Warbird Information Exchange

C'mon now, James, we gotta call that stuff our "semi-annual dust abatement system" instead of plain old weeds - you know, we do see a little of that strange green stuff the spring and a little more in the summer after a good monsoon rain!

I agree it is too bad that the F-5G variant is gone, but lament as well that the survivors of this particular photo-recon variant were so hastily turned into the standard hardnose pusuit or gunship P-38 over the years. Seems to me that we can point at many of the survivors restored in museums or private and public collections out there that had been F-5s that were reworked back in to gun nose configuration because the darn camera ships just weren't well, "military enough" for the general public.

Which brings forth the question, whatcha all gonna do with that photo recon nose ya'll pulled out of Calie last year? Any plans to to an obscure "nose section forward" restoration with a camera system installed and a sign board telling the photo mapper's story? I'm sure Scott could find an old broom closet, ADA unfriendly bathroom or some space out there that you could display it in the collection - even if it was for an occasional oddball visitor such as myself who likes the obscure...

Dust abatement huh? I'll have to remember that one the next time people start complaining.

The museum put up quite a fight when the Air Force decided to move the F-5 but it was their airplane and everyone knows the deal when they take planes from the Air Force Museum. As I recall the AFM got some obscure World War I plane for it but I honestly don't remember which one. I agree that it would be nice to see some of the "P-38s" out there shown off as what they really are.

The recon nose is already on display in our new Aerial Reconnaissance exhibit in Hangar 1. It even has a sign just like you've asked for. Its a sort of contrast and compare for the Blackbird. We didn't do any major restoration on it, just cleaned out the pack rat nests and black widows. So now you've got an excuse to come down here again. Like anyone should need an excuse to get out of Phoenix for a day.

James

Looks like a pretty nice F5G to me

http://www.yanksair.com/p-38.htm

Looks like a pretty nice F5G to me

http://www.yanksair.com/p-38.htm

If you get out to Chino, here's one:







By the way, there doesn't seem to be any info on the Net about this serial number - what's the story behind this one?

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I think that might be the recon nose that Al Redick owned for awhile. I remember as a kid having one of a P-38, and the nose off an A-20 in the back of the hangar. They eventually hung the A-20 nose over the maintenance shop door in the hangar, it looked pretty cool. Just needed some one to paint the rest of the airplane on hangar wall, he also had an O/H Merlin in a crate he did not know about for 2 or 3 years. They kept moving this big wood crate around all the time assuming it was aircraft parts of some kind and not an engine. So one day Al decides to go looking for some part and opens the crate and to his surprise there was a Merlin is in there. I think on of the P-51 race crews ended up buying it from him. Ah the good ole days of being a hangar kid in a restoration shop.
Scott.............