Question about the P-38 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:57 pm

I am curious as to why the P-38 on display at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is missing it's 20mm cannon, anyone have any idea? Any theories?

Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:03 pm

I believe the U-H P-38 was a stateside trainer or a test bed and there was no reason to install/retain the cannon.

It is a remarkably well preserved P-38. It isn't neat and clean like a lot of the restoration jobs. It's true beauty is in its imperfection. It is a virtual time capsule from 1945...the plane pretty much looks as it did 60 years ago.

Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:09 pm

I also read that it was a test bed. I think I also read that Bong also flew this plane as a test pilot.

Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:10 pm

The last I heard if was planned to tear it down and restore it.
I hope that's not true. They should leave it be. There's nothing like it.

Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:32 pm

Thanks, I was just curious and now I know!

Wed Apr 13, 2005 8:03 am

The U-P P-38 was use in flight testing at Wright Field during the war. The museum has NO plans to restore the aircraft. A decision was made many years ago to leave as a true P-38 time capsule. As such, it is a very good resource for learning how Lockheed and the AAF marked their aircraft.

Thanks to the help of David Swartz, I was allowed to go with the crew who moved the aircraft from Silver Hill, Maryland to Dulles last summer. The move was made in the middle of the night. You can image the looks we got from people who were buzzing around I495 beltway.

One last note, records in the National Archives indicate that Dick Bong actually flew this P-38 while he was at Wright Field.

Kevin Grantham