Surviving P-38s
Following are a list of the surviving P-38s. Clicking on each picture will open a separate window if a larger picture is available. When you are finished looking at the picture, just close the window. This page will remain open. (Make sure your browser is not set to block pop-up windows or the enlarged photo window won't open. Your browser should also be at it's default setting of 100% to view properly.)
This list is compiled to the best of our ability. If you have updated info on these or any other P‑38s we'd appreciate hearing it!
Lockheed kept the model numbers in order before they modified special cases or photo-recons. Thus, the F‑5Gs were originally P‑38L models before they were modified. So, in the table below, they could have been modified for specialized use.
As of March, 2018, there are currently nine P-38s that are not only airworthy but are participating in air shows around the world. They are:
| Photo/Name |
Owner/Location |
Model |
Serial #
Civ. Reg. # |
Comments |
White 33
|
Feenix Partners |
P-38F-5-LO |
42-12652 |
AIRWORTHY Static Display
Recovered from PNG (Papua New Guinea)
(10-17-2016)
Airworthy thanks to Westpac Restorations in Colorado.
Links of interest:
Westpac Restorations
WW Woods & Co. |
Lizzie V
 |
Museum of Flight
Seattle, WA |
P-38L-5
(P-38M) |
44-53097
NL3JB |
AIRWORTHY Static Display
2015 noseart: Lizzie V |
|
Red Bull
 Formerly White Lightnin' |
Red Bull
Austria
Salzburg Airport
Also known as:
Flying Bulls |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-53254
N25Y |
AIRWORTHY & flying!
Fully restored to airworthiness at Ezell Aviation in
Breckenridge Texas in
June 2008.
Noseart: White Lightnin'
Read more about White Lightnin'
Crash landing in Greenwood, MS, June 25, 2001, it was restored to airworthiness and bought by the Red Bull company (the Flying Bulls).
Ezell used to have a great history of this restoration, but they have removed all the photos.
Circa 1948 |
|
Collings  |
The Collings Foundation |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-53186
N38EV
N505MH |
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
Purchased by The Collings Foundation in Aug 2015.
Restored and participating in air shows. |
23 Skidoo
Formerly Joltin' Josie, Porky II
|
Planes of Fame Museum
Chino, CA |
P-38J-20 |
44-23314
N138AM |
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
Original 23 Skidoo (with pilot P.J. "Perry" Dahl) |
 |
National
Air & Space Museum
(Smithsonian)
Washington, D.C. |
P-38J-10 |
42-67762 |
Static Display
Acquired from Army Air Forces Museum.
Has
been moved to the NASM's new building at Dulles
International Airport. Now on display. |
Formerly Country Boy II, City Slicker |
National Museum of the USAF
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH |
P-38L-5 |
44-53232
NX66678
FAH505
42-67855 |
Static Display
Former Honduran AF
(Painted as P‑38J when purchased by AF Museum in 1961.)
Another photo
Cockpit photo |
 |
Experimental Aircraft Association
Oshkosh, WI |
P-38L-5-LO |
44-53087
N3800L
N1107V |
Static Display
Currently
also being displayed with "Marge" nose art.
Bubble nose modification shown in B&W photo at left
was made post-war by Spartan Air Services, Ltd. for
aerial mapping duty (©Cartwright Aerial Services). |
No larger image. |
Kermit Weeks
Fantasy of Flight Museum
Polk City, FL |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-26761
N2897S |
Partial body
Damaged during Hurricane Andrew 1992. Stored pending restoration. |
Although there is no name on the plane, it has this great noseart!
