P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

[Lowell]

Has anyone got pictures or references to photos of Charlie Tucker's P-63C, N63621, 44-4126, race #30 AFTER Tucker's ownership while with Howard S. Gidovlenko or any other owner between 1949 and when Darryl Greenamyer was heavily modifying it in 1970?

Related questions and comments:

Any pictures (apparently 1949) actually showing it with the alleged name "Easter Egg" ?

Who owned Charlie Tucker's race #28 P-63C, NX62995, after he sold it? Anyone know the fate of that airplane? I've read parts of it went into N9009 as well.

Darryl is said to have acquired N63231 from long term storage. Where had it been stored at?

Did Darryl ever fly it before or after the radical mods?

The only in-progress photo I recall seeing during the modifications with Greenamyer was the close-up head-on shot of the clecoed-in canopy with Darryl standing to the left on page 10 of Air Progress September 1970-Don Berliner's Competition Scene column. By the time of Don's August 1971 column (page 68) a photo was seen of the completed but all bare aluminum racer with engine running, but no visible chocks, or occupant! Does anyone know where photos exist of the racer in the building stages?

I've seen a few photos of the pretty green and polished aluminum N73744, another P-63C with serial 44-4181. It was originally Frank Singer's Bendix racer #53 between 1947-49, and was with Bruce Madison, of Phoenix, AZ, between 1963-1968. It apparently crashed near Chicago in June 1968. Darryl also acquired this one though I have read both ways that it was before, AND after that crash. Parts of it, and it is reported "other airframes" were used also in the construction of race #90. Any insights or corrections to all of that?

When exactly (month/year) did Larry Havens take ownership of the racer project?

The wickedly chopped #90 racer crashed into the Pacific on a test flight from Long Beach, CA, Sept. 7, 1972 and Havens got out okay. Are there any color photos taken of the white Kingcobra in that first week of September 1972 to be found?

Lastly has anyone seen pics of the wreckage after recovery from the ocean?

I don't yet own a copy of Birch Matthew's excellent Cobra book. Maybe with some of my tax return this year I'll find a copy. Aside from that who can help?

Thanks,

Lowell Thompson

[Shawn Aro]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

here is a picture of crazy horse my dad took Shawn

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

here is a picture of crazy horse my dad took Shawn

Shawn, you're like me.. you never sleep!

Thanks so much for sharing your dad's deep archives!

Wayne

[Shawn Aro]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

just getting ready for bed now

[speeddemon]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

Has anyone got pictures or references to photos of Charlie Tucker's P-63C, N63621, 44-4126, race #30 AFTER Tucker's ownership while with Howard S. Gidovlenko or any other owner between 1949 and when Darryl Greenamyer was heavily modifying it in 1970?

Related questions and comments:

Any pictures (apparently 1949) actually showing it with the alleged name "Easter Egg" ?

Who owned Charlie Tucker's race #28 P-63C, NX62995, after he sold it? Anyone know the fate of that airplane? I've read parts of it went into N9009 as well.

Darryl is said to have acquired N63231 from long term storage. Where had it been stored at?

Did Darryl ever fly it before or after the radical mods?

The only in-progress photo I recall seeing during the modifications with Greenamyer was the close-up head-on shot of the clecoed-in canopy with Darryl standing to the left on page 10 of Air Progress September 1970-Don Berliner's Competition Scene column. By the time of Don's August 1971 column (page 68) a photo was seen of the completed but all bare aluminum racer with engine running, but no visible chocks, or occupant! Does anyone know where photos exist of the racer in the building stages?

I've seen a few photos of the pretty green and polished aluminum N73744, another P-63C with serial 44-4181. It was originally Frank Singer's Bendix racer #53 between 1947-49, and was with Bruce Madison, of Phoenix, AZ, between 1963-1968. It apparently crashed near Chicago in June 1968. Darryl also acquired this one though I have read both ways that it was before, AND after that crash. Parts of it, and it is reported "other airframes" were used also in the construction of race #90. Any insights or corrections to all of that?

When exactly (month/year) did Larry Havens take ownership of the racer project?

The wickedly chopped #90 racer crashed into the Pacific on a test flight from Long Beach, CA, Sept. 7, 1972 and Havens got out okay. Are there any color photos taken of the white Kingcobra in that first week of September 1972 to be found?

Lastly has anyone seen pics of the wreckage after recovery from the ocean?

I don't yet own a copy of Birch Matthew's excellent Cobra book. Maybe with some of my tax return this year I'll find a copy. Aside from that who can help?

Thanks,

Lowell Thompson

There are several good photos in Birch's book, but I don't think there will be much of anything 'new' to you. Most of the photos are after Larry had taken ownership, taken in Vern Barkers shop in Long Beach. Shots of the wingtips under mod, shots of the canopy being put on, etc. And as I recall, there is only a very minimal write-up about that racer in the book.

Still worth the investment, though.

[kennsmithf2g]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

Hi,

I looked thru my 1949 pictures of P63 #30. "Easter Egg" does not appear on the racer in any of the pictures in my possession. I believe the name was in reference to the purple/violet paint she wore.

Kenn Smith
1946-1949 Historian
Symposium Tape Librarian
Society of Air Racing Historians

[AirDOGGe]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

Thanks for sharing those photos. I bet there's a lot of memories behind them.

It makes me sick to think of losing all the shoeboxes of photos I took in the 80's. So much lost....

[jarrodeu]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

Thanks for sharing those photos. I bet there's a lot of memories behind them.

It makes me sick to think of losing all the shoeboxes of photos I took in the 80's. So much lost....

What happened?

Jarrod

[AirDOGGe]

Re: P-63C racer #90 N9009 before/during modifications

I went through some hard times in the mid-90's.... had to put most of my stuff in a public storage unit, then lost it to auction some months later when I couldn't find new employment in time.

Along with the photos, I also lost autographed copies of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" by Pappy Boyington and "Bye bye black sheep" by Masajiro Kawato (the pilot who shot Pappy down) along with a number of other aviation books and Reno programs.

I've replaced a few of the books since then (though not the autographed ones) and I still have a small group of shots left that weren't packed in the main collection, but they're only a small fraction of what I once had.

Still, there's a little bit of treasure left in those remaining shots for me to enjoy, like these from 1984 when Jimmy Leeward lost the canopy and turtle-deck from #44 "Air Ranch Special" (and nearly lost the tail too, judging by the dent it received), plus another photo of Skip taking a fresh, bare-metal Stiletto out for some action.