Lockheed P-38 Survivors
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Lockheed P-38 Survivors highlights the history of many well known flying and static displayed P-38 Lightnings in the United States. A list is also provided of other P-38s on display around the world; including location, model and serial numbers, brief history, nicknames/markings, and conditions.
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[edit] Background
In late 1945 when the last P-38 came off the production line 9,923 aircraft had been delivered to the USAF. The P-38 was quickly declared obsolete in 1946 and the last USAF flight was in 1948.
This aircraft was an extremely complicated aircraft to maintain and fly. The P-38 Lightning has been consistently on the civil registry since 1946 since the first aircraft were released from the military. It does remain a demanding aircraft with numerous incidents of crashes – several of the survivors have been rebuilt many times.
A considerable number of late model Lightning which had been converted by Lockheed to Photo Reconnaissance (F-5) models found a niche with photo mapping companies and until the middle 1960s these aircraft earned their keep through photo mapping assignments around the globe. Additionally, the late military use of the P-38 was with several South American air forces, the largest of these being Fuerza Aerea Hondurena who operated the Lockheed Lightning until the early 1960s. There were also a small number of P-38s that were purchased after the war for civilian air racing. It is from these sources that until the early 1980s all the remaining stocks of the P-38 Lightning could be drawn from.
One historic note was that in 1948, representatives of the then new country of South Korea attempted to purchase the brand new P-38L Lightnings stored in the Philippines (approximately 100 aircraft). Instead, the USAF persuaded them to accept AT-6s modified to ground attack role as well as worn out P-51D Mustangs; the brand new P-38s were destroyed.
As with all remaining warbirds, collectors began scouring the world for forgotten aircraft. From the jungle of New Guinea, the wildness of Alaska and under the ice of Greenland are but some of the places previously unrestorable wrecked airframes are being recovered and being restored for both static display and airworthy exhibition.
[edit] Individual histories
- Glacier Girl (41-7630), this P-38F-1 flown by 1st Lt. Harry L. Smith, Jr., 94th Fighter Squadron, was one of six P-38 fighters of the 1st Fighter Group escorting two B-17 bombers on a ferry flight to the United Kingdom as part of Operation Bolero on July 15, 1942. While en route over Greenland, bad weather caused the eight aircraft to turn back, the entire flight attempting to land together before they ran out of fuel. Although one P-38 overturned, the flight successfully belly-landed. The crews were rescued within a few days, but the airplanes were abandoned and, over the years, covered by ice. A few attempts to salvage the airplanes were made but were unsuccessful. Eventually, Roy Shoffner, a businessman from Middlesboro, Kentucky, acquired the salvage rights and in 1992, 50 years after the planes landed, a P-38 recovery mission was undertaken. Using photos taken by the original crews while they were awaiting rescue as well as modern seismographic equipment, the salvage workers located the buried squadron and selected the least damaged of the planes. They reached it by boring a hole using hot water through the layer of ice 268 feet thick. The airplane was transported to Middlesboro, where a ten-year restoration began using many parts from late model aircraft. Nicknamed Glacier Girl, the restored P-38F Lightning made its first post-restoration flight on 26 October 2002.[1]
- Maid of Harlech (41-7677) P-38F-1LO ex-49th Squadron, 14th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force, in the summer of 2007 this aircraft was discovered on a beach in Wales, having been buried in the sand for 65 years. A wingtip had come off the aircraft during its belly landing but the pilot, Second Lt. Robert F. 'Fred' Elliot, 24, of Rich Square, North Carolina, escaped unhurt. Elliot was on a gunnery practice mission when a fuel supply error forced him to make an emergency landing. American airmen salvaged the nose guns but were unable to fly the fighter off the beach, abandoning it in place where it became covered by naturally shifting sand. Elliot was shot down less than three months later while flying combat missions over Tunisia. His body and aircraft were never found. [2]
[edit] P-38 survivors
Each line describes one remaining complete or partial airframe. Each line is broken down into several sections:
| Aircraft number | History | Markings | Holder | Location | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P-38L-5LO 44-53087 (N1107V) |
ex-P-38M-6LO | 2103992 “ Marge “ | Experimental Aircraft Association Museum | Oshkosh, WI | (D) |
- Aircraft Number describes the type of aircraft and model P-38-5LO its s/n 44-53087
and current registration (N1107V). - History tells the military history (oldest to newest): ex-P-38M-6LO .
