Warbird Information Exchange

What an interesting history, how it changed hands a good number of times and such.

- Restored, fitted with P-38E nose from MGM studios.

An E nose from MGM. That's not a source I would think of for Warbird parts. A part of me also thinks it would have been neat to have kept the glass nosed configuration, something a bit different. Maintained airworthy. Okay then, put her up!

Connie Edwards donated a P-38, F4U-4 Corsair , A-26 and a Buchon to the EAA. Except for the Buchon, the rest were flown to Oshkosh. The P-38 was then "restored" with freshly overhauled systems and a mirror polished finish to show off it's great condition. Because of politics within the EAA organization, as to who would fly it, they decided it was too "rare", translation $$valuable, to do a post restoration flight.
I might add that this was around the time that the EAA's founder allegedly raised the gear handle on the newly restored B-25 while taxiing, and was accused of buzzing around in the museum's T-28 while "buzzed."
About the same time frame the EAA lost their polished Lockheed 12 at the convention because Verne Jobst wasn't familiar with it's fuel systems. Vern had also been involved in the write off of a Grumman Goose at the convention when the gear mysteriously lowered for a water landing.

Interesting! If we are going to keep dishing EAA dirt, the Corsair was the only one of Connie's airplanes that the EAA flew after donation -- and not often or for long. The rumor I heard was that much of its restoration by EAA was done by untrained volunteers as part of its hands-on experience programs, and nobody much trusted the results. But this is not really to diss the EAA as I believe that generally it has taken fine care of Connie's airplanes.

August

Good grief, gents! Sounds chaotic.