A World War II fighter plane once entombed under hundreds of feet of snow and ice in Greenland is taking to the skies again to complete the mission it began nearly 65 years ago.
The P-38, dubbed Glacier Girl after being recovered, was scheduled to take off from New Jersey on Friday for another leg of a journey to Duxford, England. It should arrive there June 29.
The plane was part of a group that became known as the Lost Squadron. Brad McManus, 89, the last living pilot from the mission, will be flying alongside for the first 100 miles, or 160 kilometers, as a passenger in a small private Piper Cheyenne plane.
The restored P-38, once one of the fastest aircraft on the planet with a top speed of more than 400 miles an hour, arrived at Teterboro Airport on Thursday.
If you’re a boy growing up during a war, it’s likely you will have a favorite airplane. The P-38 has always been mine.
My father flew Mosquitoes. They too could fly home on one engine.
Perhaps because of some of my father’s few stories, the Mosquito is one of my favorite airplanes.
An interesting piece about the P-38. It was the only American plane that was produced throughout the entire WWII..
Considering the number of planes built during the war, it is sad to see only a few are left. Too many of those are cobbled together from pieces of scrap.
#1
I got a picture of him right here. He flew through a cloud of bugs just before landing… amazing dude… 😉
Its my favorite too as a prop fighter. If I had to own a plane, I think it would be the Flying Boat. Go anywhere. Live in It. What a life.
Did they find Private Steve Rogers nearby?
(let’s see how many do/don’t get that)
J/P=?
I salute Captain America!
Corsair, just for the looks of that wing.
P38, is one of the best of the Old ships…
I would Love to see a Version re-released for Public Use.
#5, JP
Steve Rogers, pitcher for the Montreal Expos in the ’70s / 80s. Not a bad pitcher though I don’t remember all his stats. He also has a degree from U of Oklahoma in Petroleum Engineering. And as far as I remember, he is no relation to the OTHER Steve Rogers.
Too bad production on the P82 / F82 (Twin Mustang) was just a shade late for WWII. It’s always been a favorite of mine and was on display at the flight museum in Midland TX. (Oh no, we can’t have a Confederate Air Force anymore, that’s just not PC).
With a speed of more than 475 miles an hour, the P82 had a combat range of over 1,600 miles with full armament. One very nice airplane, wish I had a friend that would let me fly his!! A nice pic is here:
http://www.boeing.com/history/bna/p82.htm
P-51 and the good old Corsair, which the Japanese dubbed the “Whistle of Death” due to the sound those wings make….Glacier Girl will be in Oshkosh WI again next month which means more pictures!
And as far as I remember, he is no relation to the OTHER Steve Rogers.
Forgot about THAT S.R… I’m not that much of a sports fan.
🙂
J/P=?
10–Thanks Bubba. Never seen that one before, how did I miss it??
I am still upset seeing old newsreels about these classic airplanes just being chopped up for recycling. Couldn’t anybody foresee a HUGE market for these things in the relatively near future?
Guess not.