Homebuilt Scale P-38 on eBay

[marine air]

I wouldn't be so critical. That aircraft represents someoone's dream and passion. He didn't go out and hurt anyone with it, and he's not asking warbird prices for it. I would love to taxi it around the airport and make a few high speed passwes down the runway. Probably the closest we would ever get to a real P-38.

[JohnB]

I would just wonder that if you're going to spend all that time designing and building a replica, why wouldn't you at least try to get it to more closely resemble the plane you're replicating?

Easy...
Materials used
Method of construction (the need to avoid compound curves)
aerodynamics
some things can't be reduced in scale...like the cockpit.
engines/props

This guy build his to fly for fun.
No doubt ittook him far less time (and money) than the Texas gentleman who built the replica P-38.
Perhaps he wanted to fly it before he's too old to fly, it was a practical rather than an intellectual/artistic exercise.
Basically, it looks like a ultralight twin.

Again, in the spirit of growing interest in historic avaition, I wish him the best.
No one will realy think it's a P-38, but it will cause non-warbird folks to remember there was such a plane...and the young men who flew them.

[marine air]

The paint scheme is totally authentic Army Air Corps. He must have gotten the paint chips from the experts that last flew the real P-38's, "Scatterbrain Kid" and "Scatterbrain Kid II"!!

[JohnCFord]

I'm not going to criticize the old man's effort but I think I'll just watch that thing fly from the ground. I kind of like how the yoke is set up...

~J~

[Jesse C.]

i just want to know, where do you put the quarters in?

[Rick65]

I am with marine air.
An amazing amount of work on a dream that the late Howard Culley never got to see fly.

If it was sold to someone who wanted to fly it, how would the purchaser get a one of a kind, homebuilt, home design, home everything plane like this certified to fly? Would it be possible/pacticable, or is it more likely to be broken up?

[Wildchild]

By chance, would any of you crabbys dissing this also be among those who couldn't get enough of the bare metal 3/4 P-38 @ SUN-N-FUN a few years ago?

Remember the Carbon Fiber P-38 that was there maybe 7-10 years ago?

[SaxMan]

Ok, folks. I'm throwing up the white flag. I get it.

[Sgt13Echo]

Have you seen this 2/3rds scale P-38, based in San Angelo, TX? I have and it is really nice. No comment on the above project.

http://www.eaa.org/news/2009/2009-11-19_p38.asp

Randy

Now that's a piece of craftsmanship! Beautiful!

[shrike]

I am with marine air.
An amazing amount of work on a dream that the late Howard Culley never got to see fly.

If it was sold to someone who wanted to fly it, how would the purchaser get a one of a kind, homebuilt, home design, home everything plane like this certified to fly? Would it be possible/pacticable, or is it more likely to be broken up?

The new owner would have to fly off any remaining time required to apply for the airworthiness certificate. Once done, it would be no different than any other airplane in the eyes of the FAA. The new owner would NOT be able to get the Airman's Certificate (as manufacturer) and would require the services of an A&P for maintenance, and an IA for annual inspections