Planes Of Fame General Interest

[paparazzipizza]

More pre 2010 Air Show readiness photos...this time it's the Museums' P-51A

Here the P-51A's 1200HP V12 Allison F20R engine receives some attention.









Rudder and Tail detail...

[Midnight Mover]

More pre 2010 Air Show readiness photos...this time it's the Museums' P-51A

Here the P-51A's 1200HP V12 Allison F20R engine receives some attention.

Great stuff

[paparazzipizza]

More Shots from Chino...

Yakovlev Yak-3UA

Planes of Fame's Yak-3UA being prepared for it's new colors - representing a machine from GC3 (Groupe de Chasse 3 or 3rd Fighter Group) of the Free French Air Force in the Soviet Union during WW2.



Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat

Here the Museum's F6F-3 Hellcat takes on a "ghostly" appearance as it is being prepared for a new all blue US Navy color scheme.

[phantomphan1974]

Did not know they were repainting Palm Spring's Hellcat.

[Wombat_1]

Chino Airport's Planes of Fame Air Museum P-38 Lightning "Skidoo".

[Midnight Mover]

Chino Airport's Planes of Fame Air Museum P-38 Lightning "Skidoo".

[Wombat_1]

P-51D Mustang at Chino Planes of Fame Museum

[paparazzipizza]

Messerschmitt bf109E-7 arrives at Chino!

This just arrived on 6/23/10 at the Planes of Fame Museum. It is a Bf109E-1 built in 1939 and later converted to a -7 in 1940. A Battle of France and Battle of Britain veteran and later transferred to the Russian front based in Petsamo, Finland. It's code was CS+AJ "Red 6" Werknummer 3523 from 5./JG 5.  Apparently while being flown by Leutnant Wulf-Dietrich Widowitz it was shot down on a mission escorting a bf110 by a cannon armed Hurricane of the Soviet Air Force on April 4th 1942. He was forced to do a wheels-up landing on a frozen lake near Petsamo and escaping injury was able to get back to base only to be killed in another forced landing about a year later. The largely complete wreck was recovered in 2003 by Jim Pearce, an experienced warbird recovery specialist from the UK. The airframe is now owned by The Friedkin family and will be restored to flying condition at Chino. Upon closer inspection several other facts may come to light: Firstly, this aircraft may have been assigned to North Africa as the fuselage looks like it still has the remnants of RLM 79 Desert Sand. There is also speculation that it was downed by a Bell P-39 Aircobra due to the apparent combination of bullet/cannon strikes on the aircraft. The Daimler Benz 601 engine has been removed to another facility and has a large cannon hole in the casing which suggests that this is what caused the pilot to crash land his aircraft.




Closer view of the tail assembly with rudder removed.  Crumpled skin just forward of the tail could be a result of the crash landing and impact with the ice. Notice the well preserved swastika marking and what looks like the remains of RLM 79 Desert Sand paint.


Closer view of the damage caused by a cannon hit on the starboard wing root. Notice the shrapnel damage on the fuselage.


Rear view of the elevators and tail assembly. The rudder has been removed. Notice original tail wheel tire still in place. In fact, when recovered from the lake all of the tires were still on the aircraft.


W/nr 3523 still showing on the port side of the tail.


View through the engine compartment firewall to the cockpit.


View showing armament modifications to -3/-4 variant specs.

[phantomphan1974]

Great shots.  Scott D was just talking about this.

[Scott D]

Video walk around of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAgsZO8ifjU
Scott

[Augsburg Eagle]

Galland would be so proud!

[Wombat_1]

JA, JA, Das ist Gut!

[paparazzipizza]

A week later with Canopy, Cowl, Spinner,  Wheels, Rudder and Radiator Ducting.