The Lightning. The Fork-Tailed Devil. Two Planes, One Pilot. These are names earned by one of the most feared American fighters of World War II, the Lockheed P-38. It was an odd but beautiful looking fighter. It was large, stood on tricycle landing gear, was mated with twin counter rotating turbosupercharged Allision engines housed in separate booms, and was designed around a central nacelle for the cockpit and armament consisting of four .50 caliber machine guns and a 20 mm cannon. When it first flew in 1939, it looked like nothing else in the air. Its unusual design made for the perfect platform for an effective multi-role aircraft. Besides a fighter, it was fighter-bomber, night fighter, pathfinder, and photo reconnaissance aircraft. While today the legacy of the P-38 is obscured in the shadow of the North American P-51 Mustang, aviation enthusiasts still remember the fearsome reputation the P-38 held in every theater of operations during World War II, especially in the Pacific. Richard Bong, America’s ace of aces during the war with 40 confirmed air-to-air victories, flew a P-38. Now is your chance to own a rare piece to the P-38 legacy. Offered here is a fabulous World War II A-2 flight jacket worn by P-38 fighter pilot Lt. W.T. Estabrook. Painted A-2 jackets worn by P-38 aviators are nearly impossible to find. Estabrook was assigned to the 394th Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group and piloted a P-38 named “Hey Stuff.” His A-2 flight jacket was manufactured by Poughkeepsie Leather Coat Co., is a size 40, and has a Talon zipper. The lining is stamped in black ink “ESTABROOK, W.T. Jr./0-756524” just under the maker’s label. The back of the jacket serves as the painted leather canvas for a delightful work of art depicting the nose art on Estabrook’s P-38J: “HEY STUFF” above Bugs Bunny holding his trademark carrot. Includes two photographs of Estabrook’s P-38 (modern copies): one photo shows only the P-38 which is clearly painted with the nose art that is replicated on the jacket and the other photo shows Estabrook with his P-38 which is decorated with a different “Hey, Stuff” nose art. Note that the mission tally painted on the P-38 uses carrots instead of the typical bomb silhouettes to complete the Bugs Bunny theme. Also with a B-6 leather flight helmet. Assigned to the 367th FG, the 394th FS trained in the single engine fighter the P-39 Airacobra and arrived in England to much surprise, as the squadron became equipped with the twin engine fighter, the P-38 Lightning. Additional training was required and the 394th began flying combat missions in May 1944. Some of the pilots entered combat with as little as eight hours of flight time in the P-38. The lack of training took a toll on the squadron as weather caused a loss of pilots and fighters. The squadron flew missions in support of the Normandy landings. In July, the squadron relocated to France and supported Operation Market-Garden by escorting troop carrying aircraft and attacking German flak positions and during the Battle of the Bulge escorted airborne resupply drops and conducted armed reconnaissance missions. The 394th received its first DUC for engaging more than thirty German Fw 190 fighters and weathering intense flak while attacking the airfields at Clastres, Péronne and Rosières-en-Haye. As many as 25 German aircraft were claimed to have been destroyed. On the way back, despite being low on fuel, the squadron attacked a train and convoy. In the afternoon, the squadron returned to the air and conducted a more than 800 mile fighter sweep. In 1945, the squadron was re-equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. The 394th earned its second DUC for targeting the headquarters of the German Commander-ln-Chief, West at Ziegenburg near Bad Nauheim, Germany. Despite senior German leadership surviving the attack, the headquarters was reduced to ruins. The squadron ended the war with 23 credited air-to-air victories.

Very good showing authentic use from being worn in the cramped cockpit of a P-38 Lightning with heavier wear visible on the sleeves, cuffs and waist band. The back of the jacket retains most of the strong, vivid paint. The heavily worn flight helmet is fair with a tear at the back. This is a very rare opportunity to acquire an A-2 flight jacket worn by a known P-38 aviator. It will be a stand out piece in the finest aviation collection.