P-38 replica

[hang the expense]

The guy has a very understanding wife and she is a brave soul.Hats off to him for seeing the project through to completion.We all know of plenty of projects that turn into conversation pieces.good looking plane

[marine air]

They always travel together. Been married 60 years, no kids. He's older than he looks. He said the P-38 is faithful to the original in that it is to scale, has like a 37' wingspan, Davis wing/ airfoil etc. They did tweak one or two things on the ailerons, etc. This was upon the advice of a couple of the original engineers that were still alive when he started the project.
He says it is very stable and easy to fly. Very stable and solid like the Navion he used to own. On landing he brings it in at Navion speeds and it floats during the flare. Redline (Vne) is a couple hundred knots, limited by down elevator trim. Aircraft wants to go a lot faster.
He said, being an amateur pilot, he has not wrung it out or done a lot of single engine, VMC stuff. He's 80 plus and only got his multi-rating to fly this airplane. The fuel system is not original. one tank in each wing and crossfeed,that's it. Reminded me that Ezell Aviation had made a similar mod to the Red Bull P-38's fuel system.
Nice folks.

[Dan Jones]

That thing was one hell of a pile of work. What an accomplishment!

[menards]

He said, being an amateur pilot, he has not wrung it out or done a lot of single engine, VMC stuff. He's 80 plus and only got his multi-rating to fly this airplane. Nice folks.

I can hear my flight instructor telling me "There are bold pilots and old pilots but no old,bold, pilots"