Recent content by wmaxt

Greg, I found a page from CC Jordon that placed the P-38 at 2.8 mph/second, F4U4 at 2.4 mph/sec, and the P-51 at 2.2mph/sec. I've seen other data that also confirms the assessment by gregt as the fastest fighter acceleration wise. Bill.

The WPB (War Production Board) permission was required for most modifications and all modifications that might affect production but this doesn't explain all of the delays in fixing some of the issues in the P-38 as far as I have been able to uncover. 1. The Dive Flaps were approved by...

Tomo, I agree with most of your post. I agree with you that the P-38F was the first combat ready P-38 with the comment that it was a late P-38-15 with maneuvering flaps. Tail flutter was indeed corrected with the wing to pod fillets in the D model though the AAF insisted on adding external...

I stand corrected on the P-51 seems there is as much bad info on it out there as the P-38. Though I do think there is more to it than plant modifications and there was no lack of money if the AAF really wanted it. I was involved in an auto plant retooling/modification for a major model change...

Pilots liked it to a point but overall it wasn't enough better than the P-40 to stay in production. In October, November and December 43 the factory sat idle. At about that same time the Merlin was was being considered for the P-51 which December, January time frame was installed and testing...

It wasn't until mid 1943 that the British found out what a real P-38 could do. Test No 56 Duxford Station 1943 Note 46. The P-38 for a twin engine fighter is extremely maneuverable. Note 47. The P-38 has a fast rate of roll and a good stall allowing the pilot to get the best out of it in...

I don't really know if "Proper" P-38's would have had much of an impact in British hands only because by the time the F-15 with combat flaps was delivered we were in the war and starting to take the load from them. Before the J-25 was produced the yoke was needed to give the pilot a bit of...

What one must include when talking about the value of airframes and pilots are 1. Pilots are always harder to replace that airframes a fighter may be built is a couple of days a good pilot needs 5 weeks of just basic training. 2. In a war cost is not an issue as its all in or lose the war. Bill

Iron Man, The Fw-190 was, in my opinion not a stop gap fighter. According to everything I've read it was designed and built to, if not replace the Bf-109 then to fly as it contemporary/alternative fighter. Like the P-38 it was a front line fighter. Stop gap in my view would be an aircraft that...

Dragndog, If you look at my post you will notice that I specifically said that drag would be to high for the P-38 to go that fast at 30,000ft. The 440mph was realized between 20,000ft and 23,000 which would be possible for the P-38. I have only Lockheed data on this speed and though this data...

The P-38 was mentioned earlier. Lockheed reportedly had P-38L versions in the 440 range however that was with 150 fuel and more that 60in MAP conditions the AAF didn't test for. In combat pilots often pushed the throttles "Through the Gate"( one pilot of a P-38H noted he hit 86"MAP it must have...

Galland frequently flew aircraft in combat even when he was General of fighters for the Luftwaffe, after he was demoted back into the ranks he flew Fw-190Ds and then Me-262s. I'm not going to vouch for the accuracy of that story, it was reportedly told in front of a large group of pilots - but...

The P-38 was both a stop gap and a regular in the war but several others like the Spitfire IX can to. As to performance here is what the commander of JG-77 on Sicily told Galland; "The Luftwaffe no longer had the the quantitative or qualitative advantage. The fact that American P-38s could...

Dave, The P-38H's of the 1st fighter group flew 1,600 mi escorts with combat at the target area in the summer of 1943. This happens to be the same distance of the longest range mission by P-51s (it was by the 339th FG) in WW2. The trip from England to Allegria in 1942 by the 1st FG was 1,500mi...

Drgondog, You are obviously a P-51 advocate, your bias shows, as does mine. However Bodie and others are factual. Victory credits alone are not a valid sole criteria if the aircrafts missions differ as much as the P-38/P-51s did. As for victory credits the AAF credits the P-51 with 5,243 not...