P 38 Lightning PUDGY 720

P-38L Lightning, "Pudgy" test flown by Rick Sharpe after a lengthy refinishing and repaint by American Aero in New Smyrna Beach, FL

[@taofledermaus]

Always nice to see another air-worthy P-38

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Awesome stuff better than watching FJB

[@fish509b]

The P-38 has always fascinated me. The De Haviland Mosquito as well.

[@steinrich56]

@@fish509b Yup......me too.

[@ianmangham4570]

Hey mercury man 🤘🇬🇧🤠

[@jacktattis]

Yes it was a unique looking plane.

[@chaoticus06]

What a gem of a vid! Love the P38! I can appreciate that there is no music or commentary, only P38!

[@laurenwhite7641]

Our Dad recounted exciting memories of flying the P38 in the Phillipines during WWII, including crash landing. The 1-year anniversary of his passing at 99-yrs old is looming on 3/2/24, I wish I had thought to have found your video to share with him before he passed last year. Watching it gave me goosebumps and makes me sad but happy for him that he had the experience of flying, what a wonderful thing! And thanks to you I could share it with him on some level at least...thank you!

[@bobd1805]

My dad worked in the Palmdale Lockheed plant that built P-38's before he went into the Navy to fly Hellcats and came back an ace.

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Did your dad come back an ace or the plane??? lol... Jus kiddin y'all.

[@Blue-Rue10]

Those were the days😢 I wish your father and others never had to serve, but we are thankful to all who have😊

[@mitchellsumpter4807]

Thanks to your pop for helping keep our great country. He’d certainly roll over in his grave to see what the dems/left have done !!!

[@BryanPAllen]

That’s great @bobd1805

[@user-yj1pv1yz3b]

@@imd1b4u: …and by Nazis you mean democrats

[@chrisgraham9203]

Absolutely incredible video, the first in-cockpit video I've seen of a P-38.

[@mpetry912]

agreed, they did not have go-pros in 1944

[@taraswertelecki3786]

Impressive that a P-38 can not only be salvaged, but restored to flight worthy condition. I grew up with stories about this fantastic aircraft. I enjoyed this from the cockpit video immensely.

[@twentypdrparrott694]

This is a representation of Major Thomas McQuire, Jr.'s P-38. McQuire was a member of the 475th Fighter Group. He led the 431st Fighter Squadron known as Hades. None of the 475th's P-38s made back Stateside intact after the war. The planes were stripped, crushed and buried at Kimpo Field Korea and at Clark Field Philippines. Two wrecks were salvaged from New Quinea. The Scarlett Scourge was restored to a static display in Adelaid, Australia and has since been sold to a man in England to be restored to flying status. This was a 432nd Clover Squadron plane. The second P-38 is White 44, a 433rd squadron Blue Devils aircraft. It was restored in Colorado Springs to flying status. My father was a member of the 432nd Squadron. He was the mess Seargent for the squadron. His mess not only fed the 432nd, but the HQ personnel. This mess also fed Col. Charles Lindberg on both occasions in which he stayed with the 475th for weeks at a time.

[@bobbys4327]

Yeah, saw the P-38 in Colorado Springs that had been saved in New Guinea. Was amazing to see it and they let us get up close to it. Later on I saw where the pilot that flew it back in New Guinea was taken over to the field to see his P-38 again, even had the same number!

[@edwardgrabot798]

Good synopsis, however Major Thomas McGuire Jr. vice McQuire.

[@danodamano2581]

McGuire. McGuire.

[@robertmcsorley4001]

A P-38 painted like Maj. McGuire's sits on a pedestal near the main gate at McGuire AFB in New Jersey

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Ya know My North American Bobcat gave your post a middle claws up. I am askin him about that right now... I am really afraid I have the one Bobcat in America that can actually tolerate flying. Just a note I do keep the wings level to keep the level of yak off my plane

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Being a flight wing commander aka leader just seeing this pilots loving caring slow approach it brings tears to see how someone can be so gentle with such a piece of history that took such abuse.. I mean really it did hit me where it counts to see an antique so carefully handled...

[@oneparticularharbor144]

Absolutely beautiful plane- several have remarked in how quiet. There are certain planes that were just built to fly. Thanks for posting

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

P38's Allison engines used a TURBOcharger in each boom and even if not using the TURBO all that piping works as a muffler. Those Allisons were a smooth running engine anyway !!!

[@jimburig7064]

Good video with all the natural sounds, no music. Thanks!!

