Lockheed P-38J Lightning “23 Skidoo” Startup, Idle, and Taxi

[@cbussery]

The P38 was the first model I put together when I was a kid, followed by the P51 and the F86. Still got them after over 65 years.

[@buickkkkkk1]

Me to, I remember that it was hard to play with because their was no where to hold it.

[@rael5469]

One of the most beautiful aircraft ever made. Just beautiful. Like our A&P instructor said, "If it's beautiful, it'll probably fly right." Right you are Mr Johnson.

[@rickydunn3921]

The forked tail devil

[@olliwaa.aviation]

The raw sound is as beautiful as the P-38 itself!

[@1ual]

"Twin-fork devil" she was called. That start-up is music to my years.

[@rodmartinez6584]

Our father Corporal Ramon Martinez of Copeland Kansas was a wing armorer for P38J and the P51D Mustang, 434th fighter squadron of the 479th fighter group Wattisham England Air Field 1944-1945, 8th Air Force, VIII fighter command, 65th fighter wing. His squadron commanding officer was Robin Olds, WW2 and Vietnam ace. Wattisham England Air Field was and still is, an RAF field. In 2015 I visited Wattisham England Air Field and walked on those hallowed grounds!

[@joevanseeters2873]

God bless your father for his service to our great nation! That must have been amazing working under the legendary Robin Olds! I bet your dad had some amazing stories to tell.

[@rodmartinez6584]

@joevanseeters2873 hello. Pur dad brought back about 40 b & w photographs of not only planes, but British ladies dancing with the US men in the hangars, playing pool, in fact our dad helped form a baseball team that won the 65th fighter wing championship in 1945. I have the team photo of 1945. He was also on the 479th fighter group basketball championship team. I have that photo as well. Our dad in 1939, age 17, was offered a contract to sign with the Brookyn Dodgers but turned it down. Not bad for a young Mexican American boy.

[@AnthonyAnthony-o4v]

What a great design, helped us win the war.

[@GlennMichaelHasting]

Richard Bong approves . . .

[@craigpennington1251]

P-38, my #2 favorite of WWII. These are relatively quiet in comparison. This bird looks great. A dream to fly one if you get the chance. Video is way too short. Thanks for NOT adding talk or music. P.S. Go away announcers. You guys are annoying.

[@railace3815]

I would edit flyovers in, but I film those in vertical format for more reach and increased zoom quality, but film startups usually in horizontal format, so the video itself would be a bit weird with the orientation changes. And I agree with your statement on the announcer. I would rather have him move over, but I felt it would be rude to ask him to do so, so I just had my arms high in the air for almost 5 minutes.

[@railace3815]

If you want me to, I can compile my footage into one video and crop/zoom the flyover videos.

[@lonneykearl9174]

Live in sparks nv always went to reno air races one a b17 and p38 did a fly by what a sight

[@kam75]

a feared hotrod fighter!

[@barnarus2547]

This is the exact plane used in Aces Iron Eagle III.

[@SR-bh5jd]

I want one. Couldn’t afford the fuel burn. Still want one.

[@ChefDuane]

Allison V1710. Same engine that was in the original P51's until they upgraded the Mustangs with Packard Merlins. The Allison lacked power at high altitudes but was probably perfect for the Pacific Theater.

[@TheRightNathan]

Nice! Is that an SNJ in the back with CAP markings?

[@railace3815]

Thank you, and no, it’s a BT-13.

[@stevehaller6332]

The P-38 was the most wicked fighter aircraft of WW2. There were a lot of fighter aces that flew them. The German and Japanese pilots that hated to see them along with the. F4U Corsair

[@ChefDuane]

Mustang pilots would disagree.

[@ChefDuane]

@@paulhicks6667 The P38 was too much airplane for inexperienced pilots to handle. They weren't trained for the complexities of a twin-engine fighter/escort. The problem wasn't that "it would be come uncontrollable and fly into the ground" as much as it was the pilot not staying within the operational envelope of the aircraft.

[@shaymcquaid]

Lovely.

[@JamesGibson-t2i]

There's one of those in the bush, on the North side of Prince George, B.C. It crashed in the early sixty's, and all of it is still there. Anyone looking for a couple engines ?

[@josephwalls1003]

I love you for me the best attack plane ww2

[@pilotmiami1]

Bravo. Go ahead

[@johnmartlew5897]

Were these engines cold? This was a fast start up to taxi ready. Scrambling on a battle stations alert to confront incoming threats would have been so unnerving if the engines were cold and starting was uncooperative. Want did ground crews do to prevent this? Flawless maintenance helps but I’m sure was not always possible. The movies always show instant startups and off they go. It couldn’t always happen that way. Could it?

[@Oldguy-k3t]

I wish before the war ended manufacturers would have built planes, ships and spares for future enthusiasts.

[@bernieschiff5919]

After the war ended, on the west coast they were selling war surplus P-38's cheap to anyone, you could pick out the one you wanted on the lot, pay cash, and fly away with it. Several were used for air racing, unfortunately. Maintenance and operating costs are probably the eye opener, like owning 2 P-51's, and twice the fuel consumption.

[@craigpennington1251]

They scrapped thousands of these & others. There was no need to build more but like always, a hurry to get rid of everything. Still makes no sense at all.

[@railace3815]

I think the reason behind the mass scrapping was for money to fund their newer aircraft, and because the aircraft they scrapped were already becoming obsolete, hence they didn’t need too many of them.

[@biketech60]

Jets were already in service by the end of the war , faster than the P-38 . The military had no use for them and no civilian would have paid what it cost to build them . Impractical to own and maintain or fly . They are gorgeous , though . An early Kelly Johnson masterpiece .

[@YourAverageTankNerd]

hehe turbocharger go wrrrrrreeeeeee

[@craigpennington1251]

Says, Not again.

[@jamesmusisca7547]

i thought it was fork tailed devil

[@GlennScarbrough-v9p]

Think of how much military equipment was pushed off ship's into the ocean to create space for all the returning military personnel. Sure was a shame to dump or just leave equipment behind.

[@Nickjustdabs]

Nothing can beat the sound of a radial, EVER, like what has a wasp major ever been compared to?

[@railace3815]

Agreed! Radials sound beautiful on startup and in flight!

[@UtahJohn777]

Props are not counter-rotating, hmmmmm

[@bernieschiff5919]

It's the camera shutter speed that creates the illusion, the left engine rotates counterclockwise on startup and the right is clockwise.

[@UtahJohn777]

@@bernieschiff5919 I am aware of this. Somehow I missed it, you are correct, Thanks.

[@railace3815]

I actually checked my footage for that as well. As said before, you can see it during startup.

[@casparberends2719]

Some P-38 did not have counter rotating props, this could be one.

[@railace3815]

Look at the propellers before the engine starts. They counter-rotate. Watch 0:10 for engine 1 and 0:45 for engine 2.

[@georgegeyer3431]

😂 Forked tail Devil 😈.