- Markings deals with current markings, codes first then name: 2103992 Marge
- Holder is current owner or museum: Experimental Aircraft Association Museum
- Location deals with location where it might be seen or owner's address: Oshkosh, WI
- Condition:
-
- (D) = Display
- (F) = Flyable
- (S) = Stored
- (R) = Under restoration
- (W) = Wreck
[edit] P-38F LO Lockheed Burbank
- P-38F-1LO 41-7630 (NX17630), ex-8th AF / 14th FG / 94th FS, " Glacier Girl ", Lost Squadron Museum, KY (F) [3]
- P-38F-1LO 41-7677 ex-8th AF / 14th FG / 94th FS, Wales (W) [4]
- P-38F-5LO 42-12647, ex-5th AF / 39th FS, “ 34 Dottie From Brooklyn ”, Milne Bay, New Guinea (W)
- P-38E-2LO 42-12652 ex-P-38F-5LO, owner is unknown
[edit] P-38G LO Lockheed Burbank
- P-38G-5LO 42-12847, Bankstown, Australia (R)
- P-38G-10LO 42-13084, ex-F-5A-10LO, PNG Museum, (S)
- P-38G-10LO 42-13105, ex F-5A-10LO, National Museum, Port Moresby, PNG (S)
- P-38G-10LO 42-13400 (N55929), ex-11th AF, “ 95 ”, McCloud Memorial Park, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (D) [5]
[edit] P-38H LO Lockheed Burbank
- P-38H-5LO 42-66841, ex- 475thFG, 432FS,5th AF, “153”, Classic Jets Fighter Museum, Adelaide, Australia (R) [6]
- P-38H-5LO 42-66905, ex-5th AF, “ 33 Japanese Sandman II ”, PNG (W)
- P-38H-10LO 42-66815, ex-5th AF, PNG (W)
[edit] P-38J LO Lockheed Burbank
- P-38J-10LO 42-67638, ex-11th AF/343th FG/54th FS, " 85 ", Hill AFB Museum, Ogden, Utah (D)[7]
- P-38J-15LO 42-103988, " Jandina III ", Heritage Collection, Bellevue, WA (R)
- P-38J-15LO 42-103993, American Wings Air Museum, Blaine MN (S)
- P-38J-15LO 42-104088 (N38LL), " Scatterbrain Kid II ", Museum Of Flying, Santa Monica, CA (S)
- P-38J-20LO 44-23314 (N138AM), " 162 23 Skidoo ", Planes of Fame Air Museum, CA (A) [9]
[edit] P-38L LO Lockheed Burbank
- P-38L-5LO 44-25786, Yugoslavian Aviation Museum, Belgrade (S)
- P-38L-5LO 44-26670 (N1208N), ex F-5G-6LO, Giorgi S. Moody, Sebastian, FL (A)
- P-38L-5LO 44-26761 (N2897S) ,ex F-5G-6LO, Weeks Air Museum, Tamiami, FL (R)
- P-38L-5LO 44-26996 (N7723C), ex-F-5G-6LO, " 7986 ", Vintage Fighters, CA (D) [10]
- note: restored as P-38L
- P-38L-5LO 44-27002 (N7973), Bruce Pruett, Livermore, CA (A)
- P-38L-5LO 44-27053 (N577JB), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-race #55, ex-race #38/"Double Trouble Too", " Relampago ", War Eagles Museum, Santa Teresa, NM (D)
- P-38L-5LO 44-27083 (NX2114L), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex- Mark Hurd (N502MH), " Tangerine ", Tillamook Naval Air Museum, Tillamook, OR (D) [11]
- P-38L-5LO 44-27183 (N718), ex-F-5G-6LO, Yanks Air Museum, Chino, CA (R) Note – Restored as F-5G
- P-38L-5LO 44-53012 (N718), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-Mark Hurd (N501MH), Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California
- P-38L-5LO 44-53015 (N9957F), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-Bendix Racer 55, " 131 Pudgy V ", McGuire AFB, NJ (D) (N40 02' 07.54" W74 35' 12.44")
- P-38L-5LO 44-53087 (N3800L), ex-P-38M-6LO, " 2103993 Marge ", Experimental Aircraft Association Museum, Oshkosh, WI (D) [14]
- P-38L-5LO 44-53095 (N9005R), ex-P-38M-6LO, ex-Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (FAH-506), " Putt Putt Maru ", Tom Blair, Kissimmee, FL (A) [15]
- P-38L-5LO 44-53097 (N3JB), ex-P-38M-6LO, ex-Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (FAH-503), “174”, Champlain Flight Museum Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum, Seattle, WA (A) [16]
- P-38L-5LO 44-53186 (N505MH), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-Mark Hurd Mapping Co (N505MH), " 83 ", Evergreen Vintage Aircraft(EAM), McMinnville, OR (D) [17]
- P-38L-5LO 44-53232 (N66678), ex-F5G-6LO, ex-Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (FAH-505), " 267885 KI-W ", USAF Museum, Dayton, OH (D)
- P-38L-5LO 44-53236, " Marge ", Richard I. Bong World War II Heritage Center, Superior, WI (D)
- P-38L-5LO 44-53242 (N57496), ex-F-5G-6LO, Weather Modification Co., Redlands, CA (S)
- P-38L-5LO 44-53254 (N25Y), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-White Lightnin, Red Bull Aviation, Salzburg, Austria (R) [18]
[edit] Miscellaneous
Wind Tunnel Model - Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX (D) [19]
[edit] Lost Squadron Aircraft
These five P-38F aircraft force-landed on Greenland icecap September 15, 1942 while enroute to BW-1. The remains of the aircraft have been documented. But for 41-7630 (Glacier Girl) the aircraft remain buried in over 100 feet of ice:
- P-38F-1LO 41-7583, ex-94th FS
- P-38F-1LO 41-7616, ex-94th FS
- P-38F-1LO 41-7623, ex-94th FS
- P-38F-1LO 41-7626, ex-94th FS
- P-38F-1LO 41-7630, ex-94th FS
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Glacier Girl. Access date: 21 January 2007.
- ^ 41-7677 Welsh Lightning
- ^ 41-7630 Glacier Girl
- ^ Welsh Lightning
- ^ 42-13400 Elmendorf AFB
- ^ 42-66841 Glassic Jets Fighter Museum
- ^ Hill AFB P-38
- ^ 42-67762 NASM
- ^ 44-23314 23 Skidoo
- ^ 44-26996 Vintage Fighters Museum
- ^ 44-27083 Tangerine
- ^ 44-27231 Ruff Stuff
- ^ 44-27231 Ruff Stuff
- ^ 44-53087 Marge
- ^ 44-53095 Putt Putt Maru
- ^ 44-53097 Champion Fighter Aircraft Museum
- ^ 44-53186 Evergreen Vintage Aircraft
- ^ 44-53254 Flying Bulls
- ^ Wind Tunnel Model Kelly AFB
[edit] External References
- FAA's P-38 registrations
- Warbird Registry
- Baugher's P-38 page
- Pacific Wrecks website
- Brooklyn CUNY P-38 info page
[edit] Related content
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