Original Hayabusa!

bigoltool

Registered
Yesterday I got an invite from a buddy of mine to go across the Airport and check out a Hawker Hurricane that they are restoring for Paul Allen’s (yes that Paul Allen) Flying Heritage Museum. A freind of his works there and invited us over for a look see. We wound up getting the full blown Private tour of the Museum which was a treat to say the least. Though not the most interesting plane in the museum, the one I was particularly interested to see was an old Japanese WWII vintage Nakajima Ki-43-1c "Hayabusa". This particular one is not totally restored and I was told that it was not slated to be made airworthy any time soon. This plane even has the string of bullet holes ( .30cal) through the cowling. This was the most prolific if not most well known of the Japanese fighter aircraft in WWII

The list of planes we saw was enough to make any kid who ever made model planes drool. P-40C, P-51D, P-47D, Hurricane, Spitfire Mk.Vc, BF-109, F6F, Mitsubishi Zero, V-1 Buzz Bomb and it’s piloted variant the Fi-103R "Reichenburg" and many more still under restoration including a Mig 15 and a ME 163 Comet (Rocket Powered). There was so much stuff to see it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me anyway.

http://homepage.mac.com/nagaih1/FHC/FHC.html

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I actually work right across the airport from this place. Whenever they are flying these things myself and a few others run over and watch em fly. The P-47 is the single coolest sounding vehicle I have ever heard! That thing idling on the runway puts a big block with a cam to shame. It is actually one of the only supercharged p-47's still flying. The Turbo is way back behind the cockpit about ten feet(?) and leaks oil like a sieve.

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