[@user-st5tj8ws6o]

Nice flight charles What a Lovely old timer p-38, With out people like you there would be no old time planes in the sky well done and thanks for keeping her flying paul

[@jerryumfress9030]

The P-38 and the P-51D are my two favorite planes of all time

[@steinrich56]

Great vid.........so many young folk died in ww2 so that we could be free. This is the stuff of Richard Bong and many others. Thanks again for posting, and kindest regards from me in Australia.

[@christopher3544]

My grandfather flew these in the 436th FS/ 479th FG and they took them away and gave them the P51-C. He loved the P-38. Thank you for showing this view.

[@froglureprototype4967]

Fork-tailed devil. I love the effortless aerobatics.

[@richardwarfield7386]

McGuire was my hero growing up and still is today. Even been to his grave in Arlington Cemetary. Please preserve this P-38 even though it is not his original aircraft so that younger generations can learn about sacrifice. Sports stars are not heroes but McGuire was and lost his life coming to the aid of a comrade. Beautiful aircraft

[@rudolfkrebs2311]

Dieses Video ist absolute Spitze! Die Sicht aus dem Cockpit einer P-38 ist etwas, das man nicht jeden Tag sehen kann! Das ist die ganz hohe Kunst, uns Zuschauern wirklich eine unglaublich große Freude zu machen! Vielen, vielen Dank! 👍👍👍😎🇦🇹

[@raymondmiller5098]

Genau !

[@deldridg]

She flies so beautifully. Thank you for all the hard work and resources that went into preserving this beauty. May she enjoy the skies for many decades and beyond! Cheers from Aust - Dave

[@walterbriggs272]

Incredible video in cockpit, thank for no nonsense music, as a kid I wanted to fly high in the sky, and fast!

[@RaymondHebert-zf5dv]

P38 and P51 are my two favorite planes of WWII

[@82norberto]

And the F-82 Twin Mustang, the combo of these two planes :D (I thinkit was late from the WW2, it ended when the plane got ready)

[@davidstange4174]

This camera footage is amazing especially from in the cockpit in flight. It is like you are flying it.

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

I love it. Mr Vice Princaple Mr. Sperry flew one in WWII. Our Janitor was one of Pattons Tankers. My family survived WWII in the Netherlands. One of my Granfather was German slave labor. The other was Dutch underground. Those were bad times .I was lucky to have met and learned life lessons from all of them. Great Video.

[@jlloyd423]

I live a couple of miles north of this airport. Anytime I hear the growl of big piston engines I am rarely disappointed when I look up.

[@RaymondHebert-zf5dv]

Damn fine piece of history !!! Cockpit looks original

[@weiner19]

Thanks for the ride. I've loved the P-38 Lightning since a child of the early '50s

[@stuntmanstu1]

One of my absolute favourite aircraft of WW2. Behind the Spitfire, Mustang and Corsair.

[@BobbyTucker]

My favorites were the P-38 Lightning, nicknamed the "Forked Tail Devil", and the F-4U Corsair, "Whistling Death". Fantastic WWII Fighter Aircraft.

[@joebonomono5078]

What an honor this would have been to fly into combat. Amazing video. Thank you.

[@MXP90DL]

Dreams and wishes came true watching this video. Thank you

[@fatherguidosarduchi5204]

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE AND THE P 51. SUPER PERFORMERS AND BEAUTIFUL BODIES ON THEM.

[@stevenmarti7371]

Beautiful Aircraft!! Thanks for sharing this!!

[@DanVilleneuve]

Great flying by Rick (per usual)! Nicely done footage. Thanks for sharing!

[@ericthiel4053]

There is a beautiful P38 sitting in the war eagles museum here in NM and I had always wished to see it fly, this video has given me the chance to see it through the cockpit. Thank you for this! Magnificient plane!!

[@williamgreen1489]

This video was awesome! Love the high barrel rolls. In cockpit video was outstanding, the pilot knows how to fly! I've always loved the P38's.

[@deepsixman]

That was fantastic. I put the headphones on high, got the big screen on full theater mode and put my face a few inches away from it. The maneuvers were great. Feels more powerful than my Luscombe. Thanks for posting this.

[@garyplewa9277]

Great in-cockpit video. I'm surprised how quiet it is inside, as you can easily hear the wind noise over the engines. I would have enjoyed seeing the ASI during those maneuvers. With a red line of what looks like 54" of manifold pressure this aircraft must have one helluva climb rate and cruise speed. Thanks for posting it.

