# Any P-38 fans out there?



## SloDown (Feb 19, 2009)

What a great long distance aircraft - especially over water where that 2nd engine inspires confidence. I know from my private pilot days that I didn't like flying over large bodies of water in a single engine aircraft.






















more photos can be seen at SmugMug Photo Sharing. Your photos look better here.


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## fly boy (Feb 19, 2009)

again nice posts


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## SoD Stitch (Feb 19, 2009)

I have always been a big fan of the P-38, ever since I began liking a/c; I never warmed up to the (IMHO) over-rated singles, like the P-51 the P-47. The list of superlatives you can apply to the P-38 is quite long and, furthermore, this aircraft was already flying almost 2 years before the P-51 and the P-47. It was the only fighter a/c in production at the beginning of the War AND the end of the War; that says something about how good it was. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea . . . .


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## syscom3 (Feb 19, 2009)

Ive seen three of them fly in the air at the same time!


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## Bill G. (Feb 19, 2009)

Good shots of the P-38. That is a twin engined fighter that got it right!

Bill G.


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## ToughOmbre (Feb 19, 2009)

Nice shots. My favorite fighter. Have yet to see one in the air though.  Only about seven airworthy Lightnings exist out of over 10,000 built. 

Maybe someday.

TO


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## Gnomey (Feb 19, 2009)

Excellent shots!


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## evangilder (Feb 19, 2009)

Yep, Syscom and I both saw three in formation!











And two of them in tight.





But alas, last year there were only two at Chino:


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## seesul (Feb 19, 2009)

Yep, count with me!


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## davec8656 (Feb 19, 2009)

I have been a p38 fan since my youth. I have seen one up close in Belton, MO at a place called Big Irons many years ago. Never realized how huge a plane it is. I have since seen one fly at an airshow a few years back at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. What a treat!! Love the Mustangs, T-bolts, etc., but have a sweet spot for the P38. The movie " A Guy Named Joe" has some great footage of some early P38's in flight and on the ground.


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## Flyboy2 (Feb 19, 2009)

Just some pictures I took of some P-38's at two consecutive years during the Nellis Aviation Nation airshow. The second one is the P-38 that was trapped in ice and was fished out... pretty cool stuff


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## evangilder (Feb 20, 2009)

The one recovered from the ice is "Glacier Girl". It's featured in the flight of three in my shots. The Red Bull P-38 was Left Gardner's "White Lightning" before.

Here is an older shot from back in the day when the CAF SoCal Wing had Jack Croul's Lightning in the hangar.


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## ONE_HELLCAT (Feb 21, 2009)

Man, missed it by four years. My dad would've loved it.


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## FLYBOYJ (Feb 21, 2009)

Hey Eric, you look at home in that cockpit!


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## syscom3 (Feb 21, 2009)

Heres some of my P38 pics


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## Flyboy2 (Feb 21, 2009)

> The one recovered from the ice is "Glacier Girl". It's featured in the flight of three in my shots. The Red Bull P-38 was Left Gardner's "White Lightning" before.



Cool stuff.. So evanglider, you ever come out to Vegas for the November air show?


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## evangilder (Feb 21, 2009)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Hey Eric, you look at home in that cockpit!



For sitting on the ground, sure. But the thought of doing a takeoff in that one is a daunting thing for someone with my limited flight experience. Who knows, maybe someday...


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## evangilder (Feb 21, 2009)

Flyboy2 said:


> Cool stuff.. So evanglider, you ever come out to Vegas for the November air show?



Not yet. I was going to a couple of years ago for the big anniversary, but my car ended up taking the funds for that, sadly. I do want to get out to that one one of these days though.


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## Flyboy2 (Feb 21, 2009)

Ya its a very good one... I missed this years though


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## Flyboy2 (Feb 21, 2009)

And the anniversary was one of the best airshows I've ever seen


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## RabidAlien (Feb 22, 2009)

The P-38 has always been my favorite airplane (tied for top-spot with the A-10 Warthog), and was 100% responsible for getting me hooked on WW2 history. I bought the book "The Last Great Ace" by Charles A. Martin simply because it was about Maj. Thomas McGuire, the second-highest US ace of the war, who flew the P-38. I had no interest in him, per say, just wanted to know a little bit about the plane. The rest, as they say, was history. I was hooked. 

