Latin American Aviation

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15 years 4 months

Posts: 336

Lockheed Ventura in Cuban Air Force

Dear friends !

The worldairforces.com site reported about two Lockheed Ventura (or B-34 Lexington) aircrafts, which were used by Cuban Air Force from year 1947.
Is this fact true or false ?
If this fact is true - can anybody help me with any images of those Cuban Venturas ?
In the "Latin American air wars" book by D. Hagedorn is one photo of Ventura in Cuba. But this aircraft have not any Cuban markings and insignia.
I hope to see any pictures (photos, drawings) of Cuban Venturas WITH Cuban markings.

Wait for the answers.

Flyer.

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 336

Grumman Avenger aircraft in Mexico ?

Thank You, dear Wieesso, for this information.

Now I have the next question:

- I read in article about Avenger's history (in Russian "Wings of Motherland" aviation magazine), that some Grumman Avenger airplanes were used in Mexican aviation.
Also I asked this question in catrachowings forum, and have got the answer from there, that "...it seems, some (maybe, two) Avengers were used in Mexico as civil planes...".
Maybe, anybody knows more information, and knows - is this fact true or false ?

And, maybe - if Mexican Avenger(s) were real - anybody have some images of them ?

Regards,
Flyer.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 407

Latin American Aircraft

FAS FG-1Ds at La Aurora, Guatemala c. 1959-1960. Among them, the Bridgeport CT Corsair Buno 92460 in previous scheme. Photo Samayoa family via FAG 525.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8521/fasfg1dsxx.jpg

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Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 336

F6F Hellcat in Paraguay and Venezuela - truth or fable ?

Dear friends !

On former LAAHS Forum was the discussion about the probable using of Grumman F6F Hellcat by Paraguayan aviation. The participants wrote different opinions and cogitations. But the question remains unanswered.

1) Maybe, anybody here, on Keypublishing Forum, knows the truth - were the Paraguayan Hellcats existed, or this fact is fable ?

2) During the discussion above mentioned, one author stated, that many years ago he saw the photo of Venezuelan civil Hellcat (!!!). And this man called to participants of LAAHS Forum to look for this unique photo. It is hard to believe, but, maybe, this photo really exists, and anybody saw it too ? Who knows more facts about "Venezuelan Hellcat" ? Any pictures ?

Regards,
Flyer.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Dear friends !

On former LAAHS Forum was the discussion about the probable using of Grumman F6F Hellcat by Paraguayan aviation. The participants wrote different opinions and cogitations. But the question remains unanswered.

1) Maybe, anybody here, on Keypublishing Forum, knows the truth - were the Paraguayan Hellcats existed, or this fact is fable ?

2) During the discussion above mentioned, one author stated, that many years ago he saw the photo of Venezuelan civil Hellcat (!!!). And this man called to participants of LAAHS Forum to look for this unique photo. It is hard to believe, but, maybe, this photo really exists, and anybody saw it too ? Who knows more facts about "Venezuelan Hellcat" ? Any pictures ?

Regards,
Flyer.

I have found a mention of the Argentinian Navy presenting some of their F6F-5 Hellcats to the Paraguayan Navy but I haven't got any further details or pictures.

I don't know if there was a Venezuelan Hellcat but there was certainly a Venezuelan FM-2 Wildcat which I've got a very small and fairly poor quality picture of in the 1983 Air-Britain book, Civil Aircraft Registers of Venezuela. It had two registrations, YV-T-OTO and then YV-T-HTJ. It was then sold to the U.S. as N11FE in 1970.

FC

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 336

Hellcat - Paraguay and Venezuela

Dear Fatcivvy !

Thank You for the answer.

I heard too about the Argentinean present of F6F to Paraguay.

As for Venezuelan Wildcats YV-T-OTO and YV-T-HTJ - I am surprised !
I thought, those were two different airplanes, with different registrations.

What way You can to confirm this statement ?

Flyer.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Dear Fatcivvy !

Thank You for the answer.

I heard too about the Argentinean present of F6F to Paraguay.

As for Venezuelan Wildcats YV-T-OTO and YV-T-HTJ - I am surprised !
I thought, those were two different airplanes, with different registrations.

What way You can to confirm this statement ?

Flyer.

Sorry that it took me a couple of days to answer you.

The aircraft concerned was built as a FM-2, BuA 86680 with the c/n 5734 and apparently, it's still flying today. I got the information from 4 separate sources. 2 were books; the first being the Air-Britain book, Civil Aircraft Registers of Venezuela that I mentioned above and the second being Warbirds Worldwide Directory by John Chapman and Geoff Goodall. I also checked it out on 2 on-line sources, these being;
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries9.html and http://warbirdregistry.org/f4fregistry/f4f-86680.htm.

I hope that this helps.

FC

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861

Paraguayan Hellcat, mentioned here -
but don't know the reliability of these informations/sources!

scramble.nl
F6F unknown quantity

http://www.vectorsite.net/avf6f.html#m4
"Hand-me-down Hellcats were also used by Argentina, France, Paraguay, and Uruguay."

http://www.worldairforces.com/Countries/paraguay/par.html
Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat some

http://www.aero-web.org/specs/grumman/f6f-5.htm
"Argentina used 10 Hellcats from 1947, later passing some to Paraguay where they served until 1961."

