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In combat, adrenaline tends to take care of the temperature issue, but sometimes pilots are so cold appendages refuse to function (see heated trigger-thumb gloves for Spitfire pilots).
It's the tedious hours in-between that trapped sitting in -20/-30 tends to have a larger effect.
The P-38 was unique in this issue because the temperature the pilots felt was noticeably lower than other aircraft. I'm not sure what is difficult to accept.
Nah, their Beaufighters were much better. It was their highest scoring fighter in the last 2 years of the war. Besides, it had a navigator to get you home, just as much range and 50% more firepower. It could outrun all those Jap planes on the deck too.An Air Force that really would have benifited with the P-38 was the RAAF in the PTO.
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.
Nah, their Beaufighters were much better. It was their highest scoring fighter in the last 2 years of the war. Besides, it had a navigator to get you home, just as much range and 50% more firepower. It could outrun all those Jap planes on the deck too.
The P-39N had the best cockpit heater. Very important. Especially at high altitude.From a quick zip through P-38 Performance Tests :
Pilots have reported that the heating of the cockpit is unsatisfactory. Inspection of the heating system revealed that the heating blast ducts are too small to be sufficient in heating the cockpit satisfactorily. It is recommended that the ducts be made of a larger diameter to secure more heating volume, and an attempt be made to make the cockpit airtight.
...
RECOMMENDATIONS:
b) Suitable means of maintaining cockpit heat at altitude be installed. (Cockpit heater on P-39NO is best seen to date.)
The P-39N had the best cockpit heater. Very important. Especially at high altitude.
The vast majority of fighters didn't need a heater at all, cooling and ventilation was the problem.That is ironic!
Do you think that a P-38 pilot may be a bit overwhelmed by the amount of work he has to do by himself? Navigating at night, for example.
Where do you stick Oboe and its electronics? In pathfinder Mosquitos that equipment was in the nose, in the bomb aimer's position. I suppose that could be done for the Lightning, but then you have no guns (so equal to the Mossie in those terms). What about H2S? Can a pilot fly an aircraft with his head buried in a radar scope?
.....
It could be used as a night fighter, but not radar equipped. It could be used for short cross channel raids as a light bomber, with Spitfires as escorts.That would make the P-61 the only "true" nightfighter of WW2. But what is really different between it and the contemporary NF.XXX? Seating position, disposition of monitors?The only thing that makes the Mosquito a "night fighter" was it's radar equipment. Aside from things like flame arrestors and minor cockpit mods, true WW2 night fighters were based on the installation of radar. After WW2 when this equipment became "standard" notice how the "night fighter" term went into the sunset.
Ummm... Yes these posts are 7 years old - but the thread hasn't had a correction to the misinformation here, and both members are still posting (as of today, even), so here goes.
I believe the tree looking structure was a pylon to hold rocketsGents,
On the P38M what are the antennas for beneath the wings?
Cheers,
Biff
I believe the tree looking structure was a pylon to hold rockets
However, the F6F-3N & -5N Hellcat and F4U-2 Corsair DID see combat in WW2 - even with only one crewman! They were vectored to near the intruding Japanese aircraft by radar-equipped TMB Avengers, then used their own radar for the final approach & shot line-up.
From the beginning the '38 with turbocharged Allisons made good power at high altitude. Timeline of mid-41...the Spit IX with the 2-speed, 2-stage Merlin was a year off from going operational IIRC. The Brits would have superiority at high altitude a year earlier than achieved-though how critical that really was is questionable given the respectable performance of the Spit in the existing form and that of German aircraft in '41.
The initial contract or Lightning Is was amended so that the first 143 delivered would be Lightning I's and the remaining 524 would be Lightning IIs with handed engines and turbos.
"The first three Lightnings arrived in the UK by sea transport in March of 1942."
Lightning I for RAF
"The P-38D had a maximum speed of 390 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8 minutes. Service ceiling was 39,000 feet. The first P-38Ds began to reach USAAF units in August 1941. "
Lockheed P-38D Lightning
Only 66 Ds were made, and they were followed by the E.
Not sure how truly combat capable the P-38D and P-38E were.
"The P-38E was still not yet considered combat-ready, and most P-38Es were redesignated RP-38Es while others were used for various tests. "
Lockheed P-38E Lightning
"The P-38F version of late 1942 was the first Lightning version that was considered fully combat-ready. It included 377 US-ordered aircraft, plus 150 planes that had originally been ordered under British and French contracts. "
Lockheed P-38F Lightning
The initial contract or Lightning Is was amended so that the first 143 delivered would be Lightning I's and the remaining 524 would be Lightning IIs with handed engines and turbos.
"The first three Lightnings arrived in the UK by sea transport in March of 1942."
Lightning I for RAF
"The P-38D had a maximum speed of 390 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8 minutes. Service ceiling was 39,000 feet. The first P-38Ds began to reach USAAF units in August 1941. "
Lockheed P-38D Lightning
Only 66 Ds were made, and they were followed by the E.
Not sure how truly combat capable the P-38D and P-38E were.
"The P-38E was still not yet considered combat-ready, and most P-38Es were redesignated RP-38Es while others were used for various tests. "
Lockheed P-38E Lightning
"The P-38F version of late 1942 was the first Lightning version that was considered fully combat-ready. It included 377 US-ordered aircraft, plus 150 planes that had originally been ordered under British and French contracts. "
Lockheed P-38F Lightning