USAAF
5th AF
71st TRG
110th TRS
via PNG Museum 1974
via Robert Rocker
Wartime History
First assigned to the 8th FG, 36th FS. Then, to the 71st TRG, 110th TRS. Abandoned near Lemieng
and Vokau villages, near
Tadji Airfield.
Recovery
Removed in 1974 by Charles Darby, as part of a recovery operation
for Yesterday's Air Force (Today
MARC) owned by David Talichet.
Charles Darby adds:
"I don't know much about what happened to the ex-PNG P-39s after they were delivered to Dave Tallichet. This is partly because Dave's people made no effort to identify which fuselage halves and wing sets they were nailing together to make complete airframes, and partly because no records were kept of which airframes went where. I do know that 42-19995 was one of the Tadji aircraft, and I do know that he sent a number of P-39 and P-40 airframes to MAPS for 'restoration', but so far as I can see they have played-around with them for many years with little being achieved and several airframes being on-sold. '995 is probably one of these airframes, so my guess is that it really is now in Buffalo."
Display
Displayed at the Servicemen's Park in Buffalo, New York. On the left side of the aircraft is 'Snooks 2nd' on the cowl, 'Betty Lou 3rd' above the exhaust and 'FRESNO, CALIF' below.
References
Aircobra Advantage,
by Rick Mitchell
P-39
