Bomber_12th
April 5th, 2013, 12:54
Here's another example of how warbird restorations of today aren't as they were years ago, and how close some of these 'civilian warbirds' are to their original 1940's factory form.
Conrad Huffstutler has posted a video to Youtube of the first shotgun start of his FM-2 restoration. This aircraft is without doubt the most authentic to-fly Wildcat restoration, complete with all original hardware, paints, primers and other finishes, original working radios, etc. Even the rare prop and engine are exact to original FM-2 specifications, including the fact that the engine has water injection/WEP. This is the only warbird that I'm aware of that has and will be using an original shotgun starter. It will be interesting to see how long the aircraft will be operated with the shotgun starter (a typical electric starter can easily and will likely eventually be fitted).
This is the company web page: http://wildwarbirds.squarespace.com/ (They have two other Wildcat projects - one being the former CAF Wildcat that crashed in 2003, and one (substantially complete) that was brought up from Lake Michigan, and through a trade, came to be stricken off the Navy register and able to be completely owned/restored/flown in civilian hands. The Huffstutler family owns, amongst other aircraft, the P-51D "Glamorous Glenn III", which Conrad soloed at 21.):
This particular Wildcat, their first of the three, was up for sale on Courtesy for a time, and is no longer listed, but you can still view the page here, filled with detailed photos of the restoration: http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/Current%20Inventory/N774FM%20General%20Motors%20FM-2%20Wildcat.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65qrzgbTTcQ
Conrad Huffstutler has posted a video to Youtube of the first shotgun start of his FM-2 restoration. This aircraft is without doubt the most authentic to-fly Wildcat restoration, complete with all original hardware, paints, primers and other finishes, original working radios, etc. Even the rare prop and engine are exact to original FM-2 specifications, including the fact that the engine has water injection/WEP. This is the only warbird that I'm aware of that has and will be using an original shotgun starter. It will be interesting to see how long the aircraft will be operated with the shotgun starter (a typical electric starter can easily and will likely eventually be fitted).
This is the company web page: http://wildwarbirds.squarespace.com/ (They have two other Wildcat projects - one being the former CAF Wildcat that crashed in 2003, and one (substantially complete) that was brought up from Lake Michigan, and through a trade, came to be stricken off the Navy register and able to be completely owned/restored/flown in civilian hands. The Huffstutler family owns, amongst other aircraft, the P-51D "Glamorous Glenn III", which Conrad soloed at 21.):
This particular Wildcat, their first of the three, was up for sale on Courtesy for a time, and is no longer listed, but you can still view the page here, filled with detailed photos of the restoration: http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/Current%20Inventory/N774FM%20General%20Motors%20FM-2%20Wildcat.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65qrzgbTTcQ