Quick P-38 Update N79123

[ehokuf]

N79123:
Have most of the airplane disassebled as far as we need to, to thoroughly inspect. So far everything is looking pretty good. Any body that has worked on this airplane or has valuable info to the airworthiness please let me know. Goal is to have the airplane ready for Oshkosh, if everything goes as planned!







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[C170BDan]

Great pics... thanks for the update! Hope that you do make it to Oshkosh!

[DSmith]

Nice looking P-38 and nice looking Hanger......

[Dan K]

Ditto, Erik. Many thanks for the pics.

P-51, P-40, P-38...soon it'll be tough picking which toy to play with!

[Dan K]

Oh yeah. Where would a guy get his hands on one of those funky Aleutian Tiger t-shirts?

[Dennis Bergstrom]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and the brief progress report! I hope you're able to make Oshkosh 2007! The P-38 has always been my favorite warbird, along with the B-25.

The last time I saw her fly was at the July, 1997 Geneseo airshow. We talked to the pilot (Jack May?) and he said that there were a number of small issues that needed to be fixed on the aircraft. The most noticable one during the several airshow flights over the weekend was that the gear doors weren't closing all the way. After the airshow ended on Sunday the Lightning was flown to Elmira and that's where this photo was taken.

Dennis

[JohnH]

Wow, seeing her dissasembled brings back memories of her in the same state in 1990 and 91, those great days of my youth when Saturdays were spent at the Chino airport.

John

[Steve Nelson]

Is this the same P-38 that was in the EAA Museum at in Oskosh in '99? Seems like every surviving P-38 has been painted as Bong's mount at some point in its life.

SN

[Ryan Keough]

... July, 1997 Geneseo airshow. We talked to the pilot (Jack May?) and he said that

Pilot that weekend was Jack Shaver... it was the first show I had been at with a P-38 at that time, so I remember the gear door issue well. That was the last year I announced at the Geneseo Airshow...

I remember going out with Eric D. and a few others after dark and getting some long exposure shots of the P-38 with car lights shining on her for effect... wow!

[oscardeuce]

That hanger is too clean!

[tom d. friedman]

that hangar is cleaner than my potty both at home & work!!!! i guess that reflects the workmanship going into the re-build!!

[Jerry O'Neill]

The last time I saw her fly was at the July, 1997 Geneseo airshow. We talked to the pilot (Jack May?) and he said that there were a number of small issues that needed to be fixed on the aircraft. The most noticable one during the several airshow flights over the weekend was that the gear doors weren't closing all the way.

That reminds me of the 1996/1997 airshow season. Every show we worked OPS (About 5-6 in the Northeast) that Tallichet's P-38 attended, the 38 flew in on a Friday, never flew on a Saturday and flew the show on Sunday with the gear down and departed for home during the display with the gear still down. Not once did it operate in a "regular" manner where the gear came up and down during the show. Glad to see some TLC spent on her!
Jerry

[Dan K]

Is this the same P-38 that was in the EAA Museum at in Oskosh in '99? Seems like every surviving P-38 has been painted as Bong's mount at some point in its life.

SN

Nope--different bird.

You can always check out what's at the Airventure Museum via webcam (of course, it always helps when they have the lights turned on).

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/webcam/

[bdk]

FAA register shows this with FHC. Obviously this is outdated. Where has the aircraft been since?

[mlenoch]

I am sure this has been asked before:
What is the status of P-38 44-26969 / N7973 ?
Is the wreckage stored or being rebuilt?
Thx again!