P38 Lightning

[CAPP0]

Here in mid-Kent, just been overflown by what I believe may have been a P38 Lightning. Is this possible or likely? I was in the car, heard a tremendous noise, by the time I had got my head out of the window I only got a glimpse, but it definitely had twin vert stabilisers at the rear, and twin engines.

[ecsrobin]

CAPP0 said:

Here in mid-Kent, just been overflown by what I believe may have been a P38 Lightning. Is this possible or likely? I was in the car, heard a tremendous noise, by the time I had got my head out of the window I only got a glimpse, but it definitely had twin vert stabilisers at the rear, and twin engines.

Do you catch the colour, redbull own one which is chrome.

[CAPP0]

From what I saw it wasn't chrome, more likely a "traditional" colour. So they do still fly then?

[Ilovetwiglets]

I think there's an airshow in Sunderland this weekend, might be going there?

[Eric Mc]

The Red Bull one is the only example flying in Europe as far as I know.

[dr_gn]

CAPP0 said:

it definitely had twin vert stabilisers at the rear, and twin engines.

...but did it have twin booms to the tailplane? There are a few old aircraft around that have twin engines and two vertical stabilisers e.g:

[ecsrobin]

dr_gn said:

My suggestion would be the Netherlands historic flight B-25 as shown here as it's due at yeovilton for this weekends airshow.

[Dr Jekyll]

The P38 is also surprisingly quiet.

[nick heppinstall]

Could have been a Bronco ...

[CAPP0]

dr_gn said:

...but did it have twin booms to the tailplane? There are a few old aircraft around that have twin engines and two vertical stabilisers

Ha, I knew someone would ask that! In truth I did only get a glimpse and when I came home and Googled, I wasn't sure.

Per other posts above, the plane I saw was very loud - loud enough to make me stop and look up - and the story about the Yeovilton air show stacks up, the plane was travelling broadly west from Kent.

[jamieduff1981]

nick heppinstall said:

Could have been a Bronco ...

That's possible. The Bronco is due to fly at East Fortune tomorrow.

[aeropilot]

ecsrobin said:

dr_gn said:

My suggestion would be the Netherlands historic flight B-25 as shown here as it's due at yeovilton for this weekends airshow.

Good shout for what it might have been.

Whatever it was it wasn't a P-38, as said, Red Bull polished metal one (Lefty Gardners' old 'White Lightnin') is the only one in Europe, and was only due over to the UK for Flying Legends (which it didn't unfortunately)