Militaria Diecast 1:72 USAAF Lockheed P-38J Lightning Interceptor, MD2729641

Description: "Why should we have a navy at all? There are no enemies for it to fight except apparently the Army Air Force." - General Carl Spaatz, Commander of the US 8th Army Air Force, after WWII It was fast, heavily armed and extremely versatile. And many believe the Lockheed P-38 Lightning to be the finest American fighter of WWII. Its low-drag, aerodynamic shape and heavy weight enabled this twin-engine, twin-boomed aircraft to accelerate to high speeds faster than any previous warplane, making it a potent fighter and a superb fighter-bomber. Popular among fighter pilots, P-38s carried out the intercept mission that downed Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the Mediterranean, Luftwaffe pilots showed respect for the Lightning by calling it "der gabelschwanz teufel" (the forked-tail devil). The ultimate P-38 was flown by Dick Bong and Tommy McGuire, who were among the most successful American fighter pilots in history. Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USAAF Lockheed P-38J-10-LO Lightning interceptor that was nicknamed "Halakalea II" and piloted by 2nd Lt. Joseph E. Ficklin, who was attached to the 459th Fighter Squadron "Twin Dragons", 80th Fighter Group "Burma Banshees", then flying over Rangoon, Burma, on November 19th, 1944. New for 2024! #MD2729641 Dimensions: Wingspan: 8-3/4-inches Length: 6-1/4-inches Features: - Diecast construction - Interchangable landing gear options - Plexiglass canopy - Spinning propellers - Accurate markings and insignia - Comes with display stand Historical Account: "Twin Dragons" - The squadron was activated in August 1943 with Lockheed P-38 Lightnings and joined the 80th Fighter Group, whose three squadrons of Curtiss P-40 Warhawks had arrived in India in June. The group completed the China-Burma-India Theater training and entered combat in September. It supported Allied forces during the battles for northern Burma and the advance toward Rangoon bombing and strafing troop concentrations, supply dumps and lines of communications. The squadron helped protect bases in India from which cargo aircraft of Air Transport Command flew missions over the Hump to supply forces in China. It patrolled allied airfields and attacked Japanese airfields from which enemy interceptors operated. The 459th was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for destroying 119 enemy aircraft between March 11th and May 19th, 1944. The 459th Received a second DUC for intercepting a large formation of enemy aircraft while defending an allied oil refinery in Assam, India on March 27th, 1944. The squadron was credited with 66 aerial victory credits between December 1st, 1943, and January 13th, 1945. The first victory was earned by Capt. Hampton Boggs, who went on to become one of the squadron's aces. The unit continued in combat until about May 6th, 1945. Shortly thereafter, it was transferred to the 33d Fighter Group, returning with the 33d to the United States, where it was inactivated at the New York Port of Embarkation on November 5th, 1945. Please note: We happily combine multiple sales into one order to reduce shipping charges. Please contact us first to determine the cost of shipping before proceeding to final checkout so we can clarify the procedure with you.

Price: 49.99 USD

Location: Wesley Chapel, Florida

End Time: 2024-08-08T12:17:58.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD