Lockheed P-38 Lightning

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The twin-boomed Lightning was a revolutionary design for a long range fighter. It served in all theaters of war, and was the main aircraft of many of America's top aces in the Pacific theater. Major Richard Bong scored his 40 kills flying a P-38 in the Pacific. P-38s were also used in the famous mission that intercepted and shot down Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's Mitsubish G4M "Betty" over Bougainville. The P-38's high speed and large nose section (which was a good location for recon cameras) made the plane an obvious choice for photographic reconnaissance missions. P-38s that were used in this role were re-designated as F-4s and F-5s.

Type: Fighter

Crew: 1 (Pilot)

Armament: One 20mm cannon, four .50 cal machine guns

Specifications:

Length: 37' 10" (11.53 m)

Height: 12' 10" (3.91 m)

Wingspan: 52' 0" (15.85 m)

Weight: 15500 lbs (7029 kg)

Engine: 2

Powerplant: Two Allison V-1710-27/29

1150 hp each

Performance:

Range: 500 miles (805 km)

Cruise Speed: 300 mph (483 km/hr)

Max Speed: 390 mph (628 km/hr)

Ceiling: 39000 ft (11887 m)


	Classic Combat Aircraft \| home Lockheed P-38 Lightning The twin-boomed Lightning was a revolutionary design for a long range fighter. It served in all theaters of war, and was the main aircraft of many of America's top aces in the Pacific theater. Major Richard Bong scored his 40 kills flying a P-38 in the Pacific. P-38s were also used in the famous mission that intercepted and shot down Japanese admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's Mitsubish G4M "Betty" over Bougainville. The P-38's high speed and large nose section (which was a good location for recon cameras) made the plane an obvious choice for photographic reconnaissance missions. P-38s that were used in this role were re-designated as F-4s and F-5s. Type: Fighter Crew: 1 (Pilot) Armament: One 20mm cannon, four .50 cal machine guns Specifications: Length: 37' 10" (11.53 m) Height: 12' 10" (3.91 m) Wingspan: 52' 0" (15.85 m) Weight: 15500 lbs (7029 kg) Engine: 2 Powerplant: Two Allison V-1710-27/29 1150 hp each Performance: Range: 500 miles (805 km) Cruise Speed: 300 mph (483 km/hr) Max Speed: 390 mph (628 km/hr) Ceiling: 39000 ft (11887 m)