Red Bull P-38L

[Lightning]

Howdy

Have a look at the current restoration pics of The Flying Bulls P-38L at Ezell Aviation

www.ezellaviation.com

Then click onto icon The Flying Bulls P-38

Choose the different headings to see the different stages of progress

Ezell Aviation are performing their wonderful magic again !

Think the P-38L will be white again, as seen in certain pics
Was hoping that this P-38L would someday be fully restored as a combat machine and put in Combat colors. Maybe one day !

Keep em flying

Lightning

[Chad Veich]

I noticed the flap areas and some others were repainted white and wondered if the paint would be put back as it was. I'd rather hoped to see it in a military scheme myself but I don't think many people agree.

[bdk]

The white areas are all internal.

I don't care for the old scheme either.

As an advertising tool, there is no telling how it might be painted when it is done. The paint job is only on the outside though. It looks like the workmanship on the rebuild is top notch.

[Rob Mears]

I believe Chad Ezell has so far been responsible for designing a number of the custom paint schemes for the Red Bull team's other aircraft. No doubt he'll be responsible for the P-38's scheme as well since they're overseeing its restoration. Judging from the results on the previous planes, I assume the colors of choice will be the very different from the "White Lightning" scheme.

..also, I've seen that Nelson has regularly used an external white primer as the base coat for the paint schemes on some of his other projects (namely the LFM Corsair). This might be the case with the P-38 as well.

[gary]

I heard it will appear in a ETO livery With the Red Bull logo on the nose, a crime indeed but it's not my money.........
Gary

[Ollie]

Why would it be a crime?

The P-38 will be flying around for all to enjoy. I don't see any crime there.

[Chuck Gardner]

.....Because it was the last CAF aircraft painted in the colors of the original CAF paint scheme. It was truly a historicly significant aircraft in the post WW2 era of warbirds which belonged to one of the few organizations that brought us to where we are today. The paint scheme of Lefty's P-38 should be imortalized forever. Race 13 is a great segment of history and deserves imortality painted as she was.

[Ollie]

Well, I prefer to see an aircraft painted pink in the air than one 100% authentic collecting dust in a musuem.

[Alan Brooks]

Hi guys, I've been reading the boards, but not posting.... when you are at work they can get really cranky about that........ but I digress, on the P-38 I have a little birdy that says it will be polished aluminum, much like the B-25 that Nelson and co. restored previously for Red Bull. I have understood they (Red Bull) are very sensitive on the wartime issues and prefer a/c that have no combat history..... Alan Brooks

[Robbie Stuart]

Usually I would lean more toward the original military paint scheme, but I gotta go with Chuck on this one. That airplane truely did become famous at the hands one Marvin "Lefty" Gardner sporting the same white overall paint for many, many years. I myself have worked on that aircraft & seen it perform countless times. My hats off to the Red Bull folks for their effort in returning this aircraft to flight, but it will always be "White Lightening" to me. Just my 2 cents worth. Main thing is that it is not setting around going to crap. I am sure no matter what the paint will be that the aircraft will be top notch. Nelson & his group do some execellent work.
Regards
Robbie

[Jack Cook]

painted in the colors of the original CAF paint scheme

Yeah, but guys that's one ugly paint scheme!
Polished with stars and bars with a tasteful red bull insignia would be OK.

[tom d. friedman]

always appreciate a restored & operating warbird & the efforts involved in maintaining them..... but i hate to see them in corporate logos / colors etc. ie, red dog etc. i like vintage historic livery, but i do appreciate big business's bucks in keepin em flying. best, tom

[bdk]

but i hate to see them in corporate logos / colors etc.

Like the CAF colors? They're a corporation too!

[tom d. friedman]

good point!! i stand partially corrected, but i meant more commercially, ie: beer, energy drinks, products etc. best, tom

[T J Johansen]

.....Because it was the last CAF aircraft painted in the colors of the original CAF paint scheme. It was truly a historicly significant aircraft in the post WW2 era of warbirds which belonged to one of the few organizations that brought us to where we are today. The paint scheme of Lefty's P-38 should be imortalized forever. Race 13 is a great segment of history and deserves imortality painted as she was.

Amen to that. I kinda like the old CAF "house colors" and wish at least one of said paint job would survive. However if you look in the registry you will find a photo of a CAF Bearcat in a dark color scheme with the southern flag emblazoned on the tail. Was this kind of a CAF "coat" or what? Any oldtimers from the south of Texas with the answer to that? Or better yet, according to the registry you know more than you tell about this photo....

Also, does anyone have photos of the old CAF planes in the colors of the 60s? From what I have seen there has been variations on the basic scheme from one a/c to another!
T J