WIX Archives

Chino Bearcat

Posted by Rob Mears on Tue May 20, 2003 11:26:04 PM

Last time I was at Chino I got the opportunity to inspect this lovely bird. The Freidkin Bearcat was in the same hangar, and I see where it has finally taken to the skies.

I'm intrigued by BOTH of these planes. A couple of years ago I though I had a general understanding of all the Bearcats that were airworthy, or close to being airworthy. In the last couple of years though a small number of 'new' airframes seem to have popped up on the scene.

First off, is the Freidkin Bearcat one of the more well known airworthy planes of recent years that has simply been given a new scheme, or is it new on the scene?

Also, I haven't a clue about the Bearcat pictured above since all identifying paint & markings have been stripped from it. Didn't a couple of airframes come out of Thailand or Vietnam recently, and if so, is this one of them?

Even despite the crash of the Square One Bearcat a few years back, the population of flying, and soon to be flying Bearcats seems to be seriously on the rise...and we still have the LSFM "Blue Angels" Bearcat to look forward to! :):)

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