Jack Hardwick and XP-59A 42-108786

[Chris Brame]

Another rare eBay find:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1958-Photo-Jun ... 1438.l2649

What exactly happened to this one? I know it lasted into the 1970s; did Planes of Fame obtain it to incorporate into their Airacomet (42-108777) restoration? Baugher has this:

(42-)108786 (MSN 27-10) first flight Apr 1943. To 4144th Base Unit at Muroc Field, CA. At Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, CA. Noted under restoration Jan 13, 2002.

And Forgotten Jets has this:

XP-59A-BE third prototype s/n 42-108786
*4/1943: First flight.
*USAF 4144th Base Unit.
*4/1947: Used for spare parts but not totally salvaged.
*Currently preserved at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA.

Note that '786 has the fighter nose, while '777 was displayed for many years with the second cockpit nose. Over to the experts...

[sledge39]

.
...The P-59 at Hardwick, So El Monte, 1966...



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...The P-59 at "The Air Museum", Ontario, Sept, 1968...

[Chris Brame]

Thanks sledge39! Wish I'd gotten to see Mr. Hardwick's yard before it was closed.

[RobC]

Chris, the Jack Hardwick P-59 is displayed at the March AFB Museum. Nice pictures, both of you!

[Chris Brame]

It is? I thought that was P-59A 44-22614:

[old iron]

Wikipedia lists six P-59 survivors, none of these being 42-109786; the NASM survivor is 42-108784. The NASM and Planes of Fame examples are the only two that came from 1942 (the other six are 44-numbers). Thus, the Hardwick plane may not be a survivor, although this may well have been integrated into the PoF example.