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Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

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  • Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

    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....

  • #2
    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.
    Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
    airplanenutleo@gmail.com
    thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

      Originally posted by Leo View Post
      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.
      Stock as in the Gulfhawk version, or the combat version? There's a huge difference....

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      • #4
        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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        • #5
          Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

          Originally posted by Big_Jim View Post
          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.
          That's how it looked 3 years ago...must not be working on it...

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          • #6
            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.
            Leo Smiley - Graphics and Fine Arts
            airplanenutleo@gmail.com
            thetreasuredpeacock.etsy.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

              This was as close as I got to it....over the nose of the Panther, under the tarp.
              Attached Files

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              • #8
                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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                • #9
                  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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                  • #10
                    Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

                    Originally posted by Warbirds45 View Post
                    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.
                    Just an observation, but Gulfhawks I-IV were all flown by Al Williams. Al was the Chief Test Pilot for the United States Navy. He also won the 1923 Pulitzer trophy race. He is credited with discovering/introducing "dive bombing" for the Navy in the mid 1920's. After he retired from the Navy he was the Chief Pilot for Gulf Oil Company....and all the Gulf Hawks were used as aerobatic aircraft at major airshows all over the world. During WWII General Hap Arnold personally asked Williams to tour the various Navy and Army Air Corps training bases to demonstrate precision flying and aerobatics...something he did at his own expense.

                    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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                    • #11
                      Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

                      I suspect you're referring to the other civilian Bearcat, which ended up with Bob Pond.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

                        The ever cheerful Howard Pardue checking out the Gulfhawk replica...

                        Neal
                        Attached Files

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                        • #13
                          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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                          • #14
                            Re: Does anyone have any info on the Gulfhawk IV replica?

                            Originally posted by supercub View Post
                            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
                            Wasn't Elmer Ward the owner?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              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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