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Old October 5th 14, 11:51 AM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.aviation
Ramsman
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Default Sunsets Pt 7 - Lockheed P-38L.jpg (1/1)

On 04/10/2014 23:10, Savageduck wrote:
On 2014-10-04 20:17:12 +0000, John Szalay john.szalay.at.att.net said:

Orval Fairbairn wrote in newsrfairbairn-
:

In article ,
Mitchell Holman wrote:

begin 644 Lockheed P-38L.jpg
[Image]

end

Unless it is the Red Bull P-38, the lower cowls look like they belong on
a much earlier model P-38.



I was thinking the same thing, has more the intake of the F model
such as Glacier Girl.
IF it is the red Bull, P-38, its before they got their hands on it.and
still belonged to Lefty Gardner
the intakes on the top of booms are the old configuration, Red Bull
changed
to the long intakes after the "crash" and rebuild..


Yup! That looks nothing like the P-38L with the pronounced nacelle
"chin" and the exposed turbo superchargers out on the booms.

This is a P-38L:


...and so is this;



The subject of the Red Bull P-38L (for that's what it is, see the last
part of the thread) was covered in rec.aviation.military three years ago:

**********
On 27/08/2011 10:18, Savageduck wrote:
On 2011-08-27 01:33:04 -0700, D. St-Sanvain
said:

Savageduck a écrit dans
news:2011082700122978840-savageduck1@REMOVESPAMmecom :
On 2011-08-26 23:23:57 -0700,
(D.
St-Sanvain) said:


image

Regardless of what they might claim, that is no P-38L.

That Red Bull P-38 has the small, swept back "Lightning MkI & MkII"
through to P-38G nacelle chin vents. Also there are no
turbo-superchargers.

This is a P-38L. Note the larger nacelle chin vents;


Well... the serial number makes her a L, the external view doesn't.
She was used as a racer, and eventually underwent some modifications,
which may lead to an (X)P-38 (something) designation...
Same questions are asked about Zero modified T-6's...
Some even refer to her as a F-5 G !


I remember her as Lefty Gardner's "White Lightning". The RB guys did
this great restoration after a crash which should have written her off.
I suspect there have been a lot of salvaged parts integrated.
I just can't imagine an "L" without turbo-superchargers exposed on the
booms, or the inter-coolers to go with the large chin vents.

I just wonder when and why she was deprived of her distinctive "L"
appearance.


There's an item about the Red Bulls fleet in the September edition of
Aircraft magazine.

It says that N25Y was built as an F-5G, 44-53254. Sold To Lilee Products
in Chicago in 1946 as NX25Y. Started racing when owned by J.D. Reed of
Houston, and Charlie Walling flew it into 2nd place in the stock race at
Miami in 1947. Camera nose removed and other mods, and named Sky Ranger.
Two more owners, Hugh Wells and Vernon Thorpe, before passing to Lefty
Gardner. He painted it R/W/B and called it White Lightnin'. It had an
engine fire in 25 June 2001 and made a belly landing in a field at
Greenwood, MS. Sold to the Flying Bulls in January 2005.

I did read somewhere about the removal of the turbosuperchargers and the
reshaping of the nacelles, but I can't remember where. I also thought
when I first saw it that it couldn't be an L model, but it seems that
officially it is.

Great to see a P-38 again at Duxford.

--
Peter
**********

--
Peter