[PICS] Oshkosh 1982 memories

k5083 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:21 pm

Chris Brame wrote:

Hi August,

Two quick questions: Do you have any photos of the ex-Doug Goss T-6G N7197C/49-2897? It was overall yellow with "TA-897" buzz number.

Second, do you (or anyone else) around that time remember seeing a dismantled ex-Indian Spitfire on display there, as well as a wingless Staggerwing hulk under a tarp? I remember seeing them at Osh in either '79 or '81. Thanks!

Yes, the Spitfire was on kind of a junk pile near Camp Scholer in 1980. My only pic of it is this rather nasty one taken with a 110 instamatic. For some reason I have the impression that this is Frasca's TP280, but I can't recall how I formed that impression. I guess if you squint at that scrawl on the rear fuselage you can kind of make it out.

As for the T-6, I have a fair sized file of T-6 photos from OSH. Let me take a look tonight for the one you want.

August

mazdaP5 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:47 pm

Great pics, that was the first year I went. I was 7 years old.

skybolt2003 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:52 pm

on the staggerwing- top ailerons max deflection, bottom ones very slight . . .
whats up with that? Is that some sort of adverse yaw thing?

k5083 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:00 pm

I believe it had ailerons only on the top wing; those are flaps on the bottom wing.

August

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

Amazing!! I was alive in 1982, and even though I was 3 I KNOW it was a great era all around. I had gone to several air shows by that point and was already hooked. That's incredible to see four Sea Furies, as well as that 5 ship bomber formation. I remember when Diamond Lil first visited near where I live. That was impressive! Fifi looks good with that paint scheme, the black bottom really works well. What became of Bill Ross's P-38? I don't think I know the plane.

k5083 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:30 pm

It is now "Putt Putt Maru" with Tom Blair.

http://warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38-4453095.html

August

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

Thank you k5083. Will it be flying again? 5 airworthy ships would be a nice figure.

k5083 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:15 pm

MattP38 wrote:

Thank you k5083. Will it be flying again? 5 airworthy ships would be a nice figure.

Yes. Here is a recent wix thread on it. The worldwide airworthy total should be 6 (POF, Glacier Girl, Red Bull, 44-26981, Fagen's, and this one) by late 2008.

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... c8e73734f7

August

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

k5083 wrote:

MattP38 wrote:

Thank you k5083. Will it be flying again? 5 airworthy ships would be a nice figure.

Yes. Here is a recent wix thread on it. The worldwide airworthy total should be 6 (POF, Glacier Girl, Red Bull, 44-26981, Fagen's, and this one) by late 2008.

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... c8e73734f7

August

Thanks! 6? even better!! A dream come true for this P-38 fan

k5083 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:48 pm

Definitely gravy days compared to when we had 2 just a couple years ago. More youngsters need to be introduced to this most elegant of warplanes.

August

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:35 pm

MattP38 wrote:

Fifi looks good with that paint scheme, the black bottom really works well.

Never thought of FiFi as a black bottom gal before... :lol:

Great stuff August; keep 'em coming!

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11340

MattP38 wrote:

Amazing!! I was alive in 1982, and even though I was 3 I KNOW it was a great era all around.

Ugh! I graduated high school in 1979...

There were still derelict warbirds sitting around the US then. Couldn't afford them then, can't afford them now! :cry:

RickH · **Posted:** Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:29 pm

I remember around 1983 a T-6 advertised in the Houston Chronicle classifieds for 25,000.00. It was flyable and the owner had lost his medical. I knew it was a good deal then, just didn't have the money. Of course that was when a new car was really decked out if it went over 10,000.00.

MattP38 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 7:36 pm **Posts:** 273

k5083 wrote:

Definitely gravy days compared to when we had 2 just a couple years ago. More youngsters need to be introduced to this most elegant of warplanes.

August

I could not agree with you more! Though I have to say the more flying warbirds the merrier, and yes I am well aware of expendatures and costs.

k5083 wrote:

A third P-38, though it didn't fly, at least moved under its own power. The EAA decided to spare its P-38 the indignity of a tow when moving it around the field.

August, what became of that "third" P-38? Is this one of the afforementioned 6, or was it grounded?

k5083 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:35 am

I don't believe it ever flew again. It is a static display in the EAA's museum at Oshkosh, marked as Bong's "Marge".

http://warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38-4453087.html

August

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[PICS] Oshkosh 1982 memories

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