FINALLY saw a P-38 fly

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 19:10:52 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

No, the British ones turned the same way. They also didn't have
superchargers, which probably explains why P-38s are thought of as a
Pacific theatre plane.

The P-38 sometimes gets a bum rap for it's appearance in the European
theatre. The initial versions had excessively complicated controls
and had the turbocharger tubing running up and down the D section of
the wing. Naturally there were a lot of leaks in this system.

The oil being used apparently congealed at very low temperatures, the
type encounted at the typical high altitudes at which combat occured.

The fuel seemed to be a problem too, with seperation of components
occuring, which reduced it's octane rating leading to severe
detonation and engine failure. Frequently.

The cockpit heater was not adaquate leading to frosting of the
windshield and canopy, which of course made it difficult to see out
of. Seeing out is considered reasonably important in a combat zone.
In addition, the lack of heat severely incapacitated the pilots.

In addition, there was the problem of not being able to exceed a
certain speed in a dive, which allowed the Messerschmitt's and Focke
Wulf's to dive away vertically with impunity.

The DC-4 bringing dive flaps that would have alleviated this situation
was mistaken by an intercepting Spitfire for a Focke Wulf Condor, and
shot down off the coast of Scotland.

The P-38's shape is and was of course unique, a disadvantage in a
combat zone as the enemy knows for sure that you are foe, no mistake.
Plus the P-38 was a big airplane which meant that it could be seen
from a greater distance.

As if this weren't all enough to make the fighter unpopular, it's
controls stiffened up at high speeds, a characteristic shared by most
fighters designed early in the war.

Finally, at least one expert remarked that to transition from cruise
power settings to combat power required so many control manipulations,
coolant flap settings, and myriad other adjustments that pilots had
their heads down in the cockpit making them all while being bounced,
all the while flying in a straight line.

That last may be a slight exaggeration.

In any event, the last model of P-38 deployed to Europe had boosted
controls and automated cooling controls. The boosted controls made it
instantly more maneuverable than most of it's opponents. It was a
formidable fighter and few German or Allied airplanes were it's match.
But by then the orders were cut and the P-38 was replaced by the P-51.
It cost a lot less to manufacture P-51's than P-38's, more could be
built in a month than P-38's and the performance was essentially
equal, especially in regards range.

So the P-38 was sent to the Pacific where it excelled.

Corky Scott