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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1281.PDF
JUNE 22ND, 1944 FLIGHT 66= Lockheed Lightning A Review of the Unorthodox Single-seat, American Fighter O NE'S first impression of the Lightning at close quar ters is that there seems to be rather a large amount of aircraft for a single-seater machine, and nothing that one sees during a more intensive examination does anything to dispel that initial impression. As with most present-day machines, the Lightning has since its inception passed through the many vicissitudes of modification; a pointer to the number of models which i have had their brief day and passed into the twilight of obsolescence is that the latest type "•! this, the P-38/J. That is, the sixth in the series of the basic P-38. How many of the individual models in each series have ever got beyond the drawing office or the experimental flight test department I do not know, but since the detailed design of the aircraft started in 1937 & would appear that the people concerned with the machine have been kept pretty busy. Maiden flight of the first machine, the XP-38, was made in January, 1939, by Col. Ben Kelsey, U.S.A.A.C., who did all the test flying of this aircraft. Allison V-1710/C type engines were employed to drive handed, inwardly- rotating airscrews, and Col. Kelsey broke the cross-country record with this machine. The Army then ordered the usual 13 Limited-Procurement, or Service-Test aircraft, these being designated VP-38. They gave no trouble but were modified to Service.requirements. The XP model was considerably over weight, and the YP's were made 1,500 lb. lighter. In addition, the YP's employed out wardly-rotating, handed airscrews, which gave better stability characteristics, and this airscrew installation has been employed on all subsequent models. The first actual production model of the Lightning was the P-38/D which appeared in 1941-- This was powered _ with Allison V-1710/27/29 engines and introduced the 20 mm. cannon to supersede the 37 mm. fitted to the X and YP models. The higher rate of fire of the 20 nun. and the use of the H-E shells was found to do as good a job with a smaller weight penalty. The autumn of 1941 brought the P-38/E, among the modifications of which were a re-designed nosewheel-retracting mechanism and revised hydraulic and electrical systems. These machines were followed at the end of the year by the " F" model employing V-1710/49/53 power units with increased boost ratings; these gave 1,325 b.h.p. for take-off, and a better performance at altitude. The P-38/G was introduced early in r942 and was equipped with V-1710/51/55 engines hav ing further increased ratings; a few of the later " G " types had the "combat" setting for the wing flaps, and this has been a feature of the aircraft ever since. The combat setting gives a small extension and droop of the modified Fowler-type flaps and provides greatly increased lift for very little drag and permits a very high degree of manoeuvrability over a wide speed range. In the summer of 1943 the " H " models appeared. They were fitted with V-1710 engines of a later series giving 1,425 b.h.p. for take-off. These aircraft introduced automatic con trol of the coolant-radiator shutters and also had a modified • electrical system. The end of 1943 saw the inception of the " J " series which, although using the same engines as the "H," had increased ratings to give 1,500 b.h.p. for take off and a much better performance "upstairs." In the P-38/J was also superseded the wing-leading-edge type intercooler, which had so far held sway, by a radiator-type intercooler beneath each engine, and fuel tanks installed in the leading edges of the wings. Additionally, optical flat bullet-proof front screens were incorporated together with a change from the 3/4-type control wheel-to "spec tacle" grips. The Lightning wing, which has aroused a great deal of
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