About 3 years ago or so I remember seeing somewhere that someone was in the process of rebuilding the Gulfhawk IV Bearcat replica that had crash landed several years earlier in Oshkosh. Do any of you know if that project was ever finished? It's amazing how little info there is on this plane, or even just the Gulfhawk IV in general...usually the internet has endless amounts of info on any subject, but not for this plane. There is almost no info for the G-58A, and the only thing I could find on the replica was a 3 year old discussion in some forum. There's quite a bit of info available on Gulfhawk II, but next to nothing on the Bearcat version....
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Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
The last info I heard was that it is owned by Steve Hinton and being restored to stock (i.e. second seat removed).
Subject to revision if anyone knows more, or better info.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Originally posted by Leo View PostThe last info I heard was that it is owned by Steve Hinton and being restored to stock (i.e. second seat removed).
Subject to revision if anyone knows more, or better info.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
I saw it at Chino last month...it is still a LONG ways from flying. It was stuffed in a hanger behind a few other planes. It's on it's gear, but there is nothing forward of the firewall, no tail, no control surfaces on the wings, no canopy, no paint, no nothing.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Originally posted by Big_Jim View PostI saw it at Chino last month...it is still a LONG ways from flying. It was stuffed in a hanger behind a few other planes. It's on it's gear, but there is nothing forward of the firewall, no tail, no control surfaces on the wings, no canopy, no paint, no nothing.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
The little mention of it attached to a picture (may have been Air classics or on-line I don't remember) was just that the seat was to be eliminated and it taken back to "stock". It looked in the picture like described above.
Personally I would love to see the Gulfhawk paint on it again as I always thought it a neat scheme. Not my toy though.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
I was lucky enough to see her at Tracy several years ago. What a beautiful airplane. I thiink I read somewhere were the original was never a military airplane, but was built specially for Gulf Oil. The only Bearcat built for the civil market.......has anyone else read that? I was at Chino a year ago or so, and I believe fighter rebuilders were woring on the fuselage. It was upside down in a jig. One of the gentleman there told me it was the Gulf Hawk. I do hope they put it back to the Gulf Hawk paint sheme/color too.
Brian
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Hello, the Bearcat was flown by a civilian, I can not remember his name. I n the book Forever Flying, about Bob Hoover, he talked about the Gulfhawk, as the Blue Angels were flying them at the time.
The gentleman that ordered it flew it only a couple times.
The aircraft did not have any wartime armament, I believe it was about 600 lbs. lighter, and all 2800.
I recall in the book he admitted the aircraft was to much for him.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Originally posted by Warbirds45 View PostHello, the Bearcat was flown by a civilian, I can not remember his name. I n the book Forever Flying, about Bob Hoover, he talked about the Gulfhawk, as the Blue Angels were flying them at the time.
The gentleman that ordered it flew it only a couple times.
The aircraft did not have any wartime armament, I believe it was about 600 lbs. lighter, and all 2800.
I recall in the book he admitted the aircraft was to much for him.
My guess is you're confusing the Gulfhawk and Williams with someone else. The Gulfhawk IV was one of two 'civilian' G-58's built, and Williams was a master at displaying it. I can't really see a man of Williams stature saying that the bearcat was 'too much for him'.
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Something else unique about the replca IV was they modified it so as to incorporate a very small 2nd seat. I forget the gentlemans name that owned it, but his wife rode with him in the rear seat. I believe I heard it said that this was the only time a Bearcat had been modified with a second seat. Does anyone know that for sure?
Brian
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Originally posted by supercub View PostSomething else unique about the replca IV was they modified it so as to incorporate a very small 2nd seat. I forget the gentlemans name that owned it, but his wife rode with him in the rear seat. I believe I heard it said that this was the only time a Bearcat had been modified with a second seat. Does anyone know that for sure?
Brian
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Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?
Elmer Ward was indeed the owner, and a nicer guy you could never meet. We happened upon him and his family working on the Bearcat in a Chino hangar a year or so before it was finished and Elmer made us feel like old friends. Even invited us to jump up into the cockpit. I too would love to see the airplane returned to the Gulfhawk paint scheme but something tells me that with the current consortium of owners that will not happen.
I don't have any proof, and I could be wrong, but it seems to me that I recall one of the Bearcats owned by "Chubb" Smith and "Bubba" Beal had a second seat installed as well. No?
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