I've had the opportunity to see one P38 up-close and personal, at the Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville Oregon (www.sprucegoose.org). I am planning on making a trip to Cavanaugh Flight Museum sometime soon to drool around the RedBull P38. I would LOVE to see one of these birds in the air!


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## syscom3 (Feb 22, 2009)

Rabid, why not plan a trip to Chino this May and see the airshow? You will get to see 2, perhaps 3 of them fly around.


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## evangilder (Feb 22, 2009)

And a whole lot of other cool warbirds as well.


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## Micdrow (Feb 22, 2009)

Here is a series of photo's on Ruff Stuff you nomally dont get to see.


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## RabidAlien (Feb 22, 2009)

syscom3 said:


> Rabid, why not plan a trip to Chino this May and see the airshow? You will get to see 2, perhaps 3 of them fly around.





Ooooooo....very tempting! This year probably won't work out (new job, no vacation time, new kiddo, etc)...but....next year, the year after....!!!


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## Micdrow (Feb 22, 2009)

Picture of the P-38 nose art a lighting in the EAA's musuem in the paint scheme of Richard Bong's aircraft.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Feb 22, 2009)

Great shots guys, love'em, keep'em coming.


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## ccheese (Feb 22, 2009)

The P-38 has always been my favorite fighter... actually designated a
"pursuit aircraft" in it's early days. Saw lots of them flying when I was 
a kid [circa 1940's]. Richard Bong knew how to use one....

Charles


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## proton45 (Feb 23, 2009)

The P38 is a beautiful aerocraft. The design is so reminiscent of the period it was made... it epitomized the 1930's ideal of "sleek, streamlined and modern".


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## ppopsie (Feb 25, 2009)

If we'd got one like the Lightning,,,,,


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## cooltouch (Mar 2, 2009)

Here are a few I took of "Joltin' Josie" several years ago at a Chino air show. Big files, so if you're on dialup, please be patient.





















Best,

Michael


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## storm_eagle (May 1, 2009)

Right engine of P-38L Lightning 
N505MH / 44-53186/83 (cn 422-8441) Evergreen Aviation Museum Oregon


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## Cota1992 (May 21, 2009)

Smithsonian P-38 at Udvar-Hazy museum in Dulles.
Richard Bong had a engine failure in this aircraft Stateside while flight testing in 1945 (going from memory of what I read on the sign)
The wing above is the Enola Gay


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## Messy1 (May 21, 2009)

Cool stuff guys. P-38 is one of my favorites, right behind the P61. I just like the twin tail configuration. I do think it is over looked, when flown by someone who knows how to fly a twin engine, it was deadly.


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## wheelsup_cavu (May 23, 2009)

Cool thread. 8)
Lots of good pics of the lightning. 


Wheelsup


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## mrb17 (May 25, 2009)

I am very fortunate to have several pieces of Glacier Girl. I also have one of her engine bearings taken from her after her first flight in Middlesboro, Kentucky. She IS the "eighth wonder of the world" in my opinion, and probably one of the most beautiful restorations ever of a WW2 Warbird. I too have seen her fly side by side with "23 Skidoo". There is nothing that sounds quite like the Allisons in a P-38 whether it be an F model or an L!!!
I am sending a couple photos, one of my office wall in the Glacier Girl section, and another taken on her journey to England which she hasn't finished yet.


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## Amsel (May 25, 2009)

Great photo, and welcome!


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## ortonablue (May 25, 2009)

The P-38 appears to be a display of the great success the USA had developed during the WWII period in attempting to design planes in bold different designs. The P-38 was a truely remarkable fighter that has always intrigued myself on how any pilot could feel safe in combat with a design that looks so fragile. Well done P-38 and nice close up pics of the lightning everyone. I can say I will never see a P-38 live in the air in my area.


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## cuccos19 (Oct 10, 2009)

I always loved the P-38 Lightning, and any time I can, popularize the Lightning against the P-51 Mustang. I would never fly the slugish Mustang, but I would the Lightning, indeed!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 11, 2009)

cuccos19 said:


> I would never fly the slugish Mustang, but I would the Lightning, indeed


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## Geedee (Oct 11, 2009)

OK...I'll start off with an amazing 4 ship I caught at Duxford !!!!

Then its back to Oshkosh, Cavanaugh and finally GOML 2007....(damn, that wa s fantastic show !)

Its interesting to note the different 'cooling sleeve' around the central .50 Cal on Glacier Girl, any body any idea's why ?


