I love seeing these. My Dad flew F6Fs in a combat tour with VF-19 aboard the USS Lexington in the summer and fall of 1944.

Older guys who still know how to make stuff with their own hands.

I have often wondered, on projects like this, where you cross the line from having an old plane with new parts, to having a new plane with old parts.

You didn't restore a plane, you built a new one.
Congrats, amazing..

Absolutely wonderful work, this video deserves more attention

Incredible Richard Rogers score.  I watched all the Victory at Sea series back in the late 50's.  I was a Navy brat at NAS Jacksonville in the early 50's.  My parents said Hellcats were always roaring overhead.

I am happy that there are still people capable of performing such complicated mechanical and other procedures...thanks robtcarleen.

Fabulous restoration well done to all.

Mine dad briefly flew the night fighter version during the war.

These old fellas know how to repair airplanes! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I’m sure they are all volunteers.

Great work, she is looking great so far. Love the soundtrack, what is it from?

Absolutely fantastic video, great music accompaniment and oh to have been part of this jigsaw puzzle of putting this beautiful lady back together.
So very well done guys and keep up the magnificent work, we love it!

Extraordinary workmanship, techniques that are almost lost with the use of composite material, I would pay for 10% of your experience

The planes still underwater in Lake Michigan are being attacked by mussels.  Both inside and outside the airframes, every where one attaches itself, it secretes an acidic adhesive.  Once it eats through the paint it continues into the aluminum.  The mussels invaded the lake in the past 25 years.  Planes brought up before then were in pretty good condition...the SBD-5 on display on Ford Island, for instance still wears most of its original paint, except for the markings, fabric flight controls and a few other areas that had crash damage.  The hard part of that painting was to weather it to match the original.

I hope that you've made complete blueprints documentary!

The music is from "Victory at Sea" by Richard Rogers and the NBC orchestra from the early 1950's TV show of the same name (beautiful).

I do remember the Simon and Simon episode with the B-25 but not the models....uh oh...mind cells dissolving. Since you are going to fly an Airbus, you should get the uniform that Ralph Kramden wore on the Honeymooners. Good luck on the studying...better you than me!

Recovered from Lake Michigan?  The job they did on the Vindicator was first rate! When I was there in 2014 I couldn’t figure out if it had been in the water until I noticed the corrosion on the propellor hub.

Oh man those last pictures, the "cat's" famous folding wings.

I trust the "O" material at 16:44 was heat treated after forming.