Short Airshow Update

[GregP]

As I said earlier, this year's theme is a tribute to Grumman aircraft.

Yesterday, John Maloney flew our Grumman TBM Avenger on it's first post-restoration flight. It was the first time the TBM had been airborne in nine years. It is painted as Avengers were in about 1944, and was painted right on our tarmack in the open, just as the real Avengers were painted on their carrier decks.

The R-2600 ran perfectly. Flew great but John had a problem with the landing gear indicators. When he landed, the indication was that one gear was down but not locked. It LOOKED down and locked, and he landed very gently and proceeded to gently bob the aircraft up and down a bit to see if the downlock and squat switches were functional. Fortunately, the gear WAS locked and there was no excitement. They started working on the downlock switch right away.

So we're one Grumman closer.

This coming Wednesday, the Grumman F8F Bearcat that has just completed a 15+ year restoration and just got the FAA paperwork will take its first post-restoration flight. When it does, it will be the first flight in more than 20 years for the Bearcat. It will fly in the airshow before going to its new owner.

We also have a Grumman F7F Tigercat for the show, in beautiful US Navy markings (Navy Blue). It's for sale (not by our musuem), so bring money.

The legacy flight this year will be a P-47 Thunderbolt flying with an A-10 Thunderbolt II.

The date is the third weekend in May, Saturday and Sunday, at Chino airport. If possible, please attend. If you DO, please look me up. Ask for Greg Pascal (ask an airshow worker) and I'd be very pleased to meet you.

[GregP]

As the airshow stands noiw, we expect to have a Grumman F3F, several F4-Fs / FM-2s, several F6Fs, and F7F, F8F in a three-ship act, a Duck, and avenger or two, and an OV-1 Mohawk. Steve Hinton will fly an aerobatic routine in the F7F Tigercat.

Other acts, too, but the Grumman lineup is well filled out.

[Double T]

God bless the Grumman Iron Works.
It would appear those prop-driven "Cats" will be well represented.
What I'd give to see that sight. I'm told the Kalamazoo (Michigan) "Air Zoo" has a complete collection of Grumman 'Cats.
Thanks for sharing Greg!

Tim

[GregP]

Hi Tim,

You are welcome. C'mon over to So Cal and see the show. You are welcome at my place, might as well stay for both days!

- Greg

[Double T]

I appreciate the generous offer Greg.
Perhaps one day I'll be in a position to do so... it would be quite an adventure!

Tim

[GregP]

Latest info:

For Grumman tribute, we have:

1) Five F8F Bearcats, all at the same time in formation.
2) Two F7F Tigercats with one flown by Steve Hinton in an aerobatic demo, with smoke from each engine
3) One F6F Hellcat
4) One FM-2 (F4F) Wildcat
5) One F3F
6) Three TBM Avengers!
7) One J2M Duck amphibian (what a NEAT aircraft inside and out!)

As for the rest of the flying display, a Dauntless, a P-63, a Sea Fury, many Mustangs, our B-25, our Tora-Tora-Tora Val, two or three P-40s including one from the Warhawk Museum in Nampa, Idaho, two P-47 Thunderbolts, several T-28s, F-86F, MiG-15, T-33, two A6M5 Zeos (ours and one from the CAF), a pair of Republic A-10 Warthogs, and a C-17 demo flight. We will also run the Pulsejet down the runway behind my pickup and run up two Allisons and an R-2600 on trailers, plus tanks, halftracks, and other WW2 combat vehicles.

When it arived today, the C-17 put on a VERY spirited demo with some amazing maneuvers including stopping shorter than an average Cessna 172.

For static, we have the AT-12 Guardian, our Boeing P-26, the almost-ready YP-59A, some Staggerwings, a PT-22, a PT-19, several cubs, the Northrop N9M-B Flying Wing, and more.

You are all invited.

Tomorrow, Chino. Flying starts at 11:00am with flybys before then.

Keep 'em flying!

- Greg

[GregP]

The airshow went off well.

We had good attendence, good weather, and got to run our WW2 PulseJet down both the runway and the taxiway right in front of the crowd.

For those who weren't there, the Horsemen added a third pilot. So the team is Ed Ship[ley, Jim Beasley, and Dan Friedken, and they flew Grumman F8F Bearcats in a very tight 3-ship formation with a bomb burst at the end. They might have done that because the airshow was a tribute to Grumman aircraft. Mostly, they fly P-51s.

Ir was very neat to see a Grumman F3F in formation with a Grumman Duck, and three Tigercats in formation was VERY nice.

We also had a Bell P-63 Kingcobra flying.

All in all, a very good couple of days.