|
Charles Nichols
Yanks Air Museum
Chino, CA |
Originally built as a P‑38L, it was converted to F‑5G before entering service. |
44-27183
NC62441
N62441
N501MH
N517PA
N718 |
AIRWORTHY Static Display
The Yanks Museum has a nice slideshow of their P‑38 here. (Just click on the image and it will begin.) |
 |
Elmendorf AFB
Anchorage, AK
*Thanks |
P-38G-10 |
42-13400
N55929 |
Static display
Served with the 54th FS, 343rd FG. Recovered
from Aleutians. Restored
___
29 July 2017
We just received word that the Airmen from the Aircraft Structural Maintenance unit assigned to the 3rd Maintenance Squadron at Elmendorf are restoring this! |
Relampago 
 |
War Eagles Museum
Santa Teresa, NM |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-27053
NX65485
NX345
N345
N345DN
N577JB |
AIRWORTHY Static Display |
Pudgy 
Pudgy being installed at McGuire AFB front gate (1981)
Pudgy being removed to relocate
to hangar on base (2015  |
Tom McGuire Memorial
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-53015
Also
listed as 44‑27183
N9957F |
Static Display
Read about P‑38 ace, Thomas McGuire here. |
 |
Hill Aerospace Museum
Hill AFB, UT |
P‑38J‑10‑LO |
42-67638
Displayed as 267638/85 |
Static Display
Crash landed on Buldir Island, AK, in
1944. Used as air-to-ground target practice for other P‑38s. Recovered in 1994 by Air Force Heritage Foundation and delivered to Hill AFB
Museum for restoration. |
Thoughts of Midnite
Formerly Putt-Putt Maru |
Charles Somers
Sacramento, CA
|
P-38L-5
(P-38M) |
44-53095
N9005R |
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
Fully restored and now back online.
Test flown by Steve Hinton in early
June, 2008.
Dec 09: New nose art: "Thoughts of
Midnite."
Vintage Putt Putt Maru
Aéro Journal Drawings |
Allied Fighters 
With Jeff Harris'
"Honey Bunny" noseart
 |
Jack Croul
Allied Fighters
Chino, CA
There is a wonderful slideshow on the Allied Fighters website. Check it out! |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-26981
NX53752 (1946)
NL53752 (1948)
CF-GCH (1951)
N5596V (1956)
N7723C (2005)
There is a full provenance of all these number changes on the Allied Fighters website.
|
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
This P‑38 was known just as the "Allied Fighters" P‑38 until Jeff Harris, its then present‑day pilot, asked to put the "Honey Bunny" noseart on it.
It remained there until Jeff's untimely death in 2013, and has since been removed.
The last we heard, this P‑38 as up for sale. Anyone have a few million to spare? Wish we did!
Here is a great tribute video to Jeff Harris. It's candid and it's very "Jeff." |
 No larger image.
Photo by Jim Lux
Pilot: Col. Sandy Sansing |
Flying Heritage Collection |
P-38J-15 |
44-104088
N5260N
N38LL |
Damaged at Breckenridge Air
Show 1994
Awaiting Restoration
Being restored at WesPac
(8-5-11)
Vintage Scatterbrain Kid |
Marge 
 |
Richard I. Bong Veteran's
Historical Center
Superior, WI
This website has a great interactive page (see left image). You roll over the P-38 and it will tell you what that part of the plane is! Try it here! |
P-38L-5 |
44-53286
42-103993
(Original "Marge") |
Static Display.
Restored by Minnesota
National Guard.
The
photo on the nose is his wife, Marge (nee) Vattendahl.
Richard Bong with "Marge" |
Scat III 
Present-day P-38 pilot
Kevin Eldridge with Scat III |
Ronald Fagen
Fagen Fighters WWII Museum
Renamed "Ruff Stuff" (2012)
Renamed "Scat III" (2015)
Ruff Stuff story (Download) |
P-38L-5
(F-5G) |
44-27231
NX79123
N79123 |
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
At the P-38 Museum before she was "Ruff Stuff" |
Glacier Girl
|
Rod Lewis, Lewis Air Legends
San Antonio, TX
Formerly housed at theLost Squadron Museum in Middlesboro, KY, which closed after the sale of "Glacier Girl."
|
P-38F |
41-7630
N5757
N17630
|
AIRWORTHY & Flying!
This twin-boom P‑38 Lightning lay buried under arctic ice for 50 years, and eluded recovery attempted by more than a dozen expeditions. Finally pulled piece by piece from under 268 feet of ice on the 13th effort to retrieve her, she was appropriately christened "Glacier Girl."
See entire Glacier Girl story here. |
Scarlet Scourge
 Photo by Paul Hastings
 |
Unknown
Previous owner:
Bob Jarrett, Classic Jets Fighter Museum
Adelaide, South Australia
|
P‑38H‑5‑LO |
42‑-66841
Also reported as: 42‑ 66851 |
According to Pat Carry, this plane was sold to someone in England and is currently undergoing restoration to flying status. |
Tangerine  |
Jack Erickson
Tillamook Air Museum
Tillamook,
OR |
P-38L
(F-5G) |
44-27083
(also reported as 44-53018)
NX75551
N75551
N502MH
N2114L
|
AIRWORTHY & Flying
Original Tangerine wreckage |
White 33 Airborn again!
