Scatterbrain Kid II News

[MattP38]

I guess the question I have is why is it registered in Seattle? Will it be moved out there and restored, or is that just a business for registering warbirds?

Flying Heritage Collection = Paul Allen, who is based in Seattle.

Paul Anka, he flies warbirds?! I hope the Kid takes to the skies once again. I love the fact that the number of airworthy P-38s slowly but steadily increases.

That was one ugly-ass paint job.

[Matt Gunsch]

Another one of those Garys' gonna be mad (he was probably there and watched it happen) but all in all it doesn't look that bad given todays value of a flying P-38. I don't know how it fits in with the USAF vs. CAF lawsuit, but it was part of the P-82 trade deal at one time. The most difficult part would be to get rid of that ugly ass paint job. Thats one that should have been on the ugly paint job thread.

I don't know if Gary was there, but I was. I was helping them work on it, it had a rough running right engine, all the plugs were pulled, cleaned and tested. I helped to reinstall them. The plane was taken out and a run up performed and it passed the ground checks. We cowled it up, and I helped the passenger up the steps and then stowed the boarding ladder.
I watched White Lightning take off with Kid right behind. Just at rotation, both engines started pouring black smoke, there was not enough runway left to stop, so the pilot climbed as high as he could, and went a long way on runway heading, he then did a shallow lt turn and dissappeared.
White Lightning and the Zero knew the rough area but that camo paint really worked well, that and all the scrub and dirt that was kicked up onto the plane. After 10 or 15 min, the Zero found the P-38 on the ground, with the pasenger standing on the wing waving. A Blackhawk that was at the show picked them up and took them to the hospital. The pilot was knocked out, and the passenger, Lori was not injured. Lori had to kick her way out of the back canopy, she then pulled the pilot out, and then turned off the fuel, notice I said she turned it off, the FAA said the pilot took off with the selectors in the drop tank postition selected, and this was after Lori told them SHE TURNED THEM OFF, she told them that several times.

So the FAA blamed the pilot for taking off with the selectors in drop tank postition, even though they were told otherwise, just blame it on the pilot, and don't let facts get in the way.
Lori later got her A&P, and IA, and was working with the CAF wing in Lancaster, TX. I have not heard from her in several years, but she has alot of pictures of the kid at the crash site.

I haven't read the accident report. Was that the airplane's initial test flight, or had it been flying for awhile? Unusual that both engine's would calve like that together - almost makes one think she took on a load of bad fuel.

[Obergrafeter]

Good thing she didn't ride in the nose on that flight. I was at the FEB meeting in Midland and of course they didn't come up with anything. I was a witness at a different accident and that was also whitewashed, although the pilot took full responsibility, not like the P-38 where nobody has seen or heard or got 1 dollar back.

[Matt Gunsch]

I haven't read the accident report. Was that the airplane's initial test flight, or had it been flying for awhile? Unusual that both engine's would calve like that together - almost makes one think she took on a load of bad fuel.

The plane had been flying for a while. They had changed a tank out a couple of months before, and the plane had been running good at times, and bad other times. My personal bet is fuel tank venting. The pilot did nothing wrong, and did a hell of a job of keeping themselves in one piece.
As far as being in the nose, it is my understanding that no one was allowed to ride in the nose.

[Warbird Kid]

I am hoping that Paul Allen decides to restore this one as a night fighter. There's just no better answer!

[Jim MacDonald]

Can't figure out how to do the "quote" thing right!

Last edited by Jim MacDonald on Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Jim MacDonald]

Sometimes trying to keep track of who's plane is what, reminds me of Abbott & Costello's Who's on First. And in most cases...I Don't Know.

Mac

mtpopejoy wrote;
...so that means you're on third?

Naw, I'm Left Out!

Mac

[retroaviation]

I don't know if Gary was there, but I was.

Nope, I wasn't there yet. I did see Lori's pictures though. Holy smokes, it was fortunate they didn't get badly injured or worse in that one!

Gary

[MattP38]

Matt, thanks for sharing. I don't know if I had ever really heard what had happend in that accident. Thank heavens both made it out alright. I would be interested to see some photos should they ever surface. Are the engines beyond repair?

[Jesse C.]

I am hoping that Paul Allen decides to restore this one as a night fighter. There's just no better answer!

If I remember correctly, the M pieces came off another lighting that is still around, isn't it? So this bird was not really a night fighter model.

But it would be cool to see a black Lightining sitting on the ramp with a hump and a radar pod!

[Matt Gunsch]

I am hoping that Paul Allen decides to restore this one as a night fighter. There's just no better answer!

If I remember correctly, the M pieces came off another lighting that is still around, isn't it? So this bird was not really a night fighter model.

But it would be cool to see a black Lightining sitting on the ramp with a hump and a radar pod!

The rear canopy came off of Champlins P-38, the one that is now in Seattle.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 53097.html

[MattP38]

I am hoping that Paul Allen decides to restore this one as a night fighter. There's just no better answer!

If I remember correctly, the M pieces came off another lighting that is still around, isn't it? So this bird was not really a night fighter model.

But it would be cool to see a black Lightining sitting on the ramp with a hump and a radar pod!

The rear canopy came off of Champlins P-38, the one that is now in Seattle.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p38regis ... 53097.html

That looks good. I would not be opposed to an M model, so long as it is airworthy.

[maradamx3]

Man, it would be great to see Scatterbrain Kid II fly again. Last time I saw her fly was at the Gathering of Memories in San Marcos, I think. Many moons ago, when I was still in high school. I have the same looking pictures in the damaged state sitting in the hangar in San Marcos. It's time to get her back to her former glory; she's been sittin way too long.

Tommy