WWII pilot, 101, gets one last flight in his 'godsend' P-38

The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colorado) ^ | October 19, 2016 | Tom Roeder

[EveningStar]

Frank Royal's Air Force took off at 1:38 p.m.

A vintage aircraft clawed through the air followed by two chase planes, one carrying the 101-year-old pilot.

The last plane in the formation brought a tear to Royal's eye. Its sleek lines still raise his pulse. He can hear the thrum of its twin engines without his hearing aids - World War II ingrained the 24-cylinder symphony permanently in his mind.

He has good reason to remember the details. That very plane, a fully restored P-38 Lightning named White-33, was Royal's first love.

And he flew over Colorado Springs to tell her goodbye.

[TXnMA]

Shortly after WWII, at Ellington Field, I (as an 8-year-old) got to look into the cockpit of a P-38 on static display. I was a pretty small kid, but it looked like even I would be cramped in that tiny little "tub"...

Lived right across the Galveston Highway from Ellington during WWII, and spent many enjoyable hours on my back on the lawn, watching P-38s & P-51s do mock dogfighting. Usually the dogfights were between two planes of the same type, but, occasionally a P-51 would "jump" one of the better P-38 pilots.

The P-38 could out-turn -- and, for short distances -- out-climb the P-51, but the P-51's superior speed allowed it to run circles around the P-38. And, sooner or later, it would get into firing position where the P-38 couldn't escape -- and would "wax" the P-38.

[Tallguy]

The P-38 was built around her turbo-chargers. The Brit engines used mechanical superchargers. Different beast entirely.

[okie01]

Well, the original P-38 was a single engine, dual-wing aircraft.

With all due respect, you are mistaken.

The original P-38 -- and every one that followed -- were all twin engine, twin boom aircraft.

[okie01]

The P-38 was built around her turbo-chargers. The Brit engines used mechanical superchargers. Different beast entirely.

Got to watch (and hear) a P-38 take off immediately post-war.

I can still recall the sound. It sounded like an angry swarm of bees...

[Jane Long]

My dear Dad worked on P-38’s, during the war.

[Jane Long]

Amen.

[Daffynition]

Across the pond:

And when the time came for Terry Prendergast to make his final sortie, his family wanted him to go in appropriate style. [RAF WW II pilot]

So they built a coffin in the shape of his beloved Hawker Hurricane fighter plane - complete with cardboard cockpit, wings, propeller and tailplane.

Both stories, acts of love.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-453975/The-final-WWII-ace-goes-grave-coffin-shaped-like-Hurricane-fighter.html

[BatGuano]

Either a snotty remark or just a P-51 pilot's kidding a P-38 pilot. I'll give Yeager the benefit of the doubt and pick the latter. Allison made fine engines.
It's like the joke we used to make about Pan Am, “the world's most experienced airline.” They would have a mishap or an incident or an accident and we would say. Pan Am just had another ‘experience’!”
I have heard remarks that put Yeager in the “A’hole” category.
The other possibility is that this is a made up story.

[BatGuano]

Hey Ant, Better get back on those meds. You are SO wrong.

[Sivad]

“The other possibility is that this is a made up story.”

Given that Yeager has been a member of the Nevada County
Sportsmen Club since about 1982 and I have been a member
since 1987 I might consider the above as a snotty remark.
There is no possibility the story is made up.

Are there some people who like Ford pickups and say
uncomplementary things about Chevys and vice-versa?
I wouldn’t call that ‘snotty’.

As to General Yeager, he has always been friendly to
me and maybe that’s because I help cook his favorite
corned beef for the annual March meeting dinner. On
the other hand members on the rifle range have told
me he has pushed his weight around at times out on
the firing line. He is 94 or so and no longer shoots
that I know of. Last time I saw him was on a SF Giants
telecast. He was in the stands with his wife Victoria
and the broadcaster talked about him.

If you think there is the slightest possibility
that I am making anything up here then I invite
you to send me a private message.

[tophat9000]

Boy your not even close

That is a P38.. it has twin engines... im not sure what you mean by dual wing.. you talking a biplane?....and P51 is a Mustang... also Flying Tiger in not the name of a plane.. it the nickname of the AVG.. American Volunteer Group in China

[tophat9000]

Well, the original P-38 was a single engine, dual-wing aircraft.

No..it was not.... Google the story of the xp-38 ..you mat be confusing with the Bell P39 which is part of the same Army Air corps fighter competition as the P38

[T-Bone Texan]

"...We were at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport,..."

The most awesome museum on the planet.

I felt honored to be there, and got a cheap thrill when no one was looking and I actually touched one of the planes, I forget which. Maybe it was the SR-71, I forget. It was a big day for me.

That place is a testament to our greatness.

[beelzepug]

True enough. There was a plan to install the Merlin into a P-38 but it never happened. I believe the Rolls engines were superior to the Allisons. The turbo-charging set-up used in the P-38 was far too complex. The Shackleton patrol bomber was in active service until the early nineties powered by four Griffons. Anyway, I just enjoy speculating about what kinds of planes might have been.

[Tallguy]

The P-51’s were suckling up all the Packard-Merlins that were available. Curtiss-Wright stuffed a Merlin in a late model P-40 as an experiment, but went back to the Allison for the related production model. Even the post-war P-82 twin-Mustang used Allisons as Packard didn’t renew the licensing agreement.