WIX Archives
Vintage Fighters
Posted by Tulio on Fri Aug 30, 2002 11:07:45 PM
In reply top null posted by null on null
I visited Vintage Fighters today, at the Clark County airport in Indiana (across the Ohio river, from Louisville, KY) and got to meet Jerry Zollman (www.bentwings.com).
Former FAS FG-1D 67070 (?) is being restored, and let me tell you, the quality of the work being done to it, is astonishing, to say the least.
The guys there estimate at least another two years until first post-restoration flight. They installed today,
the oil tank; the cockpit is about 65 - 70% complete; instrument panel, side panels in place, there
is a lot of wiring still to be done, but with placards and all, the overall look, is really neat.
Outer wing panels are still to be worked on; rear fuselage is complete, they have a newly overhauled engine plus propeller, just waiting.
Besides the Corsair, two P-51 Mustangs were there:
Hurry Home Honey (NL-3751D / 44-73206, a.k.a. 44-13586, painted to represent a P-51D-20-NA (it
actually is a P-51D-25-NA).
The other 'Stang, is
Shangrila (44-772934 (in reality 45-11553) NL-51VF, in the colors of Don Gentile. Workmanship on
both, is just a tad short of impecable, since no one is perfect, but the good work really shows!
Besides this, they also have an SNJ-5 awaiting restoration, and outside, by the airport's entrance,there is an FJ-1 Fury, mounted on a pole.
So, today's trip, yesterday's visit to the Kentucky aviation museum, and next week's trip to the Corsairs meeting in Indianapolis, will round out a good two weeks devoted to radial and inline WWII fighters.
To boot, Jerry Zollman is a really nice guy!
Thank you Jerry, for taking the time to talk and show to me the high quality work you guys do.
Saludos!
Tulio