P-38 LIGHTNING "GLACIER GIRL" attempted flight to England

[modelleg]

The F-15 of it's time.

[buidseach]

did anyone try and put a merlin engine into the lightning ?

[FiveCentsPlease]

@buidseach

It was considered, but abandoned for several reasons. They didn't want to interrupt the P-38 production lines, Merlin production was needed for other planes, and politics, etc.. However, the consensus was that it would have been a better and faster P-38.

[cykadelik]

now that is a sound to make the hairs on the bakc of your neck stand to attention.

[titansteelminer]

To me, it just sucks that these guys had the money to buy Glacier Girl and move it to California. At least my Father-In-Law, an avid admirer, got to see her fly over Middlesboro KY before he passed away.

[mrltrnt1972]

This was a very cool story. I lived in Barbourville when it was being restored. My dad did a lot of the welding on it . I seen it from start to finish.

[germanysjim]

I heard pilots hated to fly this one, saying it was tempermental as hell, unlike the brit seemalike mosquito

[757AW]

@germanysjim ~ the lightning wasn't a temperamental plane, as a matter of fact she was very light and responsive to control inputs but not overly sensitive. her flight characteristics were quite stable. it was the takeoff that turned some flyers away from her: if you lose an engine on takeoff and haven't got enough altitude to recover from the ensuing mad roll, you're toast ~

[kennethrobinson11231]

I have two parts off of this plane after it was pulled of under the ice.

[KotaWolfy]

i would love to get into flying classics like those beauties...

[1998disco72]

@KotaWolfy That would be cool

[feduncan]

I've always thought the planes built during WWII were so cool.

[carlosmurphy4u]

Yes, the guns have been rendered inoperable and the drop tanks are not dropable.

[mrb17f1]

Octane130.......Yes, the Girl still has her 20MM cannon, and her 4, 50cal brownings. If you haven't watched the Lost Squadron video, get it and watch it. They actually fire both the 50 and the 20 MM cannon off a snowmobile after bringing the nose up out of the glacier. The ammunition was 50 years old then, but she fired just fine!! The weaponry has been completely restored, but are inactive.

[goofyfeetmc]

I'd give anything to have a p-38.

[MrJp990]

man that plane is so cool i wish i cud even stand next to a war bird next to that let alone touch its wing id have a heart attack

[heavyarms01h]

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I can only imagine what it must have been like to take one into battle.

[MrJp990]

@heavyarms01h if u did u would rule the skies

[edj66]

How long would it take to fly those two from Chino to Duxford? What do they do about fuel..taking a pee..you know..the important things?

[FiveCentsPlease]

@edj66

The original flight route had fuel stops. Most air routes follow land across the pond, which is how they ended up in Greenland in the first place.

[J2OLDS]

I hear bagpipes !!!!  The Green Hills of Tyroll .. a retreat march.

[wqa680]

すばらしい!

[jboweruk]

Did she ever come to England in the end? I know that year she didn't make it due to some problem :( That was sad, I was so looking forward to seeing her, but better she was kept safe.

[skyferret1]

That Mustang had CY-D painted on it. For a moment I thought it was going to say CY-A before it came into view. That would surprised me because on CFS1 the skin is painted CY-A. As well as the same paint scheme.

[hellbilly074]

Watched her first flight after restoration in Middlesboro, KY. Glad we had her there for such a long time...

[SaintLiam78]

This is a truly fine warbird.

[boxermotorrad]

5 stars ... please look my chanel i am build an V12 RC Engine for scale Mustangs...

[sonnysingh03]

id travel to duxford to watch her land if she was to come

[jiminboo]

Glacier Girl wow... P-38s are truly a thing of beauty.

[heavyarms01h]

I think it had some of the best nicknames too, between "the fork-tailed devil" and "two planes, one pilot." Right up there with the Corsair becoming legendary as the "whistling death." ^_^

[furyiiiplate]

Fantastic work gentlemen.

