Lockheed P-38L Lightning

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 5

Speed: 7

Maneuverability: 3

Firepower: 6

Climb Rate: 9

Ground Attack: 6

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	327	344	360	390	408@ 26247'	180 mph	1:01	2:43	5:22
mph WEP	340	357	373	401	416@ 24934'
kph	528	554	579	628	656@ 8000m	290 kph
kph WEP	547	574	600	645	670@ 7600m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: April 1944

Primary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" (12.7mm) machine guns with 500 rpg in nose

Secondary Guns: 1x Bendix M2C 20mm (licensed Hispano II) cannon with 150 rpg in nose

Ordnance: 2x 250 lb (113 kg) or 2x 500 lb (227 kg) or 2x 1000 lb (454 kg) or 2x 2000 lb (907 kg) bombs or 2x 2,216 lb (1,005 kg) Mk.13a torpedoes or 2x 990 lb (449 kg) drop tanks on underwing pylons, plus 10x 136 lb (63 kg) 5" HVAR rockets

Engine(s): 2x Allison V-1710-111/113 in-lines rated at 1,475 hp each at sea level (1,550 hp with WEP) and 1,690 with WEP at 6,230 ft (1,900 m).

Int Fuel Capacity: 2,460 lbs (1,116 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 1,980 lbs (898 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 414 mph (666 kph) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m)

Ceiling: 44,000 ft (13,411 m)

Loaded Weight: 17,500 lbs (7,938 kg)

Wing Area: 327.5 sq ft (30.5 sq m)

Wing Loading: 53.4 lbs/sq ft (260.3 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Speed: With improved engines, the P-38L was capable of reaching over 420 mph in level flight.

Guns: The armament of one 20mm cannon and four .50 caliber machine guns is in the same class as that of the standard US six machine gun configuration with the added advantage of no convergence issues becuase all the guns are in the nose.

Ordnance: Capable of carrying up to 4,000 lbs. of bombs or torpedoes, plus ten 5" rockets, the P-38L can inflict more damage than many medium bombers.

Weaknesses

Maneuverability: Despite the addition of powered ailerons, the P-38 is still a handful and the successful pilot will avoid turn fights.

History

Between the "G" and "L" models, the P-38 saw several improvements made to its combat capabilities. In the "H" model, the center wing pylons were further strengthened to allow bombs of up to 2,000 lbs. weight to be carried. Additionally, the Lightning was successfully tested carrying one or two torpedoes, but was seldom used in combat as there were more suitable aircraft available for such duty.

The "J" model added two more fuel tanks, bringing the total internal capacity to over 400 gallons. More powerful Allison engines were introduced and for the first time, the clean lines of the Lightning were changed with the addition of large "chin" radiators under each engine. While the larger surface area increased drag somewhat, the improved engine cooling gave the plane more power, which more than compensated for the additional drag. The improved Lightning was capable of reaching a top speed of over 420 mph at altitude.

In an effort to improve overall maneuverability, the "J" model featured hydraulically operated ailerons, the first example of power-operated controls on a fighter. Additionally, a small electrically operated dive flap was introduced, which helped offset problems due to compressibility in high-speed dives.

With the P-38L version came even more powerful engines, with an output of 1,475 hp for take-off and 1,600 hp war emergency power. This version also saw the introduction of underwing racks enabling the use of ten 5-inch HVAR rockets. Initially mounted flush with the bottom of the wing, the rocket rails eventually were formed as a "tree", which hung down under the wing. The P-38L began to appear in squadron service in June 1944 and delivery continued until the end of the war. The "L" model was the last day-fighter variant to see service in WWII.

Sources

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Davis, Larry; P-38 Lightning In Action, Aircraft Number 109; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1990.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

The Lockheed Aircraft Corporation

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II