The Lightning was designed in 1937 as a high-altitude interceptor. The XP-38, the first one built,
made its public debut on February 11, 1939 by flying from California to New York in seven hours.
Because of its unorthodox design, the airplane experienced "growing pains" and it required several
years to perfect it for combat. Late in 1942, it went into large-scale operations during the North
African campaign where the German Luftwaffe named it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel"--"The
Forked-Tail Devil." Equipped with droppable fuel tanks under its wings, the P-38 was used
extensively as a long-range escort fighter and saw action in practically every major combat area of
the world. A very versatile aircraft, the Lightning was also used for dive bombing, level bombing,
ground strafing and photo reconnaissance missions.
The P-38 was the pre-eminent fighter in the Pacific. It was the only plane that could manage
long-distance missions across vast stretches of ocean, and many badly damaged P-38s made it
safely back to base on one engine. Majors Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire, the two
top-scoring USAF aces of all time - flew P-38s in the Pacific, as did Colonel Charles MacDonald,
the third-highest scoring P-38 ace, who ranks fifth over all.
P-38s were involved in what is regarded as one of the most significant missions in the Pacific.
U.S. learned the travel itinerary for Admiral lsoruku Yamamoto, a brilliant strategist and architect
of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. P-38s made the 1,000-mile round trip from Guadalcanal to
Bougainville in the Solomon Islands. In a perfectly timed aerial ambush, two Mitsubishi bombers -
one of which contained Yamamoto - and five Zeros were shot down.
Despite its distinguished record, few P-38s survived the end of the war. At a time when the first
jets were coming into service, the U.S. military designated the P-51 Mustang as its main
propeller-driven fighter. Many Lightnings were broken up overseas rather than being transported
back to the U.S. for disposal. By the 1980s, only half a dozen in flying condition remain.
SPECIFICATIONS (P-38L)
Span: 52 ft.
Length: 37 ft. 10 in.
Height: 12 ft. 10 in.
Weight: 17,500 lbs. loaded
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon
Engines: Two Allison V-1710s of 1,475 hp. ea.
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 414 mph Cruising speed:
275 mph Range: 1,100 miles Service Ceiling: 40,000 ft.
For further information and research material on the web
go to
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p38.htm
P-38 Description Cockpit German Luftwaffe named it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel"--"The Forked-Tail Devil."(Click on VIDEO)Colligo CorpInternet: www.ultimatebook.com
