P-38 skin research help needed - 49thFG

[oboe]

Could anybody out there (Dan? Majors?) help me find more detail on this P-38L from the 49thFG/8th FS.  "Itsy Bitsy II" was flown by Major George Laven Jr.


Specifically looking for closeups of the nose and cowl art.    

Many thanks- I think this would be a striking skin, and I think it's possible that I'm related to Maj Laven.

[Guppy35]

Hi Oboe,

I can find 5 photos of Laven's Itsy' Bitsy II in my stuff.  No real close ups though of the cowl or engine markings.

Lots of photos out there of his early 54th FS P38E available too

He had a 4 kills while flying in the Aleutians with the 54th.  He was quite the character and a heckuva 38 driver.

His 38E was the original Itsy Bitsy and there are color shots that have her in it.

I'll get the scanner going shortly

Dan/Slack

[Shane]

trumpeter boxed this kit in 1/32nd scale... middle finger and all.  

if you can find a pix of the box art, or a scan of the decal sheet... it might help?


I have the kit, but no scanner... i'll try to find one and see about copying the decal sheet if you want?

til then these may help somewhat, hopefully...

http://s96920072.onlinehome.us/Rev1/501-600/Rev570_Trumpeter-P38_Tabsh/11.jpg

http://www.goodrichtoysoldiers.com/98277_p-38.JPG

http://www.diecastairplane.com/images/B11B545.jpg

[oboe]

Much thanks guys!

I think I need glasses - I had no idea that cowl art was a hand flipping the bird!    I thought it was a figurehead of something.

LOL I wonder how I could be related to this guy!   Shane, that 2nd link really helped - I might be able to reproduce it myself now that I know what its supposed to be.    I imagine it would be a popular skin.

I cannot make out what the mission markers on the nose are supposed to be.    This aircraft looks like it has 5 Japanese kill flags on it as well.

Thanks in advance for the scans!

[Guppy35]

Originally posted by oboe
Much thanks guys!

I think I need glasses - I had no idea that cowl art was a hand flipping the bird!    I thought it was a figurehead of something.

LOL I wonder how I could be related to this guy!   Shane, that 2nd link really helped - I might be able to reproduce it myself now that I know what its supposed to be.    I imagine it would be a popular skin.

I cannot make out what the mission markers on the nose are supposed to be.    This aircraft looks like it has 5 Japanese kill flags on it as well.

Thanks in advance for the scans!

btw Shane - that decal set has a different aircraft number - '20' instead of '44' - and the tail stripes are white - interesting.  There must have been more than one Itsy Bitsy II's.

Laven's story is an interesting one.  His last kill was a Japanese flying boat and was the last 38 kill of the war.  Apparently there is some debate as to whether he really got it in the air or whether it was on the water.  If it was the later he didn't make ace.  The black paint covered areas that had taken damage.

Photos of the real Itsy Bitsy II show it with 44 on the nose btw.

Just looked again.  That decal sheet has markings for two birds.  the 20 bird is a different P38 then Itsy Bitsy II


Dan/Slack

[Shane]

kit has both 20 and 44  

"20" is donald campbell with noseart being a weirdass moose/deer/elk head...

"44" is lavin.. lesee how many kill markings i can count on the sheet...  5 japanese flags and 18 strange locomotives.

i'll definitiely try and scan (in color) so you can pick up the finer detail/stencils.

[oboe]

Oh yeah, right you guys are - two birds.

If it was European Theater, I wouldn't hesitate to assume they were locomotives.   But that much rail traffic in the Pac Theater?

Is it possible?

And thanks for the scans of the decals, Shane.   Not sure how close I could get if I try to draw it on my own.