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FAA Certified Repair Station
Custom Avionics Installation & Aircraft Maintenance Services
PROJECT P-38
HOME - PROJECT P-38
Our Journey Begins
The Texas dust has settled.
It's been 4 years since Jim was able to work on it and I get word that he wanted me to have the plane. He had left it in his will with the "option to buy" from his estate. It was a more than reasonable price...and the money would go to Aunt Mitzi's care. But wow...what a project!!
Oil Drained. Check!
These first few images are compliments of Tom at Poor Boy Avionics down in San Angelo. For a few years, he and his crew had been helping Jim and Mitzi. Great folks.
Anyway, it was nice to learn that the engine oil had been drained some time ago. With the dry Texas air, we figured that was a best case scenario.
Anyway, it was nice to learn that the engine oil had been drained some time ago. With the dry Texas air, we figured that was a best case scenario.
Twin Booms!
There is a lot to take in on this picture...and a bit of a mystery that took a while to solve on the way the tail booms have a small open joint in between them and the main body of fuselage.
TSIO-360-RB
Two of them to be exact. These are the same turbo charged engines on the Seneca V, and they generate 220 HP. Also they sound amazing!
Critical Engine x2
Jim had originally installed the engines and build the cowlings around them with the propellers counter rotating inward--the way that most twins do. But he later decided that the airplane wasn't as smooth as he would like and he decided to change the engines from left to right, and the other way around. So that they would counter rotate outboard. Which is what the full scale P-38 engines do. All except the very first one that is--and that one crashed. Hmmm...maybe Jim was on to something!
Anyway, here you can see that they rotate outboard.
He completed the engine swap but wasn't able to get the engine cowlings completed--so that they would fit back again correctly.
Anyway, here you can see that they rotate outboard.
He completed the engine swap but wasn't able to get the engine cowlings completed--so that they would fit back again correctly.
Up Close and Dirty
Even as dirty as she is, you can see the attention to detail that Jim had put into the plane.
Toby's Big Adventure
We went down to check things out. My friend Steve Michael, Toby and I went down in April. Toby liked San Angelo. It wasn't that hot then...
Looking Better!
Steve and I worked all day that first day just getting things cleaned up. Pressure washing the floor, scrubbing the plane and throwing things away. We could start to see things a little better then.
Better, But NOT Good
This is the first time N38PJ has been cleaned up in years and it shows. The shine is lost, but will return. Just wait!
Jim's Garage
This is the old style metal lathe that Jim used to fabricate many of the turned parts and pieces of the plane.
Jim's Garage
See if you can figure out what this tall piece is.
Jim's Garage
Pretty much the same as the last time I was here years ago. Pieces and parts and tools...
Jim's Garage
He spent years in here and in his office. I wish I had take pictures of this office!
Figure it out?
Well if you didn't figure out what that piece was...now you know!
The Nose Gear Door
Jim was a brilliant person. A professor of aeronautical engineering and a literal rocket scientist...and figuring out the mechanism for this gear door kicked his butt. He completed the final drawings, and built the door plus a few of the smaller parts. But the final work is still to be completed.
Working the Flaps!
For the first time in years, we work the flaps. There is a small lever inside on the lower left hand portion of the cockpit...next to your left knee. For each 180 degree rotation of that knob, it raises or lowers the flaps by 5 degrees. Pretty amazing.
There are four sections of flaps, one on each side of the two engines.
There are four sections of flaps, one on each side of the two engines.
We will update this section soon. As many of you know, a lot has happened!
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