Glacier Girl: Difference between revisions
Operation Bolero |
Exactly fifty years later. They shut down the winches and had a champagne toast. |
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'''''Glacier Girl''''' is a [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] [[P-38 Lightning|P-38F-1-LO Lightning]] [[World War II]] fighter plane, ''41-7630'', c/n 222-5757, that was recently restored to operable condition after being buried beneath ice on the remote [[Greenland Ice Sheet]] for nearly fifty years. |
'''''Glacier Girl''''' is a [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] [[P-38 Lightning|P-38F-1-LO Lightning]] [[World War II]] fighter plane, ''41-7630'', c/n 222-5757, that was recently restored to operable condition after being buried beneath ice on the remote [[Greenland Ice Sheet]] for nearly fifty years. |
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On 15 July 1942, its squadron was forced to make an emergency landing en route to the [[British Isles]] during [[Operation Bolero]] and subsequently rescued. ''Glacier Girl'', along with five other P-38 fighters and two [[B-17]] bombers, was eventually buried beneath 270 feet of ice. |
On 15 July 1942, its squadron was forced to make an emergency landing en route to the [[British Isles]] during [[Operation Bolero]] and subsequently rescued. ''Glacier Girl'', along with five other P-38 fighters and two [[B-17]] bombers, was eventually buried beneath 270 feet of ice. Fifty years later, in 1992, the plane was brought to the surface after years of excavation and transported to [[Middlesboro, Kentucky]], where it was restored to flying condition. <ref>Hayes, David, "The Lost Squadron - A Fleet of Warplanes Locked in Ice For Fifty Years", Chartwell Books / Madison Press Books, Edison, New Jersey / Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-7858-2376-X, 1994.</ref>The excavation of Glacier Girl was documented in an episode of [[The History Channel]]'s "[[Mega Movers]]" series, titled "Extreme Aircraft Recovery". |
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On 22 June 2007 ''Glacier Girl'' departed [[Teterboro Airport]], [[New Jersey]] to fly across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[Imperial War Museum Duxford|Duxford]], [[England]] in order to complete the flight it had begun sixty-five years earlier. On 28 June however, a [[coolant]] leak in the [[starboard]] engine grounded the plane in [[Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Goose Bay]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airshowbuzz.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=838&view=findpost&p=14372 |title=Operation Bolero II Headquarters |accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref> |
On 22 June 2007 ''Glacier Girl'' departed [[Teterboro Airport]], [[New Jersey]] to fly across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[Imperial War Museum Duxford|Duxford]], [[England]] in order to complete the flight it had begun sixty-five years earlier. On 28 June however, a [[coolant]] leak in the [[starboard]] engine grounded the plane in [[Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador|Goose Bay]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.airshowbuzz.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=838&view=findpost&p=14372 |title=Operation Bolero II Headquarters |accessdate=2007-10-03}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 05:03, 2 August 2009
Glacier Girl is a Lockheed P-38F-1-LO Lightning World War II fighter plane, 41-7630, c/n 222-5757, that was recently restored to operable condition after being buried beneath ice on the remote Greenland Ice Sheet for nearly fifty years.
On 15 July 1942, its squadron was forced to make an emergency landing en route to the British Isles during Operation Bolero and subsequently rescued. Glacier Girl, along with five other P-38 fighters and two B-17 bombers, was eventually buried beneath 270 feet of ice. Fifty years later, in 1992, the plane was brought to the surface after years of excavation and transported to Middlesboro, Kentucky, where it was restored to flying condition. [1]The excavation of Glacier Girl was documented in an episode of The History Channel's "Mega Movers" series, titled "Extreme Aircraft Recovery".
On 22 June 2007 Glacier Girl departed Teterboro Airport, New Jersey to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Duxford, England in order to complete the flight it had begun sixty-five years earlier. On 28 June however, a coolant leak in the starboard engine grounded the plane in Goose Bay, Newfoundland.[2]
In 2007 "Glacier Girl" was sold to an air museum in Texas for about $5,500,000.
Notes
- ^ Hayes, David, "The Lost Squadron - A Fleet of Warplanes Locked in Ice For Fifty Years", Chartwell Books / Madison Press Books, Edison, New Jersey / Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-7858-2376-X, 1994.
- ^ "Operation Bolero II Headquarters". Retrieved 2007-10-03.