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Serial Number 001006 according to FAA records

Posted by bdk on Thu May 29, 2003 08:47:36 PM

In reply top Verifying Palm Springs Air Museum F6F Markings posted by Mike Henniger on Thu May 29, 2003 06:07:51 PM

Only PAINTED as an F6F-3. Built from the parts of at least 3 aircraft as I recall- see BuNo. 03331 as well as the salvage from some wrecked aircraft.

Note that the manufacturer is "Grumman/Pond". It was never registered under its original Bureau Number or factory serial number.

The original data plate may have been long gone, making this aircraft difficult to identify with any certainty... If this aircraft as a project had any paperwork, I suspect it would have been originally registered under its true Bureau Number and with "Grumman" listed as the manufacturer.

Fighter Rebuilders deserves a lot of credit for getting this airframe airworthy considering what they started with!

: The F6F at the Palm Springs Air Museum is 93879. Joe Baug
: her as the following listing for this airframe...
:
: 94473 with Planes of Fame Air Museum,
: Minnesota, painted as an F6F-3
: flown by Ens. W. B. Webb of VF-2
: which shot down 6 Vals during the
: Marianas Turkey Shoot.
:
: Now... My notes (which could be wrong) indicate that this
: airframe is marked as USN BuNo 58644 which is an F6F-5, a
: nd this conflicts with Joe's note above. Does anyone know
: if the BuNo 58644 is marked on 94473? If not is it know
: if the markings are presentative of the F6F flown by Ens.
: Webb of VF-2.
:
: Regards,
:
: Mike

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