[@jacktattis]

the best I have found was 4000ft/min

[@jacktattis]

which was better than the other US fighters

[@northwestprof60]

Yes. The J and L models had the highest service ceiling and climb rate of all US fighters. @@jacktattis

[@kennethhamilton5633]

That is the air rushing over the wind screen 😊

[@michaelmurray7199]

It was very capable of out climbing most if not every single engined Axis fighter of the period. That’s why pilots preferred to engage the enemy in a vertical fight rather than a horizontal one. Using that greater climb rate to gain some altitude and get away from an enemy fighter, then dive down on said enemy fighter, fire a short burst, then go back up again.

[@ericheine2414]

Man I'm jealous. That's got to be one of the nicest airplanes to fly. Especially coming home.

[@bobjons7]

Absolutely beautiful!!

[@richb419]

as a boy I have always loved this aircraft and now 60 years later still do. Rich

[@TheVictor0911]

I was born in 1944 and my hold live I have loved this plane , just to watch you fly this beautiful bird satisfies so much of my dreams, you handel her so well and I know you love her. thanks, vic

[@scottharris6423]

I wish to thank you for a very special in the cockpit flight of your special warbird, P - 38 Lightening. I once watched Lefty Gardner performed a Hammerhead Stall in his white P - 38 in Madera, CA back in the 1970's. It was amazing. Thanks for sharing your video!!!

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

An absolute beauty! Thank you very much for sharing, appreciate it a lot 👍 Greetings from the Netherlands, T.

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Great flight! Thanks for taking me along :o)

[@LiveAlohaOhana]

This is my favorite plane all time ! What a beauty she is ❤

[@tjjohansen2246]

Very nice to see a flyable P-38 in McGuire's colors. Hope to see it at an airshow in the near future.

[@Cap10VDO]

What an utterly fantastic noise inside that cockpit! Thanks for sharing this.

[@donc9751]

What a beautiful and cool plane to own!! I've always been a big fan of the WW2 Fighters!! P-51 all time fave but P-38 right up there with it and a few others! I love the sound of those engines!!!

[@ofeliawotsits6080]

Love the shape of the P38. Ever since I made the Airfix 1/72 model around 1971, and then a Revell 1/32 model in 1973. Just an amazing shape. Finally got to see a real one in Seattle in the Boeing Flight Museum in the Fighter Ace display which is truly magnificent. The P38 looks amazing, and the P51 just perfect.

[@berniebennett3693]

I've flown in a p 51 n this video was absolutely incredible! Love p38s!!!!

[@DavidKozinski]

Awesome footage and gorgeous aircraft.

[@jtuttle11]

FANTASTIC! plane. I can only imagine what the skies over Coffeyville were like during the WW2 days. The local airport was a training facility for P-38 training.

[@thekingsilverado3266]

I was staying at my ole homestead in East Texas my daughter now long took over about 2016 when one flew over fairly low wanting to be seen I guess. i wanted to faint I really did. The thing had the prop pitch turned back making alotta noise at low alt. speeds. It kinda hovered in my mind, My thinking is the guy wanted to either be seen or he was really babying the thing. Either way i was just like wow wow wow...

[@McRocket]

Amazing how quiet this is. B-25 Mitchell pilots apparently had significant hearing loss. But this beauty sounds almost hypnotic. ☮

[@snowyowlz5992]

Thank you so much for the flight. The P-38 is my all time favorite aircraft.

[@BobbyTucker]

What a beautiful Bird, watching it as it was leaving the ground so gracefully. Thank you for posting this first time for me in the cockpit of the P-38, I can't think of anything to compare it to in terms of quietness, amazing. Thank you once again for the flight, I thoroughly enjoyed it. B.T.

[@bluetopguitar1104]

My favorite airplane. I had an uncle who was a civilian mechanic , he worked on airplanes flying out of New York to England. He said the p38 sounded like a big Cadillac. It would be a dream to fly one. Excellent video.

[@FrancescoAlois]

What a beauty! I saw one of it fyling in Pratica di Mare (Italy) last June and I was very impressed of its flying characteristics

[@jeffsmith5589]

Theres a P 38 with the name Pudgy on display in the traffic circle right after the main gate on Mcguire AFB. Great to see one fly!

[@randall1959]

It's so smooth the cockpit view almost looks like a simulation.

[@benlivingston2437]

That was nice! Took me for a ride in a P 38. One of my favorite W II airplanes. Thank you so very much.

