DENIS SMITH wrote:

I've had the same dream!!  Several years ago I wrote
Lockheed in Burbank for some info on the P-38 and they
sent me a packet with photos and a three view drawing
of it.  Not much help as far as technical data but
enough to whet my interest!  The 20B might be better
for potential power.

Well,

You guys are not alone. I have had the same thoughts; er fantasy. There

is a

guy who has built a scale replica with two 4 cyl geo engines in it.

Maybe

we could buy the airframe real cheap after the engines cato.

One nice thing about the P-38 is that it was designed to utilize a
liquid-cooled, turbocharged, intercooled, engine. All the ducts are

already

there! Two turbo'd 20B's would be perfect. There is even a place for the
waste gate to exit. The local air museum has a GE turbocharger like the

ones

used in the P-38, quite an interesting piece of hardware. The turbo's

you

would have to use would be a different form factor than the original

axial

turbines, but you could still put them in the same place and exhaust

upward.

The P-38 definitely had a sweet sound from those turbines. The best of

both

worlds, turbine and piston sound {:-). If you guys find the financing

let me

know (wink, wink)

Monty

I remember reading about this Scaled Lightning in Sport Aviation.  After
some flight time the owner was underwhelmed with the performance.  He just
chose the wrong engine, thats all.  Do Dah Math!  It did look very sweet.  I
would have preferred it made with aluminum, but that's just me.

Congrats AI on the ticket.

Rick Bunnell
cvp@iowatelecom.net

 
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