Lockheed 422 P-38L Lightning

Lockheed 422 P-38L Lightning

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04/30/2008. Produced for the USAAF as a P-38L-5-LO, s/n 44-53254. It was one of 68 P-38L-5-LO's converted at Lockheed's Dallas Modification Center to an F-5G-6-LO, the last photographic-reconnaissance version of the Lightning. It featured an enlarged nose with four vertical photo cameras and one oblique at the front. It it went to the RFC at Kingman, Arizona, on February 20, 1946.

In April 1946 it was sold and came on the civil registry as NX25Y and was fitted with a solid nose. From 1947 to 1953 it was flown as Racer Number 14, still in the black colour it wore as an F-5G, and was named Sky Ranger, in 1953 registration changed to N25Y. In 1964 it was registered to Marvin L. "Lefty" Gardner and Lloyd Nolan, members of the Confederate Air Force (CAF) in Texas, in 1970 it was registered to Joe Henderson, another CAF-member.

Lefty Gardner became owner again in 1977 and for many years it was flown as a Racer, initially as Number 25, subsequently as Number 13; it was named White Lightnin'. On June 21, while being transferred by Ladd Gardner, Lefty's son, following an in-flight fire the aircraft crashed while making a forced landing in a cotton field. Substantial damaged, the aircraft was sold in 2005 after failing to raise fund to restore it.

New owner is the Red Bull organization at Salzburg, Austria, the aircraft is in the final stage of rebuilding at Ezell Aviation, Breckenridge, Texas, USA, and will appear in an overall bear metal finish.


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04/30/2008. Produced for the USAAF as a P-38L-5-LO, s/n 44-53254. It was one of 68 P-38L-5-LO's converted at Lockheed's Dallas Modification Center to an F-5G-6-LO, the last photographic-reconnaissance version of the Lightning. It featured an enlarged nose with four vertical photo cameras and one oblique at the front. It it went to the RFC at Kingman, Arizona, on February 20, 1946. In April 1946 it was sold and came on the civil registry as NX25Y and was fitted with a solid nose. From 1947 to 1953 it was flown as Racer Number 14, still in the black colour it wore as an F-5G, and was named Sky Ranger, in 1953 registration changed to N25Y. In 1964 it was registered to Marvin L. "Lefty" Gardner and Lloyd Nolan, members of the Confederate Air Force (CAF) in Texas, in 1970 it was registered to Joe Henderson, another CAF-member. Lefty Gardner became owner again in 1977 and for many years it was flown as a Racer, initially as Number 25, subsequently as Number 13; it was named White Lightnin'. On June 21, while being transferred by Ladd Gardner, Lefty's son, following an in-flight fire the aircraft crashed while making a forced landing in a cotton field. Substantial damaged, the aircraft was sold in 2005 after failing to raise fund to restore it. New owner is the Red Bull organization at Salzburg, Austria, the aircraft is in the final stage of rebuilding at Ezell Aviation, Breckenridge, Texas, USA, and will appear in an overall bear metal finish.