Warbird Information Exchange

The Tillamook, Ore. Air Museum has announced that its P-39 Airacobra will at long last begin restoration.

"This particular P-39 (S/N 44-2485) the P-39 was originally a lend-lease aircraft whose destination was the Soviet Union during WW II," explained Christian Gurling, museum curator.

"Unfortunately, on December 6, 1943 the pilot (Delos Carpenter) became lost from the rest of a group of other aircraft and was forced to belly land the aircraft on a lake (later renamed Carpenter Lake) up in Canada."

The pilot was subsequently recovered and the aircraft was stripped of all usable parts, Gurling said.

"At that point, the aircraft sat for many years before Gary Larkins removed the aircraft for Museum owner Jack Erickson," Gurling said. "The plan was to perform the restoration some years ago, unfortunately, the restoration became stalled for a number of reasons.

"Now, we're back on track and have the aircraft over at Pacific Fighters in Idaho Falls, Ida. The plan is to have the restoration complete by the end of the year if all goes well (this will be purely a static restoration).

"Since it was a lend lease aircraft, the plan is to paint it up into lend-lease colors."

As far as time frame goes, Gurling said, we're looking at having the aircraft completed by the end of the year (if all goes according to plan).

"We are certainly excited out here to see this happen and know that the rest of the warbird community will be too," he added.