Warbird Information Exchange

I went over to the MAPS Air Museum yesterday to see what was going on. Work has stopped on the SBD which still needs a set of wings. The B-26 is being restored to static and much of the internals are being fitted. The wings are still stored outside and are looking much worse for the wear. On the rear loading dock are a couple of turrets (Martin?) and the 2 P-39 fuselages. The jet collection continues to grow with an F-100, F-101, F-4, F-111, and an F-102. Work is also continuing on the the Fennec which could be completed rather quickly given the proper funding.

JimH

see pics on webshots
http://community.webshots.com/user/jfharley

B-26 Static?

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Hi Jim! Thanks for the pictures.

About the P-39's, are they David T airplanes. Awhile back I was trying to find out the origin of the P-39 on Courtesy's website, and I ran across a museum that had a P-39 under restoration, but the airframe was twisted and they ended up getting a second, non twisted P-39 for restoration. I was wondering if this is the same place.

Thanks,
Orvis

P.S. Who do I talk to about doing some air to air shots when you guys are out at Moffet and Livermoore?

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DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

Would you happen to know if the twisted P-39 airframe was the one that used to be in Lancaster, Ohio?

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Victory By Valor (Motto of the 20th Fighter Group)

Its been alot of years since I frequented MAPS. I vividly remember the P-39 that is now stored out back being in a jig next to the B-26. If memory serves this is the twisted airframe. An extensive amount of work was done on the fighter before this was realized...how I don't know...but it had numerous panels replaced and the aft section was also fairly advanced. These are both DT machines. I think there is another at Beaver Falls...but again I am not sure as I have not been around in long time. These would be good airframes to ship off to Wangratta. The B-26 is probably the most disappointing. Being such a rare airframe it would be great to see this return to the air. Again..another good candidate for shipping overseas for restoration. All it takes is cash.


JimH

When I was at Bever Falls about 8 years ago, the P39 that they had on display inside was in a lot better shape then the -2- that they have at maps.

Kenn

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May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!

I don't believe that either of the two P-39's stored outside currently at MAPS have been worked on, or at least not seriously. When I last saw them three years ago they looked pretty much like they must have done when they were first recovered. The P-39 reported to have once been in the jig at MAPS was probably transferred to another museum for work to continue. This sort of airframe shuffling seems a pretty regular occurrence with Dave Tallichet's aircraft. I do believe that the P-39 with the twisted frame is a Tallichet aircraft too, and maybe this is the one which had been in a jig at MAPS some years ago.

Cheers,
Richard

According to their web-site, The P39N is still at the Air Heritage Museum at Beaver Falls Pa and it is the third Tallichet P39, the other two being at MAPS.

Their web site is WWW.airheritage.org and they have pictures of their planes, including the P39N.

Kenn

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May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!

MAPS has two Tallichet P-39s as Jim's pictures show.
Lancaster has one Tallichet P-39.
Beaver Falls has one Tallichet P-39 that is probably the most complete of all of them.
Pima has a couple as well.

No work was done on the P-39s at MAPS and the one in the jig is now sitting outside. It is the yellow one in Jim's pictures.

Jim

Thanks Jim. I wondered if the P-39 was still at Lancaster ( I haven't been there since 2002). I know the group that has it once listed the airframe as being "twisted" and (at that time) they were looking for a new home for it. If I remember correctly there were several wings and a complete tail with it just sitting there looking forelorn...

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Victory By Valor (Motto of the 20th Fighter Group)

Question,

Is it not cost effective to "untwist" the frame to restore it or would it amout to replacing most of what is there? Of course with some of the basket cases that are restored to wonderful flying/static examples, cost effective is in the wallet of the funder....

Kenn

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May all your bent wings be F2G Corsairs!