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It is N57496

Posted by Richard Allnutt on Mon Dec 02, 2002 10:03:20 AM

In reply top No, I believe its N57496 posted by Joe Scheil on Mon Dec 02, 2002 09:42:02 AM

This aircraft is the Reilly machine, 44-53242. Tom does have wreckage from another P-38, but from what I saw at Kissimmee, it was far less substantial than N57496, and may indeed be included in the package as well. According to Kevin Grantham, in his excellent book on civilian P-38's "P-Screamers", N57496 was under ownership of Weather Modifications, Inc. of Redlands California when it crashed in the late 1950's near Bishop Airport, CA taking the life of its pilot, Joel Bishop. It was being used in cloud seeding and other weather related experiments. It had at one time been a racer, being entered, but not competing, in the 1947 Cleveland Air Races. At the time of its crash, it was no longer in race condition, having been substantially modified, with the inclusion of a second seat. If you are ever in, or have been, to Reilly's facility in Kissimmee, you will notice it as a large stack of red painted wreckage inside the main hangar... there are some parts from the other P-38 in the storage yard to the rear.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Richard

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