We hope you'll enjoy these photos and drawings of our favorite plane. Some are in vintage black & white, others are in color.

If you click on the thumbnail, it will take you to a larger version of the photo. Just click the "Back" button on your browser to come back here.

We've also included a few pictures to show you how versatile the P‑38 could be, used as everything from an air ambulance to a flying camera.

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Lockheed Assembly Plant

Check out these very detailed, original photos of the Lockheed plant in Burbank. You should be able to find just about any part in it's assembly stage.  Amazing.

Here are a couple more:

When demand and production was at its height, the final assembly had to be moved outside to accommodate all the P‑38s being produced for the war effort. (Photo on right.)

Lockheed Plant     Outdoor assembly

The left photo shows two days of P‑38 production at the Lockheed "Skunk Works" (between 24-30 planes)

To see the "triple lines" (which Lockheed was told couldn't be done), click here.

 
   

Combat!

Now, here's something you don't want to see coming after you ...a squadron of P‑38s!

Water Landing

Any landing you walk (or swim) away from is a good one...
   

Feathered!

A P‑38 flying with one prop feathered, putting the kibosh on those rumors that it can't be flown on one engine. Ha!

Classic

This is a beautiful and classic shot of the 38.  We liked it so much, we've put it on some of our Gift Shop items.
   

Damaged

Not sure how, but this one made it back safely after a strike on Iwo Jima. Its left engine is out and its right wing has a big ole hole in it and is in flames.

Graveyard

Here's a picture to break your heart.  After the war, hundreds of P‑38s were dumped in an aircraft graveyard.  Little did they know how sorely we'd miss them.
   

Up Close and Personal

A close view of that famous P‑38 fire power. How'd you like to see THAT in your rear-view mirror?!

Yippee

May 17, 1944, this colorful  P‑38J‑20‑LO, celebrated the 5,000th P‑38 built. Get yourself our exclusive  "Yippee" wall clock.
   

Ruff Stuff

The P‑38 which was displayed at the P‑38 National Association Museum in Riverside CA. It's now named "Ruff Stuff."
   

Cut-Away

It is our hope to one day have complete details for this cross section. In the meantime, here's the graphic and here's the t-shirt

Nice Drawing

Here's a nice mechanical drawing, courtesy of the Air Force News website. 

 

Wind Tunnel


This unusual picture is a test of a P‑38 in full-scale wind tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center's Full Scale Tunnel in December of  1942. (Reprinted with permission.)  Must have passed the test, eh?  Complete details on this test can be found on this page of the NASA History website.
   

Refueling

On the Tarmac

1942 photograph
   

Putt-Putt Maru/Then

Lightning Ace, Charles MacDonald with his plane, Putt‑Putt Maru. MORE

Putt-Putt Maru/Now

Putt Putt Maru as it appears today. Here's  another photo of Putt-Putt Mau circa 1940s.

   

Stripes

Burbank plant, 1941. New P‑38s in pre‑war metal finish with tail stripes and red national insignia.

Long Range

One of the 38s best features was its ability to travel long distances over water. Very useful in the Pacific Theatre.

   

Over France

This group of P-38s was caught in this photo flying over France.

Invasion Stripes

The stripes on this 38 are called "Invasion Stripes." Just before D‑Day these black and white stripes were applied almost overnight to clearly identify them as being part of the invasion.
   

Ass Over Teakettle

The P‑38 Museum is housed in the Tony Levier Hangar.  Here's a shot of Levier during a 1977 air show. He's doing this loop in the same airspace where he tested P‑38s over 40 years ago.  Watch Tony LeVier tell the story.

White Lightnin'

The late "Lefty" Gardner's beautiful P‑38.  It crashed awhile back and was refurbished and born anew as the Red Bull P‑38. It now lives in Austria, but you can read about it here or buy a video of it still in glorious flight.
   

The P-38 Cockpit

  
   

You can click any of these photos to see an enlarged version - easier to see the dials!
   

"Night Fighter"


Book


Artwork

 


Model(s)

Includes 3 versions:

  • A Standard P‑38J

  • A P‑38J "Droop Snoot" Pathfinder

  • A P‑38M two-seat Night Fighter)


 

The Versatile P-38

    

Ambulance

Two modified drop tanks with clear noses were used to carry two stretcher cases.

P-38 On Skis

One of the nice features of the P‑38 was it's versatility in all kinds of weather.

Two-Seater

Check out the "Fork-Tailed Devil" squadron insignia on the nose (49th Fighter Squadron) 49th FS ball cap can be ordered here.)

 

Night Fighter

In the final days of the Pacific War a handful of Lightnings were fitted with air-intercept radar for use as Night Fighters.

Find out more about the Night Fighters.
 

videos

Beautiful Tribute to
our Favorite Plane

Click on arrow below to play video. You must have high speed internet access for video to play properly. Click on below to expand video to full screen.


...miss the sound of those Allison engines though!

Internet Explorer users
will have to click on
this link to view the video.

Tribute to "Glacier Girl"

The very first shot on this tribute video is of Glacier Girl taking to the air for the first time after being buried in the ice for half a century. Awe inspiring!

DONATE A PHOTO

If you would like to donate a photo to the P‑38 Assn, you can email it (or snail mail it) to us, and we'll add it to this page, giving you full photo credit. (Please make sure you have the legal OK to reprint the photo.)

EMAIL US

SNAIL MAIL US:

P‑38 National Assn.
PO Box 6453
March ARB, CA 92518

 
 

 
As our parents, grandparents and friends who were "hands on" with the P-38 Lightning are continuing to leave us, keeping this website available as a tribute to them is vital. This aircraft was an important part of their lives and their history, and to carry on this legacy, we need funding. We are not affiliated with the USAF or Lockheed and our entire operation is supported entirely by people like you.

What would you pay for a good aviation DVD or book? If you enjoy this website, please consider a financial contribution of the same amount to help defray our increasing costs and ensure that this part of aviation history continues to be available to people all over the world.

We have just added a page to thank our website's financial contributors. No donation is too small, after all $1 from a million visitors will keep us going a very long time!

It's easy to help...just click on the "Donate" button below.


 


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