Table of Contents
- 1 Who designed the P-38 Lightning?
- 2 Were p38’s used in Italy?
- 3 How many guns did the P-38 Lightning have?
- 4 What does P-38 stand for?
- 5 Why did the P-38 fail in Europe?
- 6 What does the P stand for in P-38?
- 7 What does the K in K rations mean?
- 8 What was the P-38 called?
- 9 What kind of aircraft was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning?
- 10 Where was the P-38 Lightning held in reserve?
- 11 How long did the Lockheed YP-38 take to crash?
Who designed the P-38 Lightning?
Kelly Johnson
Lockheed P-38 Lightning/Designers
The P-38 was designed by a Lockheed Aircraft team that included famous aircraft designer “Kelly” Johnson. It was the only American front-line fighter in production from the beginning of WWII until the end. It was the first 400 mph fighter in history and one of the few with a 40,000 foot ceiling.
Were p38’s used in Italy?
The P-38s were finally phased-out in Italy in 1956. Today, no Italian P-38s survive, nor even a single component from one, as these aircraft, because of the high value of their light alloys, were quickly recycled for their metal content.
Where was the Lockheed P-38 built?
Burbank
At the Lockheed Aircraft Corp. plant in Burbank, three new mechanized conveyor lines help double the production of the P-38 Lightning, an advanced high-altitude fighter plane. The new assembly lines were built in nine days.
How many guns did the P-38 Lightning have?
The Ultimate Weapon Hibbard and his then assistant, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the twin-boomed P-38 was the most innovative plane of its day, combining speed with unheard-of advances: two supercharged engines and a potent mix of four 50-caliber machine guns and a 20-mm cannon.
What does P-38 stand for?
One is that soldiers called it the P-38 because it could open a can faster than the P-38 Lightning fighter plane could fly. A more likely explanation is that the “38” comes from the length of the can opener, which is 38 millimeters (or 1 1/2 inches).
What did the Japanese call the P-38 Lightning?
the fork-tailed devil
They once called the plane the fork-tailed devil, while the Japanese dubbed them, two planes, one pilot.
Why did the P-38 fail in Europe?
The P-38 performed usefully but suffered from a number of problems. Its Allison engines consistently threw rods, swallowed valves and fouled plugs, while their intercoolers often ruptured under sustained high boost and turbocharger regulators froze, sometimes causing catastrophic failures.
What does the P stand for in P-38?
For example, before the new system, the Army Air Force used the “P” designation, which stood for pursuit, on a wide variety of its fighter aircraft, like the P-51 Mustang, P-47 Thunderbolt and P-38 Lightning. The Navy, though, used the “F” designation for its fighter aircraft.
How many P-38 are left?
The Lockheed P-38 Lighting is an American two-engine fighter used by the United States Army Air Forces and other Allied air forces during World War II. Of the 10,037 planes built, 26 survive today, 22 of which are located in the United States, and 10 of which are airworthy.
What does the K in K rations mean?
Keys or was short for “Commando” (as elite troops were the first to receive it). However, the letter “K” was selected because it was phonetically distinct from other letter-name rations. The K-ration first saw use in 1942, when it was issued to U.S. Airborne troops on an experimental basis.
What was the P-38 called?
Lightning
P-38, also called Lightning, fighter and fighter-bomber employed by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. A large and powerful aircraft, it served as a bomber escort, a tactical bomber, and a photo-reconnaissance platform.
How many P-38 Lightnings are left in the world?
What kind of aircraft was the Lockheed P-38 Lightning?
For other uses, see P-38 (disambiguation). The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single seated, piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament.
Where was the P-38 Lightning held in reserve?
A fourth group, the 78th Fighter Group, was held in “strategic” reserve in England. When the three groups deployed to Africa, none of them had engaged in air-to-air combat and there were no indications of how the P-38 was going to perform in that role.
What was the name of the German P-38 bomber?
Within six months, as the P-38 showed its versatility in North Africa, a lone hysterical German pilot surrendered to soldiers at an Allied camp near Tunisia, pointing up to the sky and repeating one phrase— “der Gableschwanz Teufl” —over and over. Once the phrase was translated, U.S. officials realized the focus of the pilot’s madness.
How long did the Lockheed YP-38 take to crash?
Despite the crash, the Army felt the aircraft showed promise and Lockheed received a contract for thirteen YP-38s along with the usual list of improvements. The XP-38 crashed after only 16 days with an airtime of 11 hours and 50 minutes.