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Re: Pictures and story from my "spy" visit NASM Udvar-Hazy

Posted by Steve T on Fri Oct 17, 2003 10:07:10 PM

In reply top Re: Pictures and story from my "spy" visit NASM Udvar-Hazy posted by Rob Mawhinney on Fri Oct 17, 2003 09:12:47 PM

Rob et al--

I for one was delighted at the sight of the "unrefinished" P-38 in the "spy pix". I well remember looking at this P-38 twenty years ago in the annex display at Silver Hill...and thinking later what a pity it was that it would someday look pristine. How neat to be wrong! Here is a P-38 EXACTLY as it was...frozen in time, as it were. Of course with many restoration projects this option doesn't exist: and I certainly won't complain at the sight of a pristine P-38 at an airshow or in a museum...but in this case the option WAS there, that 1944 paint was still in reasonable condition...kudos to NASM for keeping it just the way it was.

Ryan--was the Japanese twin actually the "Nick"? Or was it the J1N "Irving"? If it is indeed the "Nick" that's a grand surprise: I had thought the "Nick" had been deaccessioned many years ago when the Smithsonian had to downsize its aircraft collection.

Great report and pix...makes me keen to hop a flight to DC!

Cheers

S.

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