P-38 mottled skin?

[oakranger]

Saw this video clip a 14th FG.  From :25 sec to :39 sec, you will see markings on the plane that suggest a desert camo.  Did any P-38 have a skin in desert or some mottle skin?

http://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675069415_Royal-Air-Force-33-Squadron_British-bomber-aircraft_in-flight_drop-bombs

[cactuskooler]

It would be new to me. I've not gotten to studying the 14th FG planes yet though.


Does look an awful lot like camo.

[Guppy35]

No images of it in the 14th FG history.  I have seen images of  MTO A20s that had similar splotchy camo.  Could be it was a one-off.  I don't think it was anything done group wide.

[oakranger]

No images of it in the 14th FG history.  I have seen images of  MTO A20s that had similar splotchy camo.  Could be it was a one-off.  I don't think it was anything done group wide.

That is what I am thinking.

[lyric1]

Nice find will dig about on that one.

[Soulyss]

I'm wondering if it was an export airframe that was retained by the AAF.

If anyone has a copy of Bodie's P-38 book take a look at the picture on page 101, it's a group of 38's being assembled in the UK.  In the same photo you see the stars and bars with what looks like the yellow surround that was used in North Africa next to another 38 with a similar mottled paint pattern. 

I don't have the scanner set up at the moment or I'd just post the pic.

[Guppy35]

I'm wondering if it was an export airframe that was retained by the AAF.

If anyone has a copy of Bodie's P-38 book take a look at the picture on page 101, it's a group of 38's being assembled in the UK.  In the same photo you see the stars and bars with what looks like the yellow surround that was used in North Africa next to another 38 with a similar mottled paint pattern. 

I don't have the scanner set up at the moment or I'd just post the pic.

Export birds were no supercharger, no guns.  They were kept stateside for training.  The 38s going to North Africa shuttled from England to the Med.  Technically 1st, 14th and 82nd were originally 8th AF Fighter Groups

[Soulyss]

Ya got me, all I know is there's a picture of a 38 on page 101 with a similar camo pattern to what's in the video.

[oakranger]

Ya got me, all I know is there's a picture of a 38 on page 101 with a similar camo pattern to what's in the video.

Intresting to find out about it.

[Guppy35]

Ya got me, all I know is there's a picture of a 38 on page 101 with a similar camo pattern to what's in the video.

I stand corrected.  Your eyes are better then  mine

Caption says these are birds being assembled in England at Speke.  These would have been on the move to North Africa so that camo bird would most likely have been one of them, unless it's a recce 38.  Can't tell if it's a gunned version or not and the image doesn't scan and blow up very well.

[gyrene81]

the mottled bird had guns, you can see them clearly in still shot 32. still shot 34 shows a 4 on the right rudder. very cool find.

that 77 on the right fuselage, that a squadron number?

[Guppy35]

the mottled bird had guns, you can see them clearly in still shot 32. still shot 34 shows a 4 on the right rudder. very cool find.

that 77 on the right fuselage, that a squadron number?

I meant the one in the photo Soulyss is referring to. I posted it from the book he found it in

[oakranger]

the mottled bird had guns, you can see them clearly in still shot 32. still shot 34 shows a 4 on the right rudder. very cool find.

that 77 on the right fuselage, that a squadron number?

Yea, I spotted that too. This is a mystery, where the hell is Krusty or Ack-Ack? One of them usually have something about something.

[Soulyss]

Did a little more digging through Bodie's book and I think the best bet still revolves around the P-38's that were intended for RAF trials.  I haven't read the whole section yet but if I get the gist there were actually two different models that were originally meant to go to RAF service.  There were not originally contracted through the lend-lease program and the RAF effectively cancelled the order apparently causing some bad blood between Lockheed and the British government (I believe Lockheed nearly sued them in court). 

Apparently only part of the order were retained in the export version that we hear about, no counter rotating props, and no superchargers (used the V-171C engines). 

It get's a little muddled in that it seems a lot of this was going on right around and after the attack on Pearl Harbor so everything was a bit of a mess but I found the following bit.

Concurrently, there were 121 Model 322-62-18 (P-322-II) trainers that had been reworked at Burbank as part and parcel of the AAF contract that covered conversion of Lightning IIs into regular service type P-38F's and P-38G's.

All P-322-II aircraft were provided with V-1710F-2 engines (unsupercharged).  Most pilot and mechanics associated with the P-38F-15 ir O038G-15 airplanes probably never knew tha they had been laid out as British fighters, and it appears that most of them were ultimately sent to combat zones.

That in of itself raises yet more questions (mostly about the super charging), but I really wonder if that airframe didn't begin as part of the RAF order, was painted then finished life in the AAF.

[oakranger]

Did a little more digging through Bodie's book and I think the best bet still revolves around the P-38's that were intended for RAF trials.  I haven't read the whole section yet but if I get the gist there were actually two different models that were originally meant to go to RAF service.  There were not originally contracted through the lend-lease program and the RAF effectively cancelled the order apparently causing some bad blood between Lockheed and the British government (I believe Lockheed nearly sued them in court). 

Apparently only part of the order were retained in the export version that we hear about, no counter rotating props, and no superchargers (used the V-171C engines). 

It get's a little muddled in that it seems a lot of this was going on right around and after the attack on Pearl Harbor so everything was a bit of a mess but I found the following bit.

That in of itself raises yet more questions (mostly about the super charging), but I really wonder if that airframe didn't begin as part of the RAF order, was painted then finished life in the AAF.

This might be one of these things that we may never know.