There is also the story behind the hats. On one test flight the jet was spotted by pilots getting checked out in P-38s operating from Van Nuys Airport. When the P-38 pilots reported seeing an airplane with no propeller, their account met with skepticism but the story kept circulating, so on a subsequent flight the test pilot of the P-59 dressed up in a gorilla mask, put on a derby hat and smoked a cigar. He then made a point to fly next to the P-38 pilots and waved at them. When the P-38 pilots got back to the base, they told everyone about the plane with no propeller flown by a gorilla wearing a derby and smoking a cigar. The result of their report was total disbelief, so the airplane remained a secret until after the war.

This is America's first jet airplane -- the P-59 first flown in Oct.1942. Volunteers have spent the last 10 years restoring this airplane, and they put the wings back on last weekend just in time to be on static display at an air show this weekend. In 1942, this was a Top Secret project located at Edwards AFB. When the dry lake flooded, they had to transport it by road so it was disguised with a dummy wooden propeller on the front and covered with a shroud.