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## syscom3 (Oct 11, 2009)

Nice pics Gee Dee


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## Pong (Oct 12, 2009)

Wow! Very shiny Lightning there Geedee!


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## RabidAlien (Oct 14, 2009)

Thanks for posting that, StormEagle! Reminded me that I'd forgotten to post my pics from my '07 trip to Evergreen:


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## Messy1 (Oct 14, 2009)

Great pics guys! Thanks for posting!


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## marshall (Oct 14, 2009)

Geedee said:


> Its interesting to note the different 'cooling sleeve' around the central .50 Cal on Glacier Girl, any body any idea's why ?



Because it's a 20mm cannon?


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## Geedee (Oct 14, 2009)

marshall said:


> Because it's a 20mm cannon?



Aha !...quite right. I hadnt thought of that and if I'd taken the time to look at my pics from GOML2007, I would have seen this one confirming the canon !...Duh


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## Messy1 (Oct 14, 2009)

Nice shot Geedee!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Oct 14, 2009)

Nice shot of the cannon. 


Wheels


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## Messy1 (Oct 14, 2009)

The drum at the left on top is the ammo drum for the cannon?


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## merlin540 (Oct 21, 2009)

Thank you for posting these! The P-38 was a truly great plane, but high maintenance costs cut it's service life short. An old friend flew both the P-38 and P-51 in the ETO. He always said: "Give me the P-38 anytime".


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## plheure2 (Mar 10, 2010)

Count me as a fan. In fact, I'm building the Academy kitting of one right now!


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## ppopsie (Mar 11, 2010)

Let me in. An expensive airplane.


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## BC1 (Mar 13, 2010)

Interesting shot of the inside of the gun/cannon bay. Here's a P-38 ammo container found on a dump site in S Norfolk (England) last October. We have several, with likelihood of more, so if anyone is interested in using in a restoration....

BC


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## Johnny Signor (May 23, 2010)

I have a photo zerox of a P-38 that just shows the booms,on the boom is an emblem I've been trying to find out what unit it is, the emblem is on a round background with a cloud at the bottom some what outside of the background and just above the cloud is an outline(silloutte) of a Cowboy riding a bucking Horse , he holds riens with one hand and a cowboy hat in the other.
I'm sure this is a "Stateside " emblem as the P-38 has the very early star inside blue circle and no outside bars later carried,anyone who may be able to help me ID this emblem and the colors Please contact me direct at my e mail, thank you !!! [email protected]


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## skeeter (May 27, 2010)

The P-38 participated in the shoot down of Yamamoto. They used special drop tanks to extend the range. They used classified radio intercepts to find out about his itinerary. They used his punctuality against him. It was THE most fantastic aircraft mission of the war short of that of the Enola Gay. And certainly from a fighter jock aspect, the most important. Too bad there was argument about who shot down the Betty he was in. In actuality, everyone who participated in the mission did, right down to the ground crew. One of the incredible parts of the mission was that they did not fly in a straight line to get to the Bettys. They avoided Japanese held islands and flew out to see on the deck, with the ocean streaking by just below them for the longest time. Go read about it. Incredible.


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## Messy1 (May 28, 2010)

skeeter said:


> The P-38 participated in the shoot down of Yamamoto. They used special drop tanks to extend the range. They used classified radio intercepts to find out about his itinerary. They used his punctuality against him. It was THE most fantastic aircraft mission of the war short of that of the Enola Gay. And certainly from a fighter jock aspect, the most important. Too bad there was argument about who shot down the Betty he was in. In actuality, everyone who participated in the mission did, right down to the ground crew. One of the incredible parts of the mission was that they did not fly in a straight line to get to the Bettys. They avoided Japanese held islands and flew out to see on the deck, with the ocean streaking by just below them for the longest time. Go read about it. Incredible.



Skeeter, I believe the argument about who actually shot him down has pretty much been settled now. Re-examined evidence and testimony by Japanese pilots point to Rex Barber being the pilot who shot down Yamamoto. There is even a movement to discredit Tom Lanphier from his kill of Yamamoto's plane on that mission.


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## Col. Douglas P. King (Jan 10, 2011)

Hello there!

I'm a big fan of the P-38, and I've opened the P-38 Fanclub here. Just check the "Social groups"...

 Cheers


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## Bodo (Aug 19, 2012)

OK- I'm in! I allways loved P-38 - I build 3 models in 48 scale - and I still have 5 more in my stash! 
Bodo from Poland


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