pm **Posts:** 30

I was also at the Tico show, Remember art riding a Honda motorcycle with the Panther as it was towed past the crowd. I also recall a hangar at Pontiac Oakland airport in Mi that had Panther parts stored next to it.

Warbird Information Exchange

Two Warbird F9F Panther jets???

Who is online