Name that Bearcat

[Victor Archer]

I think these were taken some where near the east coast.

[Unregistered]

Richard Rasnopher was the mechanic who started up Double Trouble on that 'wonderful' day in 1983. The team support truck hadn't made it from Florida to Reno yet, but some of the guys on the crew were itching to get the black bird up and qualified (for some reason). There was some dissention amongst the guys as to whether they should wait until everyone and everything got there...that they should just wait and make sure they did it right. But Gary gave in and let them tow it out onto the ramp to do some engine checks.

Gary was standing right next to the plane when it happened, and he told me once that if he had had a gun, he would have shot 'Rotten Richard' right there on the spot.

He sold the P-38 more out of disgust than anything else...a move he regretted until the day he passed.

But a guy on the east coast bought it, and had it repaired at Stead. At Reno '84, during the week, we were down at the Aviation Classics hangar, watching the engine change on Furias, and the turtle-deck replacement on LARS in the middle of the night....and around midnight, in the pitch black, they are out on the ramp doing engine run-ups in the P-38! Somewhere, I have a picture of it sitting on the ramp that year, with the repairs completed, and the 'new' parts in primer.

Hard to believe it's been TWENTY years already.....

I don't remember who the owner was, but shortly afterwards, Double Trouble was sold to MacGuire. All they did was take the "38" off the tail. It flew for a while. The brochure for the War Eagles Museum used to have a very cool air-to-air shot of it out over the desert.

"Brad the Prospector"

[Chad Veich]

I recognize the Kalamazoo Bearcat in Marauder's post but which Jug might that be? Looks like the ex-MOF bird but that pic must have been taken long before it was flying. Perhaps the Zoo's Jug carried this paint job post Lester Friend but prior to the Gabreski colors? Or maybe it's one of the CAF Jugs?

[Victor Archer]

Jugs always come in pairs right? so here's the first.
Taken in Aug. '74

[Victor Archer]

These Jugs are pretty big. #2

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Name that Bearcat

Victor,
It's kind of interesting that I actually have a photo from 1973 Reno, taken by ny Dad, the year before I started my Air Race madness . It has both the aircraft covered in the last few posts. If the photos were indeed from 74, wasn't the Jug the same one that Lefty Gardner flew at Reno in 73 and 74? Brad? Was the Jug his or was it the CAF's?

[speeddemon]

Re: Name that Bearcat

Victor,
It's kind of interesting that I actually have a photo from 1973 Reno, taken by ny Dad, the year before I started my Air Race madness . It has both the aircraft covered in the last few posts. If the photos were indeed from 74, wasn't the Jug the same one that Lefty Gardner flew at Reno in 73 and 74? Brad? Was the Jug his or was it the CAF's?

Lefty flew the Jug at Reno '74.....it was the CAF's. One of the six that Ed Jurist brought back. Too bad that collection got broken up and sold off. Somewhere I have a great pic of the CAF flying all six of them in a beautiful echelon formation.

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Name that Bearcat

HEY Brad, Do you happen to know if the one that is parked next to the Enola Gay is one of the 6? It would appear that the aircraft has the same scheme, E LH and the checkerboard. Looks pretty cool. By the way, this is a recent photo from the new NASM, taken by Fed X Bob.

[Unregistered]

Re: Name that Bearcat

Not the same bird Air Race Addict. The NASM have had that Jug since 1965 and I'm not sure if the airplane was ever on the civil register.

[Curt]

Re: Name that Bearcat

If anyone is interested my wife scored some freebee tickets (confirmed space) to DC, guess where im going to go

You got some spare Room for some Photos Wane ?

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: Name that Bearcat

If anyone is interested my wife scored some freebee tickets (confirmed space) to DC, guess where im going to go

You got some spare Room for some Photos Wane ?

Cool Curt (Wayne ) yep, fer sure! Lots of space.. Get a shot or three of Nemesis !!

Look close up around the canopy cover...

Wayne

[Air Race Addict]

Re: Name that Bearcat

Not the same bird Air Race Addict. The NASM have had that Jug since 1965 and I'm not sure if the airplane was ever on the civil register.

AAHAA! You are correct sir. Upon further investigation on the wonderful internet, I have found that the aircraft never did see service as a civilian. You can go to the NASM website, follow the links to the aircraft, and you can read all about this particular Jug. Pretty interesting. http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/

[Victor Archer]

One more Bearcat

Anyone know the history on this one?
photo taken in 1978

[W J Pearce]

Re: Name that Bearcat

All I know is what I've read. Here you go Victor: http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org...-121714.html&2

Bill

[speeddemon]

Re: One more Bearcat

Anyone know the history on this one?
photo taken in 1978

Ooooh, I'm pretty sure that THAT is the plane Chub Smith was killed in. It was done up in the colors of the 'Red Rippers'. That would be Bill Stead's Bearcat (which Slovak raced in 64-65), and Mike Smith raced in '73.

If memory serves correctly, Smith and Bubba Beal had Bearcats that were painted up from the same squadron. I think one was #100, and the other one was #200.

If it isn't Smith's, then it's Beal's. Just not sure who owned which one.