For my 1000th post, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

[kedie]

Why the P-38? Other than it's one of the coolest airplanes ever? In early 1945, my grandpa was an infantryman in the 376th Infantry Regt. of the 94th Infantry Division. His unit was preparing to assault the area of Tettingen, Germany. They were watching as the P-38s strafed the German positions. After they finished their strafing runs they peeled off and flew over my grandpa's unit. The last P-38, as it flew over their lines, waggled it's wings at them to say good luck. I thought that was a pretty cool story.

 

[Bigum1969]

Now that was an awesome 1000th post!

 

[WileECoyotee]

Congrats on your 1000th , great pics too !

 

[kedie]

Thanks!

 

[HandK]

Congrats on your 1000th post, and that is one of my all time favorite WWII fighters, now you need to get over to the 1000 post club and make some bacon!!

 

[22lr]

After the war you could buy one for $1200. Today they sell for multiple millions, talk about an investment. That beats all those SKSs for $60 stories I say, probably the highest rate of return possible on an investment.

 

[kedie]

It's sad to think what became of all those great warbirds. Some of the most beautiful aircraft to ever roll off the assembly line came from that era.

Maybe we should start a WWII airplane pic thread.

 

[Scutter01]

Nice 1000th post! Tail #162 (2nd picture, above) was at the air show flying a few years ago. It was exquisite. It's one of only a handful of P38 airframes still airworthy.

 

[SSGSAD]

CORRECTION, on the eighth day, GOD created MARINES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SKSnut]

awesome plane, my favorite from ww2. Congrats on your 1000th post!

 

[DaveD]

One of my favorites, along with the P-51, the Corsair, the P-47 .............. Then we can get into the B-17, the B-26 .........
Oh by the way, congrats on the 1000th post!

 

[jblomenberg16]

I really love the old Piston Powered Fighters!!!

Great 1000th post!

 

[Woodsman]

Merlins or Pratt & Whitney radial engines!! Both are distinctive and make beautiful music when making high speed, low altitude passes.

Congrats on achieving the new level. Can't ever have enough old warbirds.

 

[kedie]

The Merlins are sweet. At the 500 one year the flyover was four P-51s and a B-17. Best, and loudest, flyover ever. And one of the P-51s was flown by none other than Gen. Chuck Yeager.

The P-38 has it's own Indiana connection also. It's powered by twin Allison V-1710s.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Merlins or Pratt & Whitney radial engines!! Both are distinctive and make beautiful music when making high speed, low altitude passes.

Congrats on achieving the new level. Can't ever have enough old warbirds.

I'm a sucker for the old engines myself.

I think this was a Allison 1710:

And this was no doubt the famous RR Merlin:

 

[Hoosier8]

I think there were two flying P-38s but one was destroyed when the pilot had some physical malfunction like a heart attack. There have been efforts to dig some out that had landed on some ice in Greenland. All crew were rescued, but here is a picture from then.

The P-38 is probably one of the most amazing aircraft of WWII and one of my favorites.

 

[Benny]

Win!

BTW, that is one helluva camera that took that second picture.

 

[kedie]

I think there were two flying P-38s but one was destroyed when the pilot had some physical malfunction like a heart attack. There have been efforts to dig some out that had landed on some ice in Greenland. All crew were rescued, but here is a picture from then.

The P-38 is probably one of the most amazing aircraft of WWII and one of my favorites.

I saw a show on the Greenland P-38. They ended up getting it out of the ice and restored it.

 

[Principal Skinr]

My dad has a piston from an experimental version of the V1710 at his house. He kept it at the end of the war and used it for years as an ash tray for his pipe!

He was an engineer at Allison during WWII, and for a total of 40 years!

Love those warbirds and congrats on 1k!

 

[Integraholic]

My grandfather worked on P-38's in Panama during WW II. One of my favorites.