A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

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  • John of Phoenix
    Senior Member
    • Jun 2001
    • 31214

    A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

    Technical Report APA-TR-2010-1201; Title: Der Gabelschwanz Teufel - Assessing the Lockheed P-38 Lightning; Abstract: Technical and historical analysis of Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft; Published:October, 1992; Updated: 1999, 2010.


    No small statement here -

    The P-38 was without doubt the strategically most important American fighter of World War II.

    A swarm of Fork-Tail Devils.

  • Chip-skiff
    Wolves Without Borders
    • Jan 2008
    • 22764

    #2
    Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

    Thanks for that.

    My Da was an engineer at Lockheed and worked on the P-38, then went to England to supervise the re-assembly of the aircraft (mostly P-38s and Hudsons) shipped across. He was both an inspector and a test pilot, as he had to take each reassembled plane up for a shakedown flight. Lockheed painted the insignia on each plane but the guns were mounted by the US Army Air Force, after delivery. So he was flying craft that were marked as warplanes but had no armament. This was during a time when German fighters made regular forays through British airspace. Here he is in the cockpit of a P-38.




    What with mechanical problems and being shot down when his evasive maneuvers failed (most often in the Hudsons) he survived quite a few ditches and crashes. He loved the P-38 because he could evade the German fighters and get back in one piece. When he was repatriated, he came home on a ship, and despite having offers from a number of airlines, decided his luck in the air was used up, whence he turned to civil engineering.

    My first big hope was to be a pilot. Since I had horrible distance vision, that was also my first big disappointment.

    Comment

    • John B
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2000
      • 31703

      #3
      Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

      Fascinating ,Chips!
      Funny how word association goes , I see P 38 and think 'Bong'. ( yeah yeah, no not that one)

      Comment

      • Chip-skiff
        Wolves Without Borders
        • Jan 2008
        • 22764

        #4
        Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

        Originally posted by John B
        Fascinating ,Chips!
        Funny how word association goes , I see P 38 and think 'Bong'. ( yeah yeah, no not that one)
        This one?



        Comment

        • John B
          Senior Member
          • Aug 2000
          • 31703

          #5
          Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

          Chips... I wouldn't know what he looks like but I'm sure that's him.
          Yamamoto is the other word/ name I associate with P 38. Did they get the whole aircraft, I forget whether it was shot down over land ... I thought over sea?

          Comment

          • John of Phoenix
            Senior Member
            • Jun 2001
            • 31214

            #6
            Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

            That's a great story about your dad, Chip. Flying unarmed combat had to be a challenge.

            I got to spend some time with a P-38 that was being rebuilt at Barstow-Daggett airfield. It was amazing how similar the cockpit layout of that old war bird was to a modern aircraft.

            Comment

            • Nicholas Scheuer
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2006
              • 13579

              #7
              Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

              Yes, the pic in #4 is Bong. He's big in Wisconsin.

              Comment

              • David W Pratt
                Senior Member
                • May 2005
                • 12324

                #8
                Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                "Schwanz" means something other than "tail"

                Comment

                • purri
                  Senior Member
                  • Sep 2009
                  • 12954

                  #9
                  Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                  it certainly does. Maybe that's why Kevin was so popular in Germany.
                  Xanthorrea

                  Comment

                  • Lew Barrett
                    Landlocked
                    • Dec 2005
                    • 30035

                    #10
                    Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                    Schwantz, a small but important difference, though they are homophones.
                    One of the most enduring qualities of an old wooden boat is the smell it imparts to your clothing.

                    Comment

                    • purri
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2009
                      • 12954

                      #11
                      Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                      My German late MIL thought it was a hoot.
                      Originally posted by Lew Barrett
                      Schwantz, a small but important difference, though they are homophones.
                      Xanthorrea

                      Comment

                      • WX
                        Uki NSW Australia
                        • Feb 2002
                        • 35916

                        #12
                        Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                        Originally posted by The Bigfella
                        497 air-air victories in the ETO, 1,431 in the Med, 1,700 in the Pacific and another 157 in the China, Burma, India theatre.

                        .... as a matter of interest, I saw (have a photo somewhere) some of the damage inflicted in the most famous P38 engagement. The assassination of Admiral Yamamoto. The seat he was in when shot down has a nice bullet hole through the steel back. Its in the war museum in Port Moresby, PNG
                        I've seen it and touched it.
                        Without freedom of speech, we wouldn't know who the idiots are.

                        Comment

                        • epoxyboy
                          Senior Member
                          • Sep 2005
                          • 6213

                          #13
                          Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                          And for a completely useless piece of information, the wing for the Lockheed Constellation was basically a scaled up version of the P38 design.

                          Pete
                          The Ignore feature, lowering blood pressure since 1862. Ahhhhhhh.

                          Comment

                          • Dannybb55
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2012
                            • 1279

                            #14
                            Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                            The p80s wing has the same profile too. A signature planform. The only US fighter that could return to base with a feathered prop.

                            Comment

                            • Paul Pless
                              pinko commie tree hugger
                              • Oct 2003
                              • 124805

                              #15
                              Re: A very complete article on the development of the P-38 Lightning

                              Originally posted by Dannybb55
                              The only US fighter that could return to base with a feathered prop.




                              Simpler is better, except when complicated looks really cool.

                              Comment

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