26feb2019 photos: P-39 Airacobra flying again after 76 years

[Stratofreighter]

...see
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2019/02 ... first.html
for several good photos.

Bell P39 Airacobra 42-20341/ZK-COB - FIRST FLIGHT!

Exciting times once again at Auckland's Ardmore Airfield
as the highly anticipated first flight of Jerry Yeagen's P39F Airacobra ZK-COB
took place on the afternoon of 26 February 2019 at the hands of NZ Warbirds President Frank Parker.

http://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restora ... nears.html

This P-39 belongs to American collector Jerry Yagen (one of two Airacobras he owns, the other being P-400 AP335).

For some time this aircraft was reported to be based upon the wreck of a so-far unidentified Russian wreck
which was recovered during 1995, however,
there appears to have been some mixup over the years prior to its arrival at Pioneer.

According to recent reporting, the airframe is actually based upon the substantial remains of P-39F 41-2175,
an aircraft which flew with the 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th FG.

On May 1st, 1942, 41-2175 was part of a flight of six P-39s on their way from Townsville, Australia to Port Moresby, New Guinea.

Bad weather and inexperience lead the flight to turn back and, running low on fuel, they elected to force land on Australia’s Cape York Peninsula.

Lt.Walter Harvey landed wheels up in 41-2175, and survived the incident to fly again another day, though not all of his fellow pilots were so lucky, with 2ndLt. Robert Love dying when his P-39 cartwheeled on the beach.

However, Lt.Harvey’s Airacobra lay way she fell until recovery by the Cairns Aircraft Recovery Team in September, 1972.

Despite this history, she is presently marked to represent P-39Q-5-BE 42-20341, which was a Soviet lend-lease airframe.

http://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restora ... nears.html