[theGUYwho1]

those are myn, those guys are borrowing them from mme

[dextertheclone]

WOW these are awesome!

[kaleb610]

cool i like the p-51

[osgood54]

What happened thought the mission was cancelled. I saw Glacier Girls first flight at Middlesboro, Kentucky. So where is Glacier girl now? Chino?

[octane130]

Owner Rod Lewis bases Glacier Girl in Texas now. The aircraft is flown to a number of airshows in the US each season.

[MrJp990]

@octane130 does glacier girl still have her cannons

[FiveCentsPlease]

@MrJp990

The guns are installed. It's illegal to have operational guns in these aircraft, so they are probably deactivated (firing pins removed or otherwise de-milled.)

[MrJp990]

@FiveCentsPlease aww tht sucks :( but why is it illegal its not like this dude will shot down an airliner

[FiveCentsPlease]

@MrJp990

It's illegal for any non-military airplane to be armed. And complex de-mil laws require ex-military equipment to either be disabled or destroyed entirely (with a few exceptions for these antique aircraft, but some new additions to these laws have worried warbird owners.)

[MrJp990]

@FiveCentsPlease damn tht sucks

[pokemaster5867]

@octane130 ya it came to our airport once for a air show

[mujave2]

all over duxford..

[scottturchin]

@osgood54 I read that she started but lost an engine just after taking off. No scheduled date as a new engine is on order.

I wonder if that plane will ever make it to England! It's saying "Nooooooooooooo" :)

Google the Kee-Bird B-29 story for another historical attempt at recovery.

[winters123winters]

is a p38 supposed to have those openings in their cockpit? bcuz i mean like, thats unsafe lol

[amh5034]

yeah, they roll up like non-powered car windows.

[winters123winters]

haha, imagine flying with open windows, very dangerous and at high speeds, sticking your head out then boom, its gone.

[critter63boy]

lol yeah OMG A BIRD!!

[proffromgview]

You do NOT fly with those things down. In the manual, they expressly warn you about that, because what it would do to the airflow

[agentolshki]

yea also 3000 miles in a small cockpit would be a bitch

[keefer2111]

I saw video of whose warbirds being crushed up, it would make a grown man cry.

[carlosmurphy4u]

Wadaya mean ATTEMPTED flight to England?

[sprinkles2002007]

They turned back because of a cracked cylinder liner.

[v8pup]

its amazing to see we can restore planes like this

and does anyone know the bagpipe song at the beginning

[spartanwarrior340]

that is my dream fly in one of those planes that would be truly amazing

[texasfathead]

Just found this,In 2007 "Glacier Girl" was sold to air museum in Texas for about 5,500,000 dollars (USD).wow :D

[texasfathead]

Someone here in Texas just Bought "GLACIER GIRL", Wonder how much he payed for it? :)

[hellbilly074]

got the pleasure of watching her first flight in middlesboro. absolutely one of the most unforgettable moments in my life!

[DasBulk]

The Girl stopped by the retired Perrin AFB here in Denison but I didn't find out till after she left. :( I really wanted to see her.

[master3656]

I was at the chino air museum when they showcased glacer girl. I got to look at it up close and even se inside the cockpit.

[tucker1012]

see ya glacier girl

[carsmasher]

I saw Glacier Girl this past September in Columbus, Ohio, what an awesome sight.

[Samjapa]

the classic design.

I love the P37 Lightning.

thanks!

[Samjapa]

Ops! It's P47. Not, P37! Sorry!

[valkyrie321]

P-38? :D

[xfile75]

Bellissimo !!

[nprules111]

Its a shame it didn't make it to duxford!!! maybe itll make it for Duxford this year

i have my fingers crossed!!!

[carbine6]

Its a type of flush fastener which presents less aerodynamic drag than a conventional bolt or screw head.

