Tonawanda, N.Y. (WBEN) - The large, Korean War era Cougar Jet that has been displayed at Kenney Field at the corner of Brighton and Colvin in Tonawanda is getting a makeover.
The plane, which has sat at the field since 1959, is under wraps for now as a major renovation project spearheaded by Gabe's Collision gets underway.
"This is an iconic plane that served the Navy back in the '50s," said Town of Tonawanda Supervisor John Flynn. "It was a reconnaissance plane that took photographs during Blue Angels flights in the 1950s."
The Grumman F9F-6P Cougar, which is on loan from the Navy, was last refurbished in 2010 and was an active service plane. It now sits as part of a larger Veterans Memorial that was constructed around it in 2009.
"We're going to re-do the whole plane, refurbish it, and make it what it was back when we got it back in 1959," Flynn said.
The restoration is being done as part of the larger America 250 celebrations. There is no current timetable for completion.
The major renovation project is being spearheaded by Gabe's Collision
The major renovation project is being spearheaded by Gabe's Collision