[@danherrick5785]

Can a second person fit in this thing?

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Well I been in a agri King,( cropduster ) tight fit had to fit behind him and my legs on top of his kinda sort ..yes it seems there's more room in the p 38 than the agriking

[@BobbyTucker]

@@cowboywoodard2569, You're speaking of the "Air Tractor". That's what my Uncle calls his, he has crop dusting chores in Arkansas.

[@cowboywoodard2569]

Yepper, he Crop dusted there as well I live here in Texas. Like a share cropper he worked in various states and owns several AGI KINGS

[@tracylemme1375]

The P38 was one of very few twin prop aircraft that had counter rotating props. Great video of one of my all time favorite aircraft.

[@danherrick5785]

I think a "small" disadvantage to this is the P-38 cannot fly on one engine. Just a small "problem". (I guess the mustang actually has the same problem having only one. But at least the Mustang would not rip apart because of it's single engine.)

[@tracylemme1375]

@@danherrick5785 My father ,who was crew chief in the Pacific, had stories of pilots bailing out of P38s only to have the plane continue to fly (generaly in circles) . It was believed that the horizontal stabilizer would cut them in half if they didn’t invert the plane. One time a general was flying a P38 and lost an engine. He flipped the aircraft over and dropped out. Since the P38 didn’t like to fly inverted, it righted itself and flew in circles around the airstrip until another plane was launched to shoot it down. Since only one engine(I forget which) had a generator, the flight time with that engine out was limited. But the plane would fly with only one engine.

[@danherrick5785]

@@tracylemme1375 Interesting. Have you heard of any time where the pilot landed a P-38 with one engine?

[@jacktattis]

@@danherrick5785 wHY WOULD THAT BE A PROBLEM ALL THE OTHER tWIN eNGINE FIGHTERS OF THE PERIOD COULD GET HOME ON ONE ENGINE

[@halnwheels]

Thank you for that wonderful flight.

[@jacksemporiumofstuff]

I actually thought I was watching a flight sim video for the first minute or two. Absolutely incredible video!

[@tommyleemaddox1033]

Great job! When he turned toward the beach, I was wondering if it was the Daytona area [then I read the notes above]. What a plane!

[@Asta-wl8jz]

My boss flew a P38 guarding the Panama canal. I had always wondered what it was like, since he told us so many stories.

[@mpetry912]

quite an airplane. thank you for the great on-board video

[@larrysouthern5098]

Great Video! This was one of the first models I ever built back when I was a young boy ( 1962 thru 1969) besides the P51 P40 F8F B29 B17 B40 and B29...my ceiling was full...( my Mom Just gave up after a while ...I still hadnt gotten into Jets yet!!.. :0)...One thing I remember about this model was the dark green plasitic it was made out of It was a pain to glue and paint..really slippery stuff..And now with all the new Flight simulators out on the market ..the P38 is top of the dream planes to fly... at 02:30 on It just feels right to see her fly...Thanks a lot!!!

[@rodchaffey3552]

Wow. I built a Revell model "Pudgy" and I'm truly amazed to see how accurate that model was in every external detail. The P-38 has always been my favourite fighter and how great it is to see this one gracing the skies. Great video.

[@timu438]

Thank you for the ride. Truly enjoyable!

[@davidhames319]

I love how quiet a P-38 is.

[@michaelashcraft8569]

I always thought the P-38 was a most beautiful, though deadly, (ask Yamamoto), Fighter Plane!

[@thekingsilverado3266]

Yamamoto has since registered an official victim... The P38 however has denied any involvement

[@cherrylove3656]

this was always my favorite war bird. I wish I could go up in one of them. Awesome

[@atatterson6992]

My Lord. One lucky man right there. Very well done video, thank you.

[@danielhunt2145]

Thank you for showing us what it's like in the cockpit of one of the USA's best fighters of its time. Love to see them, I know they are few and far between. God bless you, be safe out there!❤

[@marleyboy7732]

I once took intro to flight in a single engine Cessna. And this cockpit looks so much cooler. Sweet view!

[@pwrplnt1975]

This is my number one plane from WW2 though it's almost tied with the Corsair and the P-51.

[@johnstephens3829]

The 1st model aircraft i built, seen one at the Reno Air Races 🎉❤ ,my favorite ww2 aircraft, Right on Richard Bong,love his last name, had a few bongs myself.

[@luizclaudiopedrosapaulino9016]

Desde garoto sonhava em estar na cabine de P38 , obrigado por realizar meu sonho

[@ThePudgie123]

From one old Pudge to another...lookin' good my friend!

