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Weren't these issues being discovered and debugged in the Aleutians?
Not really. Without turbos it didn't have the altitude performance required for the Channel theatre. But, where it would have been invaluable, even in P-322-61-04 shape, was the Med. The P-322 Lightning I brought one great attribute lacking RAF fighters in the Med - range. The altitude issue also wasn't a problem as the most common opponents in the Med were the Fiat G.50 and the Machi C200, both of which had low ceilings. The P-322 would have outrun, out-gunned and out-ranged any Italian fighter, and given even the Bf109-E and F problems . Flying from Gibraltar and Egypt, P-322s would have allowed much better protection for convoys to Malta, being easily able to catch and dispatch any Axis bomber, and a good match for their ME110 escorts. And over the Desert they could have got in behind the enemy line and strafed their transport, forcing the Axis to divert fighters to the rear areas more. The P-322s would even have shared engine maintenance with the P-40s sent to the theatre.I think the P-332s would have been a great home defense fighter and multi engine trainer for the RAF, nothing much more.
A 7 year old post - made me forget about this one.Not really. Without turbos it didn't have the altitude performance required for the Channel theatre. But, where it would have been invaluable, even in P-322-61-04 shape, was the Med. The P-322 Lightning I brought one great attribute lacking RAF fighters in the Med - range. The altitude issue also wasn't a problem as the most common opponents in the Med were the Fiat G.50 and the Machi C200, both of which had low ceilings. The P-322 would have outrun, out-gunned and out-ranged any Italian fighter, and given even the Bf109-E and F problems . Flying from Gibraltar and Egypt, P-322s would have allowed much better protection for convoys to Malta, being easily able to catch and dispatch any Axis bomber, and a good match for their ME110 escorts. And over the Desert they could have got in behind the enemy line and strafed their transport, forcing the Axis to divert fighters to the rear areas more. The P-322s would even have shared engine maintenance with the P-40s sent to the theatre.
If the RAF had followed the usual practice for American aircraft - banished them from the UK to the Med and Far East - then the DAF would have had a true long-range day-fighter in mid-1942. Use of Lightning Is might then have inspired the RAF to accept the Lightning II for the theatre, which were equivalent to P-38Fs, and then we have the RAF using a long-range, 400mph day-fighter, which can cover the whole of the Med from Allied-held territory, from late 1942 or early 1943. I would suggest that would have made a difference, especially in concert with USAAF P-38s and B-24s.
I remember reading somewhere that having both props spinning the same way gave the P-322 some undesirable handling issues. The majority of the P-322s that went to the USAAF were given unturbocharged but handed engines (V-1710-27 and -29), and were described as "sweet" and "docile", so I assume the problem was just the handing of the engines. That and the Air Ministry's completely hide-bound inability to accept such technological advances as twin-engine fighters with tricycle undercarriages. I'm not sure you'd want a twin-trainer with poor handling.…..And you forgot the second point "trainer."
The Germans didn't consider the early P38's to be a very effective enemy so overall I don't think they would have made much difference.I think if the RAF had gotten "proper p38s " it would have made a huge impact. Whatever the p38s shortcomings were, and it had some, the combination of range and good performance at low to medium altitude where the compresability issue is not too big or not at all would be significant.
Depends on the individual German, the period of the war, and the theater what they thought of the p38. German pilots that encountered the pre J25/ L types being used for high altitude escort where they were not so well suited were not to impressed true but German pilots, at least some, and some pretty competent ones too like Franz Stigler, that encountered them under conditions more favorable to the Lightning in theaters where the fighting was done at low to medium altitude found them to be tough oposition.The Germans didn't consider the early P38's to be a very effective enemy so overall I don't think they would have made much difference.
I also find it difficult to accept that heating was a major problem in actual combat as most aircraft of the time had poor or almost ineffective heating, why was the P38 so unique in it being such an issue?
Leigh Mallory's genius would have seen squadrons of pilots taken prisoner close to the Alps.Depends on the individual German, the period of the war, and the theater what they thought of the p38. German pilots that encountered the pre J25/ L types being used for high altitude escort where they were not so well suited were not to impressed true but German pilots, at least some, and some pretty competent ones too like Franz Stigler, that encountered them under conditions more favorable to the Lightning in theaters where the fighting was done at low to medium altitude found them to be tough oposition.
Certainly if you take range out of the equation the Spitfire is alot better in the fighter role but that's the point, many times that range is critical and that is what most RAF types, as good as they were lacked.
It would have given the RAF the ability to project power in the form of a high performance fighter( at low to mid altitudes) at much longer ranges. That would seem to be if not a game changer than at least a huge posative adition to capabilities.
Sometimes it's better to have a fighter that's pretty good that can get there than one that's superlative that can't. Imho.
The only thing having the props turn in the same direction did was create a "critical engine" (This has been discussed in length through out this forum) and dozens of twins flown during that period were in the same boat, so I'd like to know if that statement about "undesirable handling issues" came from an actual pilot or the opinion of an author. Having an advanced twin with a critical engine is exactly what would you'd want. Taking this a step further, you would not be putting a green pilot in this aircraft, it would clearly be used for advanced training. The last point is in an advanced trainer, you don't want "sweet" and "docile," you want the student to work and be challenged enough so he could learn and develop proficiency without killing himself.I remember reading somewhere that having both props spinning the same way gave the P-322 some undesirable handling issues. The majority of the P-322s that went to the USAAF were given unturbocharged but handed engines (V-1710-27 and -29), and were described as "sweet" and "docile", so I assume the problem was just the handing of the engines. That and the Air Ministry's completely hide-bound inability to accept such technological advances as twin-engine fighters with tricycle undercarriages. I'm not sure you'd want a twin-trainer with poor handling.
The Germans didn't consider the early P38's to be a very effective enemy so overall I don't think they would have made much difference.
Yes, that's where the 3 German pilots whos quotes I read that gave the impression that they felt the p38 was a worthy adversary encountered them, in Na and the Med.The early P-38s (F & G) get to England are declared operational at the end of Aug/beginning of Sept 1942 depending on group, first operations are flown in early Sept. In the first 320 sorties two Lightnings are lost due to non combat crashes, no claims of German aircraft? By the end of Oct most of the P-38s in England have been sent to North Africa and there are few, if any, P-38s left by the end of Nov. At least one B-17 escort mission was flown, perhaps more. But the target was in France, actual P-38 vs german fighter combat in the fall of 1942 in Europe was a very rare event. How the german pilots formed any valid conclusions of the P-38s abilities is a bit of an unknown.
The Germans did fight the P-38s in NA with operation Torch and then Tunisia and Sicily/Italian invasion. So it is there that any German impressions would have to come from.
P-38H-5s were arriving in England in Aug of 1943.
I think if the RAF had gotten "proper p38s " it would have made a huge impact. Whatever the p38s shortcomings were, and it had some, the combination of range and good performance at low to medium altitude where the compresability issue is not too big or not at all would be significant.