[4thstooge]

@carbine6 It locks down w/ 1/4 of a turn Not only is it flush, it doesn't vibrate loose. Invented by William Dzus in the 1930's.

[carbine6]

Hes making sure the Dzus fasteners are tight.

[stymye]

why is that kid pokeing around the mustang with a screwdriver at 1:36 ?

[nprules111]

Lol!! i hate that kid!!

[ericsbuds]

hahah!

[pinacoloda91]

ah ha ha! aha! ah ha ha ha!

[FalconKPD]

???

[trucker765]

didnt it crash at Duxford?

[JamieRees]

No, it never made it to Duxford. It landed at Goose Bay and stayed there due to a engine coolant proble with Engine #1 I believe. I was at Flying Legends 07, which was the air show it was flying over for.

The lighting crash you talk about happened at Flying Legends 1996 (July 1996).

[doosh711]

well theres two more at the bottom of the glacier if they break this one, haha.

[2Fast4U0921]

Where is/ What happened to Glacier Girl?

[octane130]

Owner Rod Lewis is a very generous owner committed to showing this premier warbird around the USA and hopefully around the world in the future. As far as I know, Steve Hinton is still the ONLY pilot ever allowed to fly Glacier Girl, per the conditions of the Lloyds of London insurance policy. Glacier Girl is in the very best of hands, absolutely no doubt!

[757AW]

@octane130 ~ and to think we used to turn these ladies loose with any 18-year-old man the army air corps could muster through advanced! ah ~

[757AW]

@octane130 ~ ps ~ my dad was one of them! ~

[mhstsax07]

The Glacier Cirl was originally brought back to my hometown of Middlesboro, KY to be restored. It was housed at the Lost Squadron Museum at the Middlesboro/ Bell County Airport. When the owner passed away, funds were not available to support its upkeeping and was therefore sold Ron Lewis.

[mhstsax07]

Sorry guys, Glacier Girl*

[Badmuthatrucker666]

So, is isn't the P 38 that came down at the Duxford show?.

[ejlister]

Oh well. Third time's the charm, right?

[Eliotthecool]

Its such a traduty it never came to Flying Legends 2007 it should have done but the Engines or somthing Broke down servily!

So its Flight was Exucuted!

I so badly wanted to see as well!!

Oh well! not many left flying so it will Maybe be next 2 years before i see it Fly!!

[zinnington]

I love this airplane, Why do these stupid owners, want to risk this precious airplane and the pilot by flying it across the Atlantic? Did they ever hear of a shipping container? When are these people going to grow up!

[doosh711]

i beleive they were going to retrace the operation bolero flight plan and complete the mission the plane was on when it crash landed on the glacier.

hence the 'operation bolero II' which was painted on the side of the plane.

[xfire7]

So sorry they never made it.I so wanted to see Glacier Girl here in England

[accez24]

the4 glacier girl wont be arriving at duxford now, mechanical problems :(

[tembo01]

Unfortunately Glacier Girl won't make it to Duxford . See ya all there anyway.

[jackhammer1968]

According to the New York Times, they're going to have to replace the engine. The Mustang "Miss Velma" is continuing on the trip alone.

Those of us in the Middlesboro, Ky area will miss Glacier Girl and were deeply saddened to learn that she'll have a new home from now on. She was a part of our community for many years.

[bdrws6]

I live close to Middlesboro and I too was saddened when they sold and moved the airplane.

[trackend]

Did'nt make it blew a head gasket

[propfan2k]

Great video! Good luck this weekend.

Keep 'em Flying

[rpellicciotti]

They did a layover in Memphis, TN on the evening of the 19th. Video of their departure posted. Search on Glacier Girl and NQA

[ajaciedjuh]

i 'll be thre at the flying legends show,i can't wait to see them!!!!!! it will be unforgetable!!!

[ajaciedjuh]

I'll be there at the show,I can't wait to see him!!!!!!

[pvtsmith29]

Can't wait to see them at Duxford!