Warbird Information Exchange

If you can wait until the 10th I am planning to visit the museum for a look. Anything in particular you wanted to see on the p38?

I am updating the book I published in 1994 on the surviving P-38s and I could use some help with photos as well. Would very much appreciate it if you will contact me offline. Many thanks.

Kevin Grantham
pscreamer@msn.com

How about this? Classic Jets December 2004.



It looks quite close to being finished - the fuselage is superficially complete apart from panels and finishing off and they are underway with work on the wings. I can sort out some more pictures if anybody is interested

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Tony Andrews

What model is that, it doesn't appear to be a J/L.

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www.tailhookstudio.com

It's P-38H 42-66841 which force landed in PNG on 20 Sept 1943

PS - notice anything about the propellors?

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Tony Andrews

They replaced the Curtiss electric Props with Hamilton Standards.
Good move!!!!
anyone know what the paint scheme will be??

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Don't touch my junk!!

Ron Fagen had one of his P-40's converted to a Ham-Stan. I still remember seeing a little streak of black on the spinner once and thinking "What on earth...?"

I'll agree with Jack though--smart move.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Oh well, that's rather more technical than I was thinking of - I was just meaning that one of the props (starboard?) is on back to front

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Tony Andrews

counter rotationing ie good!

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Don't touch my junk!!

Beautiful! Simply beautiful! More photos PLEASE!

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Victory By Valor (Motto of the 20th Fighter Group)

In talking with several former Lightning drivers from the ETO they have all mentioned the problems incurred with the Curtiss electric props.

One mentioned how he nearly bought the farm when he had a runaway prop on takeoff but he was able, somehow, to get the aircraft back down on the ground with only minimal damage (he skidded into some barbed wire at the end of the field.) As thanks for saving Uncle Sam the price of replacing another aircraft his C.O. ordered the pilot to read up on the props and how to operate them, then he got to go and lecture each of the three squadrons one at a time about what he had just learned. Embarrassing, yes, but he said afterwards he at least understood why they were having problems and that lesson was a little more important than his pride.

It's amazing to think with all of the myriad of problems the P-38 equipped 8th. AF groups had - the Allison "timebomb", the problems with the blowers, lack of cockpit heat, lack of proper training/experience for both pilots and crews, only one generator onboard and props that would runaway without a second's notice - that their losses weren't much higher than they actually were. I would be willing to bet money that mechanical failures and piloting/maintenance errors, and not combat, were the predominate factor in P-38 losses in the ETO.

Still, to me there is nothing more beautiful in the air than a P-38, especially the early models.

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Victory By Valor (Motto of the 20th Fighter Group)

Here's some more pics. Counter-rotating = good, but counter-rotating engines + same way propellors = bad. They've actually just attached these propellors to make the aircraft look complete

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Tony Andrews

Looks like 432nd Fighter Squadron 475th Fighter Group.
Are these markings correct to this particular aircraft?

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Don't touch my junk!!

Will they fly it or is it for static display?

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....

Chuck

Static at present - nice job though.

regards
john P

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Air Vice Marshall
Sunshine State Air Farce