Surviving P-38’s

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.

We owe a special thanks to Pat Carry for keeping us up to date on the surviving P‑38s listed here.

As of March, 2021, there are currently nine P-38s that are not only airworthy but are participating in air shows around the world. They are:

23 Skidoo (CA)  |  Glacier Girl (TX)  |  Allied Fighters (CA)  |  Red Bull (Austria)  |  Scat III (MN)  |  Tangerine (OR)  |  Thoughts of Midnite (CA)  |  White 33 (CO)  |  Collings (MA)

When you click on the thumbnail +, it will take you to a larger version of the photo. Just click the x at the top to close and come back here.

Name / Photos

Owner / Location

Model

Serial #
Civ. Reg. #

White 33

P-38F-5-LO

42-12652

AIRWORTHY

Recovered from PNG (Papua New Guinea)

(10-17-2016)
Airworthy thanks to Westpac Restorations in Colorado.

Now located at the National Museum of WW 2 Aviation 

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

Red Bull
Austria
Salzburg Airport

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.

Collings

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

P-38J-20

44-23314
N138AM

AIRWORTHY & Flying!

National Air and Space Museum

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.

National Museum of the USAF

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

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)

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).

Fantasy of Flight

Kermit Weeks P-38L-5 (F-5G)

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.

Yanks Air Museum

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

Elmendorf AFB
Anchorage, AK

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 Air Museum
Santa Teresa, NM

P-38L-5
(F-5G)

44-27053
NX65485
NX345
N345
N345DN
N577JB

AIRWORTHY Static Display

Pudgy

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.

Hill Aerospace Museum

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.

Flying Heritage Collection

P-38J-15

44-104088
N5260N
N38LL

Damaged at Breckenridge Air Show 1994

We are trying to determine the status of this airframe and whether it is still in inis location.

Thoughts of Midnite

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.”

Allied Fighters

Jack Croul
Allied Fighters
Chino, CA

The Allied Fighters website does not seem to be available any more.

We are tryiing to find out the status of Jack Croul’s P-3, (Honey Bunny). If you have information on its current location, please let us know! (Contact Us page

P-38L-5
(F-5G)

4-26981
NX53752 (1946)
NL53752 (1948)
CF-GCH (1951)
N5596V (1956)
N7723C (2005)

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.

We have heard mixed messages about whether the Honey Bunny nose art was removed after Jeff’s untimely death in 2013.

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.”

Marge

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.

Read about P‑38 ace, Richard Ira “Dick” Bong.

Scat III

P-38L-5
(F-5G)

44-27231
NX79123
N79123

AIRWORTHY & Flying!

Renamed “Scat III” (2015)

Renamed “Ruff Stuff” (2012)
Ruff Stuff story

 

Glacier Girl

Rod Lewis, Lewis Air Legends
San Antonio, TX

Formerly housed at the Lost 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 the entire Glacier Girl story.

Scarlet Scourge

Unknown

Previous owner:
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.

According to their website: Lockheed P-38H Lightning, now in private hands in the U.K. To be rebuilt to flying condition.

Tangerine

Jack Erickson
Erickson Aircraft Collection
Tillamook, OR

P-38L
(F-5G)

44-27083
(also reported as 44-53018)
NX75551
N75551
N502MH
N2114L

AIRWORTHY & Flying

Save the P-38

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