Lockheed P-38L-5-LO Lightning "Pudgy (V)"

P-38L-5-LO “44-53186” was one of a hundred thousand plus aircraft ordered in fiscal 1944 by the U.S. War Department. The P-38 design had been improving rapidly as this aircraft was being assembled in 1945. 44-53186 would be born as an “L dash 5” P-38, considered the best and most capable of the fighter P-38 variants. All of the combat experience and hard lessons learned by the USAAF were poured into this plane, making it the deadliest Lightning to date.

For more information, please visit the Collings Foundation's website: https://www.collingsfoundation.org/2015/12/p-38-lightning/