Where was this P-38 on a pole?

[AeroTRrat]

I think this shot is from the 50's. Could be a fiberglass repro either at Wheeling IL (Palwukee) or Superior WI. I remember seeing it as a kid... or one like it. Anybody know?

[Jerry O'Neill]

Poplar Wisconsin, now restored and on display in the Bong Heritage Center.

http://www.bongheritagecenter.org/

Jerry

[AeroTRrat]

Well, at least part of my brain is working. I knew I had seen it before... and since -at the museum. So it is a real airplane. Thanks Jerry.

[Jerry O'Neill]

It real.
It had been outside until the late 1990's. At one point the cockpit was metalized and another time the aircraft was hit by lightning. The aircraft is now on it's landing gear and inside on display.
Here's a pic:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... %26hl%3Den
Jerry

[mustangdriver]

Looks like they have done a great job with it.

[bax101]

So is that really Bongs aircraft or just represented as it?

[mustangdriver]

I am pretty sure that it is just painted up as Marge. Although correct me if I am wrong, but the P-38 in the EAA museum or this one was the warbond Marge. Last year at Oshkosh I was told that one of these two P-38's was a warbond tour aircraft. But I am not sure if there is any truth to that.

I'm pretty sure that it is safe to say, that neither of the "Marge" P-38s were warbond aircraft. I know for a fact that the EAA airplane was an F-5.

[bdk]

Last year at Oshkosh I was told that one of these two P-38's was a warbond tour aircraft.

Sounds like an old wive's tale to me...

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 53087.html

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 53236.html

[mustangdriver]

Yeah that may very well be, like I said, it was something I heard someone talking about, and never had a chance to find out all of the details.

[mike furline]

I believe the P-38 at NASM was flown by Bong, stateside at one time.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/ai ... ed_p38.htm

Regards,
Mike

[mustangdriver]

Yeah Mike it was flown at Wright Field by him.

[fotobass]

So what happened to the original Marge? Anyone know?

[JohnTerrell]

I think Bong flew more than one P-38 painted as Marge during the war. The one story I remember reading, most likely concerning the last P-38 'Marge' that he flew, was that is was lost during a mission while being flown by another pilot, after Bong was away. I don't recall the details however.

Edit: This is what I found, though I don't know of the source...

"[Marge] was lost on March 24th 1944 [while being flown] by Lt. Tom Malone of the 421st Night Fighter Squadron who was on a weather flight over Wewak. After the loss of an engine and entering a spin, Lt. Malone bailed out and made a heroic escape down a river through Japanese held territory. Upon his return to the squadron he found Bong "was not very happy" about the loss of his aircraft. Later, the USAAF repainted another Lightning in a similar scheme for Bong's stateside War Bond tour."

I got to see this particular P-38 right after its restoration, at the Anoka airport in Minnesota, and then a couple of times more recently in Superior Wisconsin, where it is now, and it is indeed a wonderful restoration, even if it is only for static display. The Duluth, Minnesota Air Guard put in I believe 16,000 hours into the restoration.

[Jack Cook]

Yeah Mike it was flown at Wright Field by him.

I'd like to see some proof of that. It seems highly
unlikely at best.