Did you know that:
- When the US Army Air Corps approached manufacturers with a requirement to design an aircraft capable of at least 580 km/h at an altitude of 6 000 m and able to take off and land on an unusually short runway, all companies except one refused.
- Albert Einstein once said: “If something doesn’t work because it’s impossible, someone who doesn’t know it’s impossible will do it, and it will work.” And that was exactly the young designer Clarence Leonard “Kelly” Johnson.
- The first flight of the P‑38 took place on January 27, 1939, and it was immediately clear that this was an aircraft without competition in its time.
- In the hands of a skilled pilot, the aircraft inspired deep respect among enemies, prompting the Germans to nickname it the “Fork‑tailed Devil.”
- The P‑38 was flown by America’s top aces, including Richard Ira Bong and Thomas B. McGuire, as well as the double ace Captain John Simon Loisel.
- The famous author of The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry, flew a reconnaissance version of the P‑38 during World War II. He never returned from his mission over France on July 31, 1944. To this day, it is unclear whether he was shot down or his plane crashed.
- Perhaps the only drawback of the aircraft was the poor forward view due to the long nose fairing, so pilots used to taxi in a “snake‑like” fashion.
- After technical modifications by Charles Lindbergh, the aircraft achieved better fuel efficiency and extended combat range up to 2 600 km.
- In various versions, 9 923 units were produced by 1945.
- In some air forces, the aircraft remained in service until 1965.
- There are still six airworthy examples in the world.
Technical Specifications:
- Dimensions: wingspan 15.85 m, length 11.53 m, height 3.91 m
- Empty weight: 5806 kg
- Takeoff weight: 7938 kg (max. 9798 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× 12‑cylinder Allison V‑1710‑89/91 engines, 1048 kW each
- Fuel capacity: 1552 l
- Maximum speed: 665 km/h
- Combat range: 2000 km (max. 4184 km)
- Rate of climb: 24.1 m/s
- Service ceiling: 13 410 m
- Armament: 4× Browning M2 machine guns, 12.7 mm; 1× Hispano M‑2C cannon, 20 mm; plus up to 2× 736 kg bombs
- Crew: 1
From the memories of Captain John S. Loisel:
“When you fly a mission, you have two choices. Either you obsess in your head over what‑ifs and whys until you go crazy, or you just head straight for the main enemy formation, ignore the individual planes, and dive into the largest cluster you see.”
