Quote:
Originally Posted by bugstrider
The picture looked pretty authentic, like it had been sitting for decades and was barely recognizable but very distinct.
I’m sure there are many replicas. As I mentioned, I never followed up on the aircraft to see if it was his real deal.
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The P-38 at Chino did sit in a hanger for almost 30 years before restoration, and does have some serious 'nose art'.
However, it only has 100+ hours on the airframe and never left the states.
So, that may be the plane you saw.
I've seen several sources that all say that Bong's plane crashed after he left the theater.
He died as a test pilot flying a P-80 test plane in the states before the war ended in the Pacific.