Special Sub-Topic: The Mighty Lightning Click Here To Play: The Mighty Lightning

The Lightning was a fully capable fighter almost from the very outset.

f. Early Lightnings were poor performers. Early tests resulted in pilots getting frostbite!

The top scoring Lightning ace had how many kills?

40. With 40 kills, Richard Bong was and is America's top scoring ace of all time. Second, with 38 kills, is Tommy McGuire, another Lightning pilot.

Even after the P-51 was raining destruction on Germany, the Lightning (P-38) was still the "most wanted" aircraft for student pilots?

t. Because of its high acceleration and low-drag shape, the P-38 was very popular among learner pilots.

Luftwaffe pilots dubbed the P-38 the "Gabelschwanzteufel". What does this mean?

the fork-tailed devil. The "fork-tailed devil" was highly respected by German pilots.

What was the P-38's maximum speed?

414 mph. Although less maneuverable, the Lightning's speed allowed it to outfly the Mitsubishi AM6 Zero.

The P-38's concentrated firepower was a weakness because there was less spread of bullets requiring better aiming to hit.

f. Lightnings have been reported to "saw Zeros in half" with their unique gun layout.

Variants of the P-38 Lightning include:

all of these (the F-5 reconnaissance Lightning, the high altitude XP-49, the XP-58 Chain Lightning). The Lightning had many roles, including serving as a clothesline for the pilots!

What was the total number of Lightnings built?

9924. This is a small number compared to the 15,686 Mustangs built.

P-38s were built outdoors.

t. The P-38 production line had to be moved while the Lockheed plant was modernized.

The P-38 was most succesful in

the South Western Pacific. Unless in capable hands, the P-38 had trouble matching the Messerschmitt BF-109 or the Focke-Wulf 190, but it lit up the skies over the Pacific.