This aircraft was flown by Major Maurice R McLary of 55th Fighter
Squadron, in June 1944. The Lightning P38J 42-68131 KI-V familiarly
known as 'Murph III', featured noseart of the nude Murph carrying a bomb
with a flash of lightning running through her legs all faithfully
replicated on this model, as well as Major McLary's victory tally. Murph
III was lost on 2nd June 1944 but with a different pilot at the
controls.
The model comes in silver and black with yellow detail to propeller
spinners and tips, black anti glare shields and ID lights picked out in
red, green and yellow. The US Star is decorated in white out of blue on
the upper port side wing. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a successful
WWII American fighter aircraft built to a US Army Air Corps requirement
and entered service in 1941 and continued in production until 1945. With
its distinctive twin booms, the Lightning was known by the Luftwaffe as
the 'fork-tailed devil'. The aircraft is also highly popular with
model collectors and this authentic replica is certainly one worthy of
adding to your US WWII airfield.