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There was no doubt about it. The P-38 (Peter Three Eight); airplane had a unique profile and a reputation as a fine fighting plane in both World War II and the Korean War. Pilots became fond of these powerful planes with such an interesting profile.
Built by Lockheed, this single seated fighter had a speed of 395 miles per hour, carried a 120mm cannon, 4.50 caliber machine guns in the nose and a 2000 lb bomb load. It was a highly respected opponent in the air.The pilot's cabin was built between two tail-like pods and it looked much like a flying catamaran. At least that is what I thought when a former P-38 pilot asked me to paint a picture of it. He provided me of a black and white war photograph from a Aeronautical publication that depicted a P-38 in flight and fight, having just finished off a Japanese Zero warplane that was smoking, flaming and spiraling downward to the sea.
It was fun to paint different subject matter and I included both planes in the painting. It turned out very well. The gentleman, who bought it, owned a business of supplying parts for the aircraft industry and the painting hung in his office for many years.
As time went by, his business expanded to include international companies and soon he was having visits from Japanese businessmen in his office. He became uncomfortable with the downed Zero in this painting and felt it could understandably be offensive to his customers.
I told him to bring back the painting and I would make that Zero disappear behind a puffy cloud. Abracadabra! First you see it, then you don't! I did just that and the painting returned to his office.
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