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861


2) During the discussion above mentioned, one author stated, that many years ago he saw the photo of Venezuelan civil Hellcat (!!!). And this man called to participants of LAAHS Forum to look for this unique photo. It is hard to believe, but, maybe, this photo really exists, and anybody saw it too ? Who knows more facts about "Venezuelan Hellcat" ? Any pictures ?

Source unknown

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Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Venezuelan Wildcat

That photo is exactly the same one as appeared in the Air-Britain Venezuelan registers. In the Warbirds Directory book that I mentioned in my last post, it also mentioned that the aircraft was modified into a 5 seater. I have to admit that I totally dismissed this out of hand as being totally implausible which is why I didn't mention it before. but looking at the photo and seeing the extra windows in the fuselage, just behind the wing, I'm now not quite so sure....

Anyway, thanks very much for posting the photo.

FC

Member for

17 years 10 months

Posts: 105

El Salvador circa 1977

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,861

That photo is exactly the same one as appeared in the Air-Britain Venezuelan registers. In the Warbirds Directory book that I mentioned in my last post, it also mentioned that the aircraft was modified into a 5 seater. I have to admit that I totally dismissed this out of hand as being totally implausible which is why I didn't mention it before. but looking at the photo and seeing the extra windows in the fuselage, just behind the wing, I'm now not quite so sure....
Anyway, thanks very much for posting the photo.
FC

According to
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries9.html
and
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/f4fregistry/f4f-86680.htm
BuNo. 86680
N55558, N777A, YV-T-OTO, YV-T-HTJ, N11FE
was/is a General Motors FM-2 Wildcat

Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 77

F86 ?

Took this shot in March 2008 at Tincontin, Honduras and shows what I believe to be an F86 fuselage lying upside down in the trees behind the Military Base. Unfortunately I could not get near it, for obvious reasons. But if anyone can add further details it would be appreciated. Note that it has AIR FORCE along the side of the fuselage (Do not know if that helps or confuses the issue ?)

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Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 77

In 1978 numerous Fennec's passed through the UK. I logged seven between January and September and if memory serves me right (not always full proof) they were all ex Moroccan.

N99141
N99160
N99163
N49308
N54612/51-3690/Fennec 42
N54613/51-3554/Fennec 48
N9875A/51-7730/Fennec 4

Of course this could be a red herring as I have no information on where they were heading at the time. Will let the experts sort that one out :D

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Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 1,358

Source unknown

Very interesting photo! I have always wondered what happened to all the Wildcats at the end of WW2. There were thousands of them and they vanished almost overnight. Great to see one that escaped the main carnage.

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 407

F-86K at Toncontin Airport

Blackcat54:

Good Day!

Thanks for posting the fuselage F-86 pic at Toncontin, Honduras.

That 's indeed 1 of 5 samples of the F-86Ks bought fm a Venezuelan recycling dealer, c. 1970. Poss S/N 55-XXXX for now. You are certainly correct, it is still upside down and wears the USAF logo on the sides. They were part of the spare parts bought by Venezuelan AF c. 1956-57 fm civilian dealers in W. Germany.

p.s Plz pm me for other poss angles or pics of the same subject. Tks

Member for

19 years 1 month

Posts: 407

T-28 Fennecs

Blackcat54:

Good day!!

Whan an excellent find!

Plz post other shots if you have 'em. Those are the possible T-28s bought by the Nicaraguan AF c. 1977-1978 when trouble was cooking in the central-american region. Some of them were confiscated at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla c. 1979-1980.

The other batch that were flown fm Morocco were the Honduran bound T-28 Fennecs c. 1977-1978. Perhaps you were able to capture 'em also. Some of these samples were also confiscated at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla c. 1979.

Member for

15 years 4 months

Posts: 336

Dear Wieesso and Fatcivvy !

Thank You for Your participation in discussion about Venezuelan Hellcat (and Wildcat).
Yes, mr Fatcivvy, this FM-2 is very small "passenger" aircraft, and I even saw the photos of this Wildcat's interior somewhere on the Net.

And so, dear misters - can we consider the discussion about Venezuelan Hellcat closed ? Or not ? What are Your opinions ?

I think, it is most probably, that this FM-2 Wildcat YV-T-OTO/YV-T-HTJ was mistakenly recognized as Hellcat - exteriors of these planes are similar, and even their names are similar (by "-cat" letters).

Flyer.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 92

Dear Wieesso and Fatcivvy !

Thank You for Your participation in discussion about Venezuelan Hellcat (and Wildcat).
Yes, mr Fatcivvy, this FM-2 is very small "passenger" aircraft, and I even saw the photos of this Wildcat's interior somewhere on the Net.

And so, dear misters - can we consider the discussion about Venezuelan Hellcat closed ? Or not ? What are Your opinions ?

I think, it is most probably, that this FM-2 Wildcat YV-T-OTO/YV-T-HTJ was mistakenly recognized as Hellcat - exteriors of these planes are similar, and even their names are similar (by "-cat" letters).

Flyer.

The Wildcat was certainly a very unusual aircraft to put passenger seats in. But each to their own, I suppose.

Apart from that, I think that we've just about exhausted this subject. Unless somebody else knows differently.......

Cheers,

FC