P-38 Lightining found in the sand!
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That's cool.....[:)][:)] I remember sitting in one of these neat war planes one time in the late '60s. Not in working order, but intact. It was at the Blythe, CA airport. A buddy and I had flown in while out on a search for a downed plane. We were in the CAP at the time and flying a Super Cub. It was awesome just sitting in the P38......[:)][:)]
rider0 -
I just love it when they find the old stuff and bring it back to life.[:D][}:)][:D] 0 -
That is awesome. 0 -
Ditto
quote:Originally posted by fshfndr
I just love it when they find the old stuff and bring it back to life.[:D][}:)][:D]0 -
I went over in 1994 to the 50th annversary of the Normandy invasion. I wasn't there but thought it would be good to honor those who were. In the hotel in Paris there were a lot of vets, and I got to talking to one. He said he flew P-38's during that battle. I asked him if he felt safe in that particular plane and he said yes 100% except one time. I believe he said it was near Salina, Kansas and the tower had given him a strip to land on. He said that as he came in to touch down he saw a group of earth moving machines blocking the landing strip. He gave it full power and tried to climb. He said that as he cleared the obstacle he thought he could have reached out and touched it. He said he felt that had it been any other plane he wouldn't be alive. The P-38 certainly proved its worth, including the shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto. 0 -
I would expect the plane in the sand to fall apart when they start trying to move it. All those years in the salt water would be devastating . 0 -
We have a beautiful, flyable P-38 at the Spruce Goose Museum, where I volunteer.
It'll be neat to see where this one winds up.
Doug
www.sprucegoose.org
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Awesome, Doug Wilson.........[:)][:)] 0 -
If no one found that plane until now then I figure no one has worked that beach with a metal detector. Could be a interesting place to check out. 0 -
As a kid in So.Jersey, i used to see them flying over quite frequently.
They were still in Army/Air force colors, and unmistakable. My pop knew any war bird that flew over, and would ALWAYS look up, if he heard one.
To this day, if you watch him, when an old radial-powered plane flies over, he'll stop what he's doing, to look up. He's 83, and in good shape now, i believe he'll live to see 100..Prob. outlive me.
Jeff0 -
This is where I get all proud....
My Grandfather wa one of the origonal designers of the P-38 during his time at Lockheed. He is credited as the primary person to have designed the control panel.
My Grandmother was a "Rosie-the-Riviter" and built P-38's throughout WWII, mainly in the cowling shop.
That is where my grandparents met, and the rest is history[;)]0 -
Understand from the report there is concern about moving it as it is still full of fuel??? Also the pilot got out alive according to the report I heard. 0 -
I was fortunate enough to see the unlimited race at the Phoenix Air Races back in the early 90's. They flew an unmodified P-38 which gave those Bearcats, P51's and Corsairs a run for the money.
The highlight of the race however, was watching a Corsair crash. And yep, they do explode and blow up, just like on TV. The pilot did manage to escape, although he blew the canopy and pulled his rip cord at pretty much the same time.
So the parachute actually pulled him out of the plane, and he ended up breaking a shoulder, maybe a leg and a rib or two, when he hit the tail of the plane.
Sahagan0 -
clasic095, How can a plane that ran out of fuel (thats why it went down) be full of fuel?? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Classic095
Understand from the report there is concern about moving it as it is still full of fuel??? Also the pilot got out alive according to the report I heard.
Not sure about that...only 2 reasons to ditch a plane in friendly territory...out of gas or engine failure...0 -
Doug...that P-38 is in [as defined by the FAA] airworthy condition? Has it had a recent annual to make it legal? Just curious. Joe
EDIT: I stand corrected. It's got to be flyable. I see drip-pans under the engines. Joe0 -
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-The article I read said that the P-38 on the beach ditched due to "a fuel supply error" (whatevernell that means....I didn't know they used politically correct euphamisms in those days).
I think the beach is in a rather remote location, which is being kept secret (yeah, right) at this time. The article I read said that the British War Museum might get their hooks on it.
However, I think you're right. Sixty-five years covered in sand and salt water has probably worked wonders on that thing. I think it might turn out to be like trying to pick up the uncollapsed ashes of a burned piece of paper.0 -
quote:Originally posted by SahaganBeta
So the parachute actually pulled him out of the plane, and he ended up breaking a shoulder, maybe a leg and a rib or two, when he hit the tail of the plane.Sahagan
This incident was just featured on TV.0 -
Here she is:
for those of you too lazy to click the link. [;)]0 -
And here's another. This is Glacier Girl at the Dayton Airshow a few years ago. 0 -
Forked Tail Devil 0 -
When these old birds are restored to original configuration and flying condition, are they fitted with real guns, or dummies? 0 -
Either. But in any case totally demilled. 0 -
Joe (givette) -
GOOD EYE!!
Nearly all our aircraft could be flown, with a maintenance update - including the Spruce Goose with it's eight 4360s.
Sure wouldn't want the bill for its' annual !!
Doug0 -
quote:When these old birds are restored to original configuration and flying condition, are they fitted with real guns, or dummies?
They are just dummies, on most aircraft with guns in the wings there are no other changes that need to be made and the gun compartments can then be used as storage areas. However a P-38 has to have ballist placed into the nose so that there is not a major disruption in the CG.0 -
Also, if it were my airplane, i'd check to see where the Cg is most optimum. P-38 may be a better flyer with [dummy] rounds in the hoppers-moves lateral axis Cg forward a tad. More realistic than using bags filled with lead shot for ballast. Joe 0 -
Fuel supply error means the pilot ran out of fuel and failed to switch to a fuller tank when the noise stopped.
A WW2 flight instructor told me the P38 was history if it lost an engine on takeoff.
I wonder if it will hold together when they try to move it. sand and salt water must have infiltrated and corroded every part of that plane.0 -
Good read..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-38_Lightning0 -
quote:A WW2 flight instructor told me the P38 was history if it lost an engine on takeoff.
There was alot of misinformation about the P-38 in single engine operations. So much so that Lockheed sent their top test pilot to so the pilots how controlable the P-38 was with an engine out. The test pilot's name was Tony Levier, he was a good friend of my Grandfathers. I highly recomend Tony's book "Pilot" to any person interested in the early life of this great hero of avation:
http://www.amazon.com/PILOT-Air-Space-No-7/dp/0553287850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195236906&sr=1-1
Another about Tony and the P-38:
http://www.amazon.com/Lockheed-P-38-Lightning-Warbird-History/dp/0760301514/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195236906&sr=1-2
Tony was also the first to fly the U-2 and the SR-71, He was an amazing man and I miss him.0 -
Full power, slow, positive angle of attack, no altitude, single engine failure, insufficient rudder & aileron to keep it straight, plane rolls, boom.
At slow speed and full power, these high powered engines can and have torque rolled fighter planes on their backs and into the ground.
Note the small vertical fin and rudder area on the P38.
This P38 flight instructor taught P38s so I believe him.
I read LeVier's test Pilot long ago and enjoyed it.
Does his latest book cover losing an engine on takeoff?0
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