Beached P-38 photo

[David J Burke]

I hail from very near the Irish Sea . Believe me - it's not going to fly again.

[DaveM2]

,[/quote]

look closely --- the stars and bars are visible on the upper wing. Thats pretty good. The most important part of a P-38 and the one that would be hardest to restore is the center section. the booms wings gondola etc etc can all be re-built. (glacier girl and white lightnin) UNTIL a PROPER survey is done by QUALIFIED mechanics (not TIGERS) no one knows the internal condition of the AC. quit killing it before you know ... and thanks for the SIG IDEA...it works well.[/quote]

So what, paint often fares better than the metal its painted on, plenty of wrecks that come from the sea have pristine markings, while the metal has the consistency of cornflakes, seen it first hand on a Corsair centre section that came out of the sea off the Ozzie coast, an excellent example of this is the Canadian Hampden recovery shots here, look how new the roundel looks, then check the state of the metal! No doubt you think it can fly again....

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... n&start=15

With some luck the P-38 won't falls to bits when it is moved.

Dave

[JDK]

Obviously humour's a very individual thing...

...look closely --- the stars and bars are visible on the upper wing. Thats pretty good...

You know, you are right - in fact, that'll also be a saving on paint. We know it landed with the gear up, so the tyres are probably still inflated, and don't even need kicking and first reports said the tanks are full.

In fact, with that insight, I now see why we need to be pilots to appreciate the potential. It's good to go, according to some drivers' criteria. The queue forms on the high tide line.

But seriously, as the Kerryman said when asked for directions "You can't get there from here."

First, the organisations involved don't fly vintage aircraft - and it's not for sale or trade. (That's just the way it is...) Yes, you could sneak in and steal it.

Second, yet again:

but if you really want to do that (and aren't just blowing smoke) there's projects out there more likely to fly and certainly a lot cheaper to rebuild.

No one else has advocated as a religious position that every P-38 must fly. I admire your dedication, but I think you might be short on funds to realise the dream.

It might be difficult to grip as a concept, but not everything will fly again. In fact, most people agree that some historic aircraft are too valuable to fly - Wright Flyer, Spirit of St Louis, etc. They have a greater value to the world than being treated as expensive fun toys; want to fly one - get a replica - easy.

However, we are all agreed, I'm sure, that it's great that Glacier Girl's up there; that the historic warbird White Lightnin is getting another era of airworthy life. That's great. I was looking at a coupe of P-38s recently that are currently crushed metal. One day, they'll be in the air, and no one loses from that restoration. But not all P-38s will, or should, fly. The example in the NASM for instance had had plaudits for its originality, and is another not to put into the air.

and thanks for the SIG IDEA...it works well.

That would be "EVERYTHING that CAN fly should be ALLOWED to FLY!"?
Are you funding this crusade? Presumably the sky's always blue, too, on your planet.

[n5151ts]

Obviously humour's a very individual thing...

...look closely --- the stars and bars are visible on the upper wing. Thats pretty good...

You know, you are right - in fact, that'll also be a saving on paint. We know it landed with the gear up, so the tyres are probably still inflated, and don't even need kicking and first reports said the tanks are full.

In fact, with that insight, I now see why we need to be pilots to appreciate the potential. It's good to go, according to some drivers' criteria. The queue forms on the high tide line.

But seriously, as the Kerryman said when asked for directions "You can't get there from here."

First, the organisations involved don't fly vintage aircraft - and it's not for sale or trade. (That's just the way it is...) Yes, you could sneak in and steal it.

Second, yet again:

but if you really want to do that (and aren't just blowing smoke) there's projects out there more likely to fly and certainly a lot cheaper to rebuild.

No one else has advocated as a religious position that every P-38 must fly. I admire your dedication, but I think you might be short on funds to realise the dream.

It might be difficult to grip as a concept, but not everything will fly again. In fact, most people agree that some historic aircraft are too valuable to fly - Wright Flyer, Spirit of St Louis, etc. They have a greater value to the world than being treated as expensive fun toys; want to fly one - get a replica - easy.

However, we are all agreed, I'm sure, that it's great that Glacier Girl's up there; that the historic warbird White Lightnin is getting another era of airworthy life. That's great. I was looking at a coupe of P-38s recently that are currently crushed metal. One day, they'll be in the air, and no one loses from that restoration. But not all P-38s will, or should, fly. The example in the NASM for instance had had plaudits for its originality, and is another not to put into the air.

and thanks for the SIG IDEA...it works well.

That would be "EVERYTHING that CAN fly should be ALLOWED to FLY!"?
Are you funding this crusade? Presumably the sky's always blue, too, on your planet.

life is very hard for GLASS HALF EMPTY types....

[JDK]

life is very hard for GLASS HALF EMPTY types....

I wouldn't know about that, but you're sure it's lovely in fantasy warbird land, where they all fly. By the way, you finger seems to have got stuck in the caps lock.

<-- Look - free beer.

I'm just curious when you actually going to make a contribution with some thought, rather than a quick, vacant, quip?

Just for instance, have you restored an aircraft?

Are you a qualified engineer, such as you referred to being needed in this case?

Just curious.

[RMAllnutt]

Like peeing up a rope.... some people still think it should be done, because it can be done (ok... you just need to build an anti-gravity device.... no problem).

I doubt there is a structural element on that aircraft that is possible to be made flight worthy. Perhaps some of the forgings are re-useable, but would you really take what is essentially a complete artifact and rip it to pieces for a few parts that can probably be found elsewhere or made from scratch for less money? No one here is saying it can't be done... the question is why should it be done????

By the time you are finished re-creating the aircraft, you will have nothing of that particular P-38 of real consequence in it, and have ripped the heart out of a genuine combat veteran. Why ruin what could potentially be a very worthwhile exhibit, with real provenance, and real history, when you could just go and build a P-38 from scratch with some other data plate attached from a smashed up wreck???

Honestly some people lack a bit of logical perspective here. Nothing to do with the glass being half empty... it's plain empty, with a few little dregs of aluminium oxide rattling around the bottom.

Jeeez!

Richard

[DaveM2]

No use talking sense to those that don't have any

Like peeing up a rope.... some people still think it should be done, because it can be done (ok... you just need to build an anti-gravity device.... no problem).

I doubt there is a structural element on that aircraft that is possible to be made flight worthy. Perhaps some of the forgings are re-useable, but would you really take what is essentially a complete artifact and rip it to pieces for a few parts that can probably be found elsewhere or made from scratch for less money? No one here is saying it can't be done... the question is why should it be done????

By the time you are finished re-creating the aircraft, you will have nothing of that particular P-38 of real consequence in it, and have ripped the heart out of a genuine combat veteran. Why ruin what could potentially be a very worthwhile exhibit, with real provenance, and real history, when you could just go and build a P-38 from scratch with some other data plate attached from a smashed up wreck???

Honestly some people lack a bit of logical perspective here. Nothing to do with the glass being half empty... it's plain empty, with a few little dregs of aluminium oxide rattling around the bottom.

Jeeez!

Richard

Precisely.

[Django]

I'm sick of winter!

Spring, Spring, Spring!

Someone grab a shovel!

http://www.tighar.org/Projects/P38/welshlightning.htm

I see Tighar named the aircraft. Did it not have a name already?

[Jesse C.]

Wow! You can get a Handsome Certificate to decorate your club house! Nice!!

[Randy Haskin]

remarkably free of corrosion

?

[tom d. friedman]

i was told that this 38 is in better condition for being in ocean salt water because there is a fresh water spring or creek that drains their near by that some what diluted the salt content.