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Thread: P-39 airacobra project

  1. #1

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    P-39 airacobra project

    Hi everyone,

    I have a Bell P-39D1 Airacobra that fought in the battle of the Bismark sea and served at Milne bay and Lae in New guinea in the pacific with the 35th FS in WW2, it has a good story, one confirmed air to air kill, several ground kills, two barges sunk, (kill and barges visible on the side), bell aircraft made a magazine ad about this plane a pilot in the war, it is an extensive project made up of mostly original parts, some nos parts and some new build parts. it includes the fuselage keel, rollover, wings, tail section/empannage with control surfaces, many smaller parts and sections.

    asking $60k for it if any rebuilders are interested. I am rebuilding another airacobra myself and can provide pre formed and heat treated sheet metal sub assemblies for anyone wanting to rebuild it.

    Located in Australia

    thanks

    (some photos, too much to list)

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    Last edited by cobra; 04-05-2017 at 03:49 AM. Reason: sold

  2. #2
    crusty old aviator's Avatar
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    I'd rather have a P-400...

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by crusty old aviator View Post
    I'd rather have a P-400...
    they are the exact same airframe, the only difference was the armament (20mm cannon vs 37mm, 30 cal vs 50 cal) though the D-1 was the same as a P-400.

    anyway its sold

  4. #4
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    What's the story with the little drawn on airplane doodle circled in red? Just something you found?

    My G. Grandfather (still alive) in a P-38 out of Port Moresby / 1944:



    What he wrote me a few years back:

    Let me tell you about that date when I crawled out of the P-39 and why I don't
    think it can ever be found. By the way it was Jan. 23, 1943 and not the 28th as
    listed. When I hit the ground I was in the middle of the outback, and it was the
    middle of the summer there and it was hot. I was beside the trickle of a small
    stream and I decided I had better stay close to it for I did not have a canteen. As
    I walked down stream it got bigger and bigger and I finally looked up and saw a
    windmill and a house. Before I started my walk I saw a lot of heavy black smoke and
    knew the plane had exploded and burned. I was greeted by members of an
    outback cattle station that was isolated in some hundreds of square miles of space.

    For the next three days we went on horseback looking for the wreckage and even
    though they were familiar with the territory we could not find any evidence of the
    crash. Now after all these years I think it would be impossible to locate any of
    it. The squadron came to get me in a jeep and took me back to Charters Towers,
    Australia that was the base I took off from. a few days later I was on the way to
    New Guinea and combat and the rest is history.

    About the P-38s, I don't know what happened to all of them. Get on google and read
    the story of The Glacier Girl, a P-38 that was dug out of the ice and restored. I
    went to Middlesboro, KY and saw it after it was restored. I have some pictures in
    front of it. It has been sold to a private party and is now somewhere in Texas.

    The attachment shows my membership card as a member of the Caterpillar Club. The
    other attachment is of the P-38 model that Sully sent me last Christmas. You can
    read the inscription placque.

    You haven't told me if you would be interested in reading some chapters of the book
    on Lt. Bob Thorpe that I flew with and was beheaded by the Japanese. Also the movie
    script.

    Keep in touch.
    My P-38 Marlee 2 / Port Moresby folder: http://marlee2.peachcountry.com


  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by choppergirl View Post
    What's the story with the little drawn on airplane doodle circled in red? Just something you found?

    My G. Grandfather (still alive) in a P-38 out of Port Moresby / 1944:



    What he wrote me a few years back:
    I'm sure that's your grandfather, and I agree that he's in a fighter plane, but it isn't a P-38. I think it is a P-47.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kyle Boatright View Post
    I'm sure that's your grandfather, and I agree that he's in a fighter plane, but it isn't a P-38. I think it is a P-47.
    It's a P40 Warhawk.

  7. #7
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FearTheH View Post
    It's a P40 Warhawk.
    My vote's with a P-47B or C. Note the lower line of the front windshield in the lower illustration:

    The plexiglass of the windshield curves down until it intersects the plane of the canopy bow. That closely matches the original photo, right down to the diagonal brace.

    On a P-40, on the other hand, the plexiglass comes down and takes a sharp turn aft and runs horizontally for ten inches or so until it reaches the bow.



    Ron Wanttaja

  8. #8
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FearTheH View Post
    It's a P40 Warhawk.
    My vote's with a P-47B or C. Here's the original:



    Note how the plexiglass of the windshield curves down until it intersects the plane of the canopy bow. Compare it to the lower image in this drawing:

    That closely matches the original photo, right down to the diagonal brace.

    On a P-40, on the other hand, the plexiglass comes down and takes a sharp turn aft and runs horizontally for ten inches or so until it reaches the bow.



    Ron Wanttaja

  9. #9

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    I see your point but the windscreen is still different from both of your historic photos, and upon that epiphany I don't believe it's a 40 either for the same reasons...I saw triangular sliding canopy and that's what got rattled around in my brain lol

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by choppergirl View Post
    What's the story with the little drawn on airplane doodle circled in red? Just something you found?

    My G. Grandfather (still alive) in a P-38 out of Port Moresby / 1944:



    What he wrote me a few years back:



    My P-38 Marlee 2 / Port Moresby folder: http://marlee2.peachcountry.com

    its a painting of a japanese plane that this airacobra shot down, underneath it are japanese landing barges it sunk.

    Im sure lews cobra is toast, though i believe parts were found. most cobras have been recovered here, though there is one missing.
    He flew P-47's in new guinea.

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