PEACHTREE CITY, GA. (July 14, 2023) – Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Warbird Tube will feature a rare P-63 Kingcobra on its July 19, 2023, show, offering an inside look at the plane and its restoration. This aircraft, built before the end of WWII, later became a test plane for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor of the National Aeronautics Administration (NASA). The show will include a walk-around and an interview with pilot Mark Todd, who has extensive experience flying P-63s.
This P-63 was restored by mechanics at Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Airbase Georgia in Peachtree City, Ga. It had an extended history of restoration, partly because of a Mississippi River flood that damaged it early in its rebuilding years in Missouri. The parts were transferred to Airbase Georgia, where dedicated mechanics started work in 1999 and brought it to life in 2017. It flew that year at Wisconsin’s EAA AirVenture and in 2018 at Florida’s Sun & Fun.
The aircraft was named “Miss Betty”, in honor of the late Betty Bishop, a “Rosie the Riveter” who actually worked on it when it was built in Niagara, N.Y., in 1944. She lived in Macon, Ga., and loved visiting the restored aircraft at Airbase Georgia, endearing herself to the Airbase members.
“We continue to demonstrate this unique aircraft at airshows around the United States so more audiences can appreciate its history and the dedicated work that went into the restoration,” said Airbase Leader Joel Perkins.
Register to watch live at the link https://lnkd.in/eePtDM2J