Details of the Fighter Collection's P39-Q6 have been passed on to us from our correspondent in America, Cindy Keller, to whom we express our thanks. Cindy is undertaking further research on the wartime history of the aircraft and we will be posting her discoveries to the pages as they are received. For now, the known history of the P39-Q6 serialled USAAF 42-19993 is as follows:

Following its completion and subsequent acceptance by the USAAF, P39-Q6 42-19993 served with the tactical reconnaissance squadron, which formed part of the 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group.

The group was to use these aircraft until they were replaced with P-40's at which time the P39's were left in the weeds and forgotten. Remains of some of these aircraft were found in the 1970's. The pilot regularly associated with the aircraft was Lt. Peter McDermott, who flew the aircraft for the most part during 1942.

The aircraft was restored to civilisation again in 1974 by d'E.C. Darby and N.M. Armstrong who discovered and then commenced recovery from Tadji, West Sepik in Papua New Guinea and the aircraft was taken into storage in Auckland, New Zealand where it was to stay until 1976.

Mr N.M. Armstrong is reported to have installed the aircraft as a static display in the Australian Air Space Museum, in Melbourne, Victoria from 1982 to 1988.

The aircraft then appeared at the World Air Museum at Wangaratta in Victoria during 1989 and was acquired by the Fighter Collection in 1994. Fighter Rebuilders of Chino, California were commissioned to carry out a restoration programme which has put the aircraft back in the air again.