Vintage shots from days gone by!

"chinese fire drill"

 

The Dodge Brothers bakery truck photo from Kent, Washington in the first photo was posted earlier. Here is what the place looks like today in the second photo...

 

My favorite plane of WWII, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was, IMO, one of the bitchin-est
looking, tough and versatile machines of the war. The AWESOME photo here shows
how all armament was concentrated in the single, central nacelle, making the P38 a
flying buzz saw, accurate at up to a thousand yards, without the confusing converg-
ence patterns that plagued other fighters. Luftwaffe pilots nicknamed this nemesis
"fork-tailed devil." Besides four Browning 50s, they also carried a 20-mm Hispano-
Suiza cannon specifically for antiaircraft purposes and could carry up to 2,000 pounds
of bombs. First flown in January '39, the P-38 was the only plane in production
throughout U.S. involvement in the war.




Here, THANKS to Wikipedia, 1st Lt H. A. Blood and an ordie examine ammunition for the 20 mm cannon.
BADASS! (BTW, Wikipedia is in the middle of their annual campaign. I mention this because we
utilize Wiki and many other sources on this popular HAMB thread. With the recession still on, I'm sure
they could use ANY financial support anyone can spare. Just call up any subject on Wikipedia currently,
and you can read Jimmy Wales' pitch. Thanks!)

 

Dramatic photo from a March 1944 capability test was apparently used for public information.
According to Wikipedia, the Army Air Force cutline read in part, "Orlando, Fla. - Barely visible
beneath the wings of a Lockhead P-38 Lighting are the deadly bombs with which this multi-purpose
plane can blast enemy troops, ships and gun emplacements. As shown in recent demonstartion
at the AAF Tactical Center, Orlando, Fla., the Lockhead P-38, now being used as a fighter-bomber,
is capable of carrying bomb pay loads up to 2,000 pounds, thus affording the Allies another potent
weapon for use against Germany and Japan in coming offensive."

 

Doubtful even the most trigger-happy allied pilot could mistake the explicit
invasion scheme on this P-38, shot during pre-invasion maneuvers in the English
countryside. Photo thanks to Wikipedia!

 

P-38s in formation over France

 

Cockpit of a P-38G

 

"Aw, shit! There goes one of my stripes!!!"
(Check the props.)

 

Limping safely back after a slug fest on Iwo Jima, this P-38 has the left
engine out, a big hole shot through the right wing, and the right Allison
is on fire. Takes a lickin' and . . . well, you know the rest!

 

Here, during peak demand, Lockheed moved P-38s outdoors
for final assembly!

 

Just as at the end of WWI, once-precious war materiel was just useless impediment
at the conclusion of WWII. Here, an amazing pic of P-38s piled up in an aircraft
graveyard in the South Pacific.

 

OOPS! Oversight! All of the last five pix are THANKS to the P-38 National Association. They have a TON more great stuff on this exceptional fighter/bomber/strafer/etc./etc.!

 

Fighter bomber? But I thought you said 'Fighter/Sub'.

Doc.

 

One of my all time favorite warbirds too,
IIRC the Japanese had another name for it as well, translated into something like "Two planes, one pilot".

 

Awesome pics. My favorite plane as well. This photo of the pile of discarded P-38's brought a tear to my eye...what a waste.

 

The one at Reading air musuem is getting closer to being able to be flown.

 

Since we're on the P-38, here's a page on my Military Vehicle Club site of pictures I took of Glacier Girl after she was restored after being recovered from under 268 feet of ice in Greenland.

http://tired-iron.mounet.com/gg.htm

 

They are still open today. Same family. photo 11198

 

+1000 on the favorite plane thang...that was the first model I ever built.

 

Is this the one you are referring too ??

 

Mackinac Bridge opening

Cars waiting for a ferry to cross into Michigan's U.P. before Mackinac Bridge was built.

 

Detroit