Erv,
Through the research efforts of Terry Galbraith, it appears
that a P-38 in one of the WWII photos you have on the web site has a
story. It’s the picture I’ve attached. Terry’s
note to me below explains and should help you come up with a concise caption
for that photo.
My guess is the photo was taken here in late 1942 or early
1943, judging from the national star roundel without the bars on the side.
It’s the “Cowboy” marking next to it that draws the
attention. From Terry:
"Piggie-Back I" USAAC s/n 41-7485 was a Lockheed
P-38F-1-LO Lightning flown by Jimmy Mattern. His shows are quoted as
having a "cowboy" quality and his Lightning had been compared
to a "recalcitrant bronco" by aviation journalist Paul Pierce who
went for a ride with Mattern in April 1943.
At the time Mattern was a 10,000+ hour pilot, veteran Army,
barnstorming, mail flying world travelling pilot. As one of Lockheed's
test pilots part of his job was to tour Army fighter bases and training
commands to demonstrate single-engine and twin-engine techniques to commanding
officers and flight leaders so they could in turn teach their men.
These efforts did show a good return in a marked drop in
accident rates so were considered a success.
#485 wore OD and Neutral Grey early on but was overhauled
and stripped to NMF with a new paint job of red stripes for color.
Mattern liked custom made flight suits and had one with the
bucking bronco emblem embroidered on the back to match his ship.”
Jeff
JEFFREY
A. NASH, DAFC
Deputy
Director/Curator
Peterson
Air and Space Museum
21
SW/MU
150
East Ent Avenue
Peterson
AFB, CO 80914-1303
(719)
556-8314
FAX:
(719) 556-8509
DSN
Prefix: 834
"Faithful
to a Proud Heritage, A Tradition of Honor, and a Legacy of Valor" - from
"The Airman's Creed"