[@jarheads88]

Sir you are one of the luckiest men in the world ,who would not want to fly this plane if they could

[@gyrro6377]

Easily þe coolest þing I've seen in a long while

[@rbilleaud]

My Dad knew a guy in Lafayette, LA, Paul Fournet, who flew the P-38 during the war and picked one up to restore in the 1970s. He used to take me down to the hanger and we'd watch them work on it. Called it the Scatterbrain Kid II. Unfortunately, it crashed in the early 80s. Lost and engine on takeoff and the pilot couldn't recover it. Tragic loss of man and machine.

[@mitchellsumpter4807]

Abso- freaking-lutley fabulous!!!

[@mitchellsumpter4807]

…..abso-freaking-lutely…..

[@johnmarble8022]

I would take a P-38 over a Mustang any day. Once they settled the minor, early war issues, she was amazing. Wonderful old gal.

[@jacktattis]

Sorry the P38 was not manoeuvrable enough as a fighter Its Tactical Mach was abysmal

[@BearfootBob]

@@jacktattis your comment proves you don't understand fighter plane tactics

[@jacktattis]

@@BearfootBob well tell me this how long was the P38 THE MAIN FIGHTER

[@BearfootBob]

@@jacktattis ask Yamamoto

[@jacktattis]

@@BearfootBob Yamamoto was not in the greater theatres ETO MTO The P38 had too many problems over there the climate did not suit them

[@edwardstephens247]

Outstanding video with an outstanding bird!

[@frankfreeman1444]

Bloody beautiful! My favorite war bird!

[@BryanPAllen]

Very cool. I’ve never seen footage like this of a P38 and not much other’s either.

[@Geekman333]

The most beautiful machine built by man.

[@jacktattis]

No nice but NO

[@paulbfields8284]

That’s as close to that seat I’ll ever get… I thank you for that..

[@brianwillson9567]

Such a beautiful machine. It’s hard to reconcile this to its design purpose, death and destruction,

[@bloodyspartan300]

Survival, Freedom, Life. All the best tools are mutli-functional, including the Human Intellect. Persepctive.

[@tomuss2082]

P38. That what we called the tiny can opener thar came with a box of "C" rations. We wore it on our dog tag chain.

[@SLOvids96]

This and the a10 have to be the coolest military twin engine planes ever produced

[@finscreenname]

Just 10 years earlier we were flying around in open cockpit bi planes made of wood, fabric and wire. 7 years after the last P38 was built the first B52 took to the air. Times were a changing.

[@marcthomas5641]

Great perspective to frame this amazing video. I am from an AF family and have always been mesmerized by the planes. Never got rich, but when i get this youngest kid thru college i am gonna get the nicest ultralight and a few pilots lessons and i am gonna fly damnit if I don't die first lol. I have seen that you can actually build out something airworthy new for less than $30k. Thats gonna be my "mid-life crisis" purchase. Hell with a faster car. I am finally gonne fly in my early 50s looks like...

[@anklebiterwoodworks2818]

Now that is a thing of beauty!

[@fritzmeynejr2983]

Fantastic. Thank you! I learned to fly in a AT6 back in the 70's from Ed Snyder.

[@nemo227]

Didn't we all want our own P-38 sometime in our life? I wanted one but knew it was beyond even dreaming about it.

[@GRosa250]

I always wondered why the F-35 is called the Lightning II and then I remembered the P-38 Lightning. Such a cool plane and amazing to see it still flying.

[@BillyJ244]

This is without a doubt my favorite WW2 aircraft.

[@gildiekhoff7315]

Just found this. Fantastic bird and video. 👍

[@rgarrison1819]

Those Bad Ass Forked Tailed Devils!!!!, Such a Sweet Airplane!!!!!

[@kcscarecrow]

My dad served in the South Pacific in the Marines during WW2. He always had a high regard for the P38 and its capabilities. He told of the airmen saving there necks in a number of situations. Really enjoyed the ride along. How does it handle compared to other modern day twin engine of comparable size.

[@user-bj1id4tp3i]

Eighty years ago, P38 flew in our skies.

[@jacktattis]

It was just behind the Mosquito in versatility and performance

[@ButchNackley]

That is an absolutely beautiful airplane. MSFS 2020; I flew the Flying Iron P-38L model around the world. 27 legs, Northern Hymosphere. The model is quite detailed in regards to systems, engine management and flight model. Very enjoyable.