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Fantasy of Flight P-38

Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:49 am

Is that P-38 at the Fantasy of Flight, or the wreckage to be more specific, on display or in storage. Has anyone been there recently?

Mike

Thu Oct 28, 2004 9:08 am

As of a month ago:

It is viewable if you take the daily restoration shop tour. It is in the back corner behind the Hellcat.

Although this picture is from the old Week's Museum, it displayed almost the same.

Image

Matt

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:28 pm

It's white...I know this is probably a dumb question,,,,buttt, is that the old white lightning bird?

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:30 pm

I assume not. Check out this link:

http://p38whitelightnin.com/

38

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:37 pm

Nope... two different machines... I think Kermit purchased this at an auction... been in this condition shown in the pictures for quite some time.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:45 pm

White Lightnin

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 53254.html

Weeks Bird

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 26761.html

Re: Fantasy of Flight P-38

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:45 pm

Kermit's P-38 is an old Spartan Air Service P-38. CF-GKE I believe.

Jim

Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:10 pm

As far as I know Lefty still owns his P-38, White lightnin' and the Gardner family would like to rasie enough money to put her back in the air. Ive heard estimates in the $2mil range. Dispite the soft belly landing, the pictures don't accurately depict the depth of damage done to her. The engine fire damaged the spars...ouch!

John

Thu Oct 28, 2004 2:15 pm

Does anybody know if any restoration work has started?

Fri Oct 29, 2004 6:22 am

Kermit's is the P-38 that was found in South America, Uruguay or Paraguay and they sawed the wings off to get it out of there.

John

Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:35 pm

speaking of Fantesy of Flight - Kermit had a B-24 that was declared grounded a few years back (or more) - does he still have it?

Tom P.

Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:39 pm

Yes, he does still have it.

Fri Oct 29, 2004 4:41 pm

What?
Doris is declared unairworthy!
The airplane had only 500 hours on it when it was owned by Dave T.
We were all amazed by the short number of hours in the Log, and then Kermit came to Bedford to look at it, and it went.

hopefully it is just due to lack of use, he flew it for a short time after he bought it

While we are on the subject, any word on the DC-3 on floats?
I heard it was in there at FoF earlier this year but then it was moved out

Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:32 pm

:D If the museum had a donor like Mr. Allen that is a plane I'd like to have. Most of the Heavy Bomb groups that trained in Wendover were
B-24 groups and I've got an original WWII hanger that is in great shape just itching for a tenant like that!

Tom P.
www.wendoverairbase.com
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