Warbird Information Exchange

No need to get off of your soapbox Gary. For those of us you have followed the rebuild from the beginning, it is amazing the level of craftsmanship that is displayed in the final result. If you compare it to what it looked like when it was first pulled out of the field after the wheels up landing it is like night and day.

I don't know why people get so wound up about how a private owner or consortium choose to paint their aircraft. Look back at what was said just in thread alone. You guys went on about why it doesn't have any national insignia on it. I didn't see a single person complain about how the entire plane is polished. How many fighters did you see in WWII that were polished? The simple fact is that we have another P-38 that will be flying and one that looks beautiful. Lets focus on that instead of how it's is or isn't correctly painted.

Well, perhaps I need to explain my previous post just a tiny bit more. I think that everyone is certainly entitled to their opinions on how the airplane should be (or should've been) painted, but for me, it's the craftsmanship that gets my full attention. If someone feels that it should've been painted white, or red, or green, or whatever, then that's their perogative. It's just MY opinion that Red Bull hit a home run when they chose Ezell Aviation to finish the airplane like they did, because even though a polished airplane is a crapload of work to keep shiney, there's nothing that shows off great sheet metal work better.

Gary

Ya know, words like Awesome, beautiful, Wowsers, and other words I could not possibly spell, just don't seem to..... say what most of us all feel bout, like Gary said, the Craftsmanship that went into the rebuild of this example of the P-38, I think I'll conclude with
D - A - Y - Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

[quote="retroaviation"] And I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but I've worked on Lefty's airplanes before, so trust me, even IF this P-38 hadn't been wrecked in a field, there were surely plenty of other maintenance issues that would make one scratch his head in amazement.

Amen to that, Brother
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

It's a nice shiny airplane, but I don't especially like it.

The air scoops on the booms over the wings are butt-ugly, not like any P-38, and really screw up the lines of the airplane. The profile of the nose doesn't look right. Neither does the sheet metal around the base of the windscreen or many other areas on the airplane.

To me this goes in the same category as Pardue's Sea Fury: Not really a warbird or a historic aircraft any longer, but a slick custom airplane loosely based on a warbird or historic aircraft.

I won't mind if I don't get to see this one.

August

I'm with Gary... that thing is a work of ART. It's beautiful. I can't stop staring at the early induction cowlings. If you don't understand what it takes to make a piece of aluminum look like that, and have it polished to perfection, go beat on one of your wives' cookie sheets for an hour and see what you end up with! They picked the PERFECT paint scheme (or lack thereof) for this bird.

And for the record if they DID add an early insignia, I'd probably pee myself.

With or without paint, the P-38 is one of the most beautiful airplanes EVER. I'm not sure I understand where youse troops that seem to want this one painted are coming from. It's a fan-DAM-tastic airplane AS IS.

Mudge the aesthete

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Land of the free because of the brave

Buy your own and restore it however you like

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real airplanes have round engines

Aah, sorry, I forgot only fawning praise of warbird restorers is welcome here.

August

I never suggested anything like that at all. He who pays the bills can paint his airplane (or house, or boat, or car) whatever color he wants or restore his airplane to whatever configuration he wants whether you like it or not. I don't think it is up to the many flight simulator warbird pilots who frequent this site to decry someone because their roundels are the wrong shade of blue or they have a GPS antennae affixed to the outside of their airplane. I don't hear you guys criticizing Mustang owners for having the second seat in the back as opposed to the original fuel tank. Can't we all just be happy that another warbird is back to fly another day?

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real airplanes have round engines

Well, we could, of course, but I don't think it's out of line to question things we don't like about a restoration, whether mechanical or paint. We have every right to critique, and owners and restorers have every right to ignore us. We all express views, positive and negative, about things in which we are not direct stakeholders (movies, sports teams, etc.) and I see no reason why somebody's airplane should be any different.

August

August, what a terrible thing to say. Your "Opinion" of the modifications Gardner made to this airplane in no way reflect upon the Ezzel Aviation crews work. Honestly, from what I can see in the photos, this is some of the finest fabrication work I've seen.

Gary, don't be to disapointed when the only things people really take note of and talk about are colors and options. Until those people have tried to make a piece of tin submit to their will or bend and route tubing with absolute precision, they will never understand what true patience and craftsmanship it takes to create a piece of artwork like this airplane. God...I'm almost beginning to fear the spring of 2009 when the Red Tail returns to the airshow circuit!

My "Opinion": Job well done Nelson and crew. You've re-created -better than original- Lefty's old steed and it's now a real eye-popper!

John

John, I'm not sure what you are talking about.

My main criticism is those hideous scoops on top which were never on it when Lefty owned it. Those are new. I don't necessary blame Ezell -- they were probably ordered by Red Bull, and I must admit they are well-made hideous scoops -- but somebody other than Lefty is to blame.

As you said, none of my comments to go Ezell's workmanship, I'm just saying I prefer accurate warbirds and this isn't one.

August

That is simply an awesome piece of airworthy art, and I defy anyone to question the quality of workmanship in that airplane. On the other hand, if I were ever able to restore a warbird I guess I would have to bury it immediately after completion (without photos) to keep everyone happy.

Fantastic work!
Scott

To me the P-38 looks great and it has a bit of a prototype look to it without the paint. I think it is going overseas, wish it could stay around the US for awhile.
And guys try to remember we are talking about a hobby here, there really are some more important life and death matters out there than a paint job, even one on a great old warbird.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK