Original U.S. WWII Lockheed P-38 Lightning Steering Control Yoke Mounted on Display Stand with Small Model

Original Item: Only One Available. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is a World War II–era American piston-engined fighter aircraft. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament. Allied propaganda claimed it had been nicknamed the fork-tailed devil  by the Luftwaffe and "two planes, one pilot" by the Japanese.

This is a genuine Lockheed P-38 Lightning Steering Control Yoke from World War Two. Known as "The Guardian steering system" it featured a "bow-tie" shaped control yoke. This example was heavily modified and mounted to a display board so that it can be “used” and rotated as intended, with a small model of the P-38 attached to the top of the model. The “Extend Dive Flaps” and Microphone buttons were reproduced and added for display purposes. The buttons on both handles are original and still function, with three original wires protruding from the back of the yoke.

The CONSOLIDATED VULTEE cap on the center of the yoke is definitely original, and this is a very rare maker of of the P-38, having produced 113 examples of the P-38L design. This was of the most numerous variant, with a total production of 3,923 units. Lockheed production of the Lightning was distinguished by a suffix consisting of a production block number followed by "LO," for example "P-38L-1-LO", while Consolidated-Vultee production was distinguished by a block number followed by "VN," for example "P-38L-5-VN."

The entire display measures 14½ x 13½ x 5” and is offered in very good restored condition. Both trigger buttons and the buttons at the top of the handles are intact and still work. As mentioned, the Extend Dive Flaps button was built to mimic an original, and even moves up and down as intended. The Mic button is also a modern creation and similarly clicks. There is a card at the base for MILITARY GRAPHICS BY ROBERT BOLISH, who put together the display with the original yoke. The desktop display allows one to turn the yoke as if flying an aircraft. 

The P-38 was used most successfully in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations as the aircraft of America's top ace, Richard Bong. In the South West Pacific theater, the P-38 was the primary long-range fighter of the United States Army Air Forces until the introduction of large numbers of P-51D Mustangs toward the end of the war. Unusual for a fighter of this time, the exhaust was muffled by the turbo-superchargers, making the P-38's operation relatively quiet.

This is a really phenomenal display piece with the yoke of one of the most storied & mythical aircraft in American history. Comes ready for further research and display!