P-38 Lightning survivors

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.

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 _es. 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.

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." [http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl.htm Glacier Girl] ". Access date: 21 January 2007.]

* 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. [ [http://www.tighar.org/Projects/P38/welshlightning.htm 41-7677 Welsh Lightning] ]

P-38 survivors

Each line describes one remaining complete or partial airframe. Each line is broken down into several sections:

* 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

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) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=NX17630 41-7630 Glacier Girl] ]

* P-38F-1LO "41-7677" ex-8th AF / 14th FG / 94th FS, Wales (W) [ [http://www.tighar.org/Projects/P38/welshlightning.htm Welsh Lightning] ]

* 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

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) [ [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38-4213400.html 42-13400 Elmendorf AFB] ]

P-38H LO Lockheed Burbank

* P-38H-5LO "42-66841", ex- 475thFG, 432FS,5th AF, “153”, Classic Jets Fighter Museum, Adelaide, Australia (R) [ [http://www.classicjets.com/p38.html 42-66841 Glassic Jets Fighter Museum] ]

* P-38H-5LO "42-66905", ex-5th AF, “ 33 Japanese Sandman II ”, PNG (W)

* P-38H-10LO "42-66815", ex-5th AF, PNG (W)

P-38J LO Lockheed Burbank

* P-38J-10LO "42-67638", ex-11th AF/343th FG/54th FS, " 85 ", [http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5662 Hill AFB Museum] , Ogden, Utah (D) [ [http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-38/42-67638.html Hill AFB P-38] ]

* P-38J-10LO "42-67762", [http://collections.nasm.si.edu/code/emuseum.asp?profile=objects&newstyle=single&quicksearch=A19600295000 NASM] , Dules, Virginia (D) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=42-67762 42-67762 NASM] ]

* P-38J-15LO "42-103988", " Jandina III ", [http://www.flyingheritage.com/,Flying Heritage Collection] , Bellevue, WA (R)

* P-38J-15LO "42-103993", [http://www.americanwings.org/ American Wings Air Museum] , Blaine MN (S)

* P-38J-15LO "42-104088" (N38LL), " Scatterbrain Kid II ", [http://www.museumofflying.com/ Museum Of Flying] , Santa Monica, CA (S)

* P-38J-20LO "44-23314" (N138AM), " 162 23 Skidoo ", Planes of Fame Air Museum, CA (F) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=NX138AM 44-23314 23 Skidoo] ]

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) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?cnsearch=422-7985 44-26996 Vintage Fighters Museum] ] :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 ", [http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com/p-38_1.html War Eagles Museum] , Santa Teresa, NM (D)

* P-38L-5LO "44-27083" (NX2114L), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex- Mark Hurd (N502MH), " Tangerine ", [http://www.tillamookair.com/html/p_38.html Tillamook Naval Air Museum] , Tillamook, OR (D) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=NX2114L 44-27083 Tangerine] ]

* P-38L-5LO "44-27183" (N718), ex-F-5G-6LO, [http://www.yanksair.com/planes.htm Yanks Air Museum] , Chino, CA (R) Note – Restored as F-5G

* P-38L-5LO "44-27231" (N79123), ex-F-5G-6LO, " X Ruff Stuff ", R. Eagan, MN (A) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N79123 44-27231 Ruff Stuff] ] [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=NX79123 44-27231 Ruff Stuff] ]

* 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 ", [http://museum.eaa.org/collection/aircraft/Lockheed%20P-38%20Lightning.asp#TopOfPage Experimental Aircraft Association Museum] , Oshkosh, WI (D) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N3800L 44-53087 Marge] ]

* P-38L-5LO "44-53095" (N9005R), ex-P-38M-6LO, ex-Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (FAH-506), " Putt Putt Maru ", Tom Blair, Kissimmee, FL (A) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N9005R 44-53095 Putt Putt Maru] ]

* P-38L-5LO "44-53097" (N3JB), ex-P-38M-6LO, ex-Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (FAH-503), “174”, [http://www.museumofflight.org/Collection/Aircraft.asp?RecordKey=8650449D-B638-4306-92F7-8472FDFDCB68 Champlain Flight Museum Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum] , Seattle, WA (A) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N3JB 44-53097 Champion Fighter Aircraft Museum] ]

* P-38L-5LO "44-53186" (N505MH), ex-F-5G-6LO, ex-Mark Hurd Mapping Co (N505MH), " 83 ", [http://www.sprucegoose.com/pdfs/planes/Fighters/P38Lightning.pdf Evergreen Vintage Aircraft] (EAM), McMinnville, OR (D) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N505MH 44-53186 Evergreen Vintage Aircraft] ]

* 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, [http://www.ezellaviation.com/p38.htm Red Bull Aviation] , Salzburg, Austria (F, since 2008 June 2nd, see http://www.ezellaviation.com/) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N25Y 44-53254 Flying Bulls] ]

Miscellaneous

Wind Tunnel Model - Kelly AFB, San Antonio, TX (D) [ [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=43-78538 Wind Tunnel Model Kelly AFB] ]

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 meter 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

www.lost-squadron.org

References

;Notes

External links

* [http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/acftinqSQL.asp?striptxt=p38&mfrtxt=lockheed&modeltxt=p-38&cmndfind.x=0&cmndfind.y=0 FAA's P-38 registrations]
* [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38registry/p38registry.html Warbird Registry]
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/p38.html Baugher's P-38 page]
* [http://www.pacificwrecks.com/ Pacific Wrecks website]
* [http://aeroweb.brooklyn.cuny.edu/specs/lockheed/p-38.htm Brooklyn CUNY P-38 info page]

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*List of P-38 Lightning operators
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