I love my Legacy of Speed Calendar and especially the fact that the first page (Sept-Dec 2009) was dedicated to Charlie Tucker's Kingcobras. My dad helped clip the wings on both Tucker P-63's at Prescott, Arizona in the summer of 1946. I have two snapshots my dad took of one of them, (it's the #28 pylon racer, NX62995, 44-4275--though the second one labled wrong on photobucket) here:
On the calendar note for the photo (top left first page) it says P-63C-5, 44-4126 was "at a surplus sale and quickly readied for the All-American Air Maneuvers at Miami, Florida. Given race number 126 and christened Peggy..."
I have some questions regarding that note:
I don't show any record of there ever being a 1946 All-American Air Maneuvers in Miami. There was Unlimited racing there for the 1947 event held January 10-12 at Master Airport. Steve Witman's race #4 P-63C NX69797 raced as did one P-39Q but I don't believe Tucker's P-63's made the trip. No Unlimited racers there had a three-digit race number nor did any of the entries at ANY of the postwar Cleveland races. Was there a Summer 1946 Miami event planned that didn't end up happening?
The photo seems to show this Kingcobra in its last military paint-name and nose number included. Another view of the P-63 shot by the same photographer the same day appeared in the Air Progress Warbirds International magazine in the March/April issue 1993 on page 53. That caption says it was photographed "fresh out of surplus at Grand Central Air Terminal at Glendale, CA."
Has anyone seen photos of P-63s in military colors with similar painted spinner/nose and (apparently red) buzz numbers? Has anyone seen another P-63 with the "SC" code on the tail fin/rudder?
More information would be appreciated.
Here's hoping that these calendars continue and that each year some more of the old Cleveland racers will be given coverage like these P-63s got this year.
Thank you,
Lowell Thompson
Kellogg, Idaho
On the calendar note for the photo (top left first page) it says P-63C-5, 44-4126 was "at a surplus sale and quickly readied for the All-American Air Maneuvers at Miami, Florida. Given race number 126 and christened Peggy..."
I have some questions regarding that note:
I don't show any record of there ever being a 1946 All-American Air Maneuvers in Miami. There was Unlimited racing there for the 1947 event held January 10-12 at Master Airport. Steve Witman's race #4 P-63C NX69797 raced as did one P-39Q but I don't believe Tucker's P-63's made the trip. No Unlimited racers there had a three-digit race number nor did any of the entries at ANY of the postwar Cleveland races. Was there a Summer 1946 Miami event planned that didn't end up happening?
The photo seems to show this Kingcobra in its last military paint-name and nose number included. Another view of the P-63 shot by the same photographer the same day appeared in the Air Progress Warbirds International magazine in the March/April issue 1993 on page 53. That caption says it was photographed "fresh out of surplus at Grand Central Air Terminal at Glendale, CA."
Has anyone seen photos of P-63s in military colors with similar painted spinner/nose and (apparently red) buzz numbers? Has anyone seen another P-63 with the "SC" code on the tail fin/rudder?
More information would be appreciated.
Here's hoping that these calendars continue and that each year some more of the old Cleveland racers will be given coverage like these P-63s got this year.
Thank you,
Lowell Thompson
Kellogg, Idaho