This fellow must have stood in line twice when God was passing out talent. I received the following from someone:

Jim O'Hara is a member of EAA chapter 493 in San Angelo. He is a retired college professor (I believe in Aeronautical Engineering) who learned to fly when he was about 60 years old. He's now 81 years old. 15 years ago, he began construction of a 2/3 scale P-38. Using information he obtained from various sources about the P-38, he drew up a set of plans using a computer aided design program. Jim and his wife Mitzi built the entire aircraft by themselves. He first flew his plane in July of last year, and has just completed flying off the time (I believe it was 50 hours). He designed the plane to have a small jump seat behind the pilot for his wife. She's tiny, and it's a good thing; the jump seat doesn't have much room.


He made his first cross-country with Mitzi from San Angelo to Fredericksburg Saturday, accompanied by many of his friends from Chapter 493.

What a fantastic achievement!!

NOW that is really NEAt!

Keith

Jumping Jeepers that is a cool little plane!

That's a beautiful airplane! What a talented pair. American ingenuity at it's best!

Too cool!!! Wonder where he got the 50 BMGs sticking out the nose?

MKane160

I found a few more pics, here are some showing the passenger:

I wonder id he reversed the rotation of both engines to make it a bit safer to fly?

BTW, the reason for the original "Both engines critical" rotation scheme was because it made the original aircraft
a significantly more stable gun platform.

Important in a machine designed for combat.

And who's to say that he has the entire 50cal.
Just mounting the barrels will give you the look without the weight or licensing issues.

AD

That is pretty . . . . no BEAUTIMOUS! !
Does anyone have more technical details on this plane? It aseems like he would have used CAD to give him some more cockpit space.


As I grew up south of ABQ, there was a guy from Socorro that would come busting by LOW in a real P-38. Like the throaty roar of a radial warbird, you could just tell it was him coming in the distance over any of the other multi-engine airplanes of the time (pre jet days other that fighters and B-52).

The roar of the engines of that era
(WW IIish)are so distinct.

Saw him again a few years later buzzing along the St. Augustines (Way before the VLA's existence.

A

You know, he could sell that airplane to Hollywood and it could be repainted for use in movies. Or he could rent it out for the same purpose. In any event, that is a beautiful labor of love become reality. As an attempted but failed Rand-Robinson KR-1 builder, I have to tip my hat to him. Fabulous airplane. Wondering what engines he used...

As a little girl my Mom said she used to watch Lightnings fly over by the dozens, on their way to Europe. She and my Aunts called them 'Cornstalks.'

How wonderful that would be! An awesome event!