**** DONE: 1/48 P-38J Lightning 44-23675 "Les Vin, Les Femmes, et Les Chansons"

[ozhawk40]

Certainly was Vic. I'm hoping I'll have a couple of newspaper clippings to post soon, fingers crossed.



Cheers

Peter

[Airframes]

That's fantastic Pete ! It's great when you get to know the personal side of the pilot/crew who's model you've built.

[vikingBerserker]

Wow Peter, that's just cool as hell!

[JP Vieira]

Good job

[Jabos]

Hello, I just found this thread and want to congratulate you on this model. What a great job you did Peter. I am very impressed with the background work you did. Thank you for buying my book. I'm happy you were able to use as a reference the photos I included. Major Sabo's P-38 has received more attention than any in the 370th. A plane starting to get some attention is Ian MacKenzie's Vivacious Virgin, with similar artwork to Sabo's Lightning. For whatever reason, my grandfather (in the 370th too) didn't paint up a 38 for himself. He did a 51 though, "Nancy Lee".

The video stills you posted are from that old documentary "Wings". The narrator says something about P-38s in Italy, but it is clearly 370th birds. After viewing tons of photos of the 370th pilots, and attending reunions to get to know the men personally, I can say I have no idea who that pilot is with Sabo's plane. Did the family confirm it is him? I never did think it looked like Sabo, but I don't recognize who it is. His kiss and pat of the nose art is pretty "cheesy" and is all staged. I have tried to find the source of that video and even spoke with the filmaker of that documentary, a man from Australia. He said he didn't note where he found that footage, but suspected there was much much more of the 370th that he used. I think it came from the National Archives. In his research he said a film might be marked B-26, but then after a few minutes of footage it would be something completely different. Perhaps someday I will go to D.C. and find that film.

Anyway, great job!

Jay Jones

[ozhawk40]

Thanks Jay

I've found lots of footage of p-38's at Florennes A-78 at this site:

CriticalPast.com: Historic Stock Footage and Archival Video Clips and Photo Images from the 1890s to the 1990s

Might just save you a trip to D.C.!

PM sent with more info.

Cheers

Peter