LOCKHEED P-38 LIGHTNING OPERATIONAL TIMELINE (1 Viewer)

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CORSNING

Tech Sergeant
1,630
987
Dec 24, 2008
Clyde, Ohio
Hi everyone,
I have attempted to put together a quick reference sheet for the P-38 in hopes that it will give everyone a better understanding of which model to use when comparing aircraft. And, of course, I have a limited library and knowledge of Lockheed's fighter. I am asking for everyone's help in fine tuning the reference sheet.

LOCKHEED P-38 LIGHTNING

Horse power ratings given are for each engine. Where first operational date is not known, date of entry into service (ES) is given.

XP-38: 1st flight January 27, 1939. V-1710-11/15 @ 3,000 rpm/GE B-1 turbo: 1,150 hp./T.O./S.L.
1,150 hp./25,000 ft.a

P-38-LO: July 1941 deliveries begin. Unit? V-1710-27/29/GE B-2 turbo: 1,150 hp./T.O./S.L.
1,150 hp./25,000 ft.

P-38D: August 1941 30 delivered to USAAF with 23mm cannon. Aerodynamic changes made and self sealing fuel tanks added. V-1710-27/29.

Note: P-38s (30) P-38Ds (36) were issued to training units as RP-38s and RP-38Ds respectively.

P-38E:(ES) November 1941. Stationed in Alaska in the June 1942. V-171027/29.

Model 322-61: Dec.'41 1st delivered to England. V-1710-C15/3,000 rpm. 1,150 hp./T.O./S.L., 1,040 hp./3,000 rpm./13,600 ft., 930 hp./2,600 rpm./15,000 ft.

7 December 1941:
Note 1:
69 P-38D/Es are in active service. 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan is the only full equipped P-38 unit.
Note 2: P-38E based in Iceland downs a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor maritime reconnaissance aircraft, the first aerial kill by American forces.

P-38F: 1 March 1942: Deliveries begin to USAAF. V-1710-49/53/GE B-13 turbo/47"Hg:
1,325 hp./T.O./S.L. 1,240 hp./4,000-25,000 ft.

F-4-1: 16 April 1942. 8th Photo Sqn. 1st combat operations. V-1710-27/29.

P-38F/G: July 1942. 48th, 49th 50th Sqn./14th FG Assemble at March Field.

Note: The first P-38Fs to arrive in England were rated at 42"Hg manifold pressure up to about 20,000 ft.
40"Hg at 25,000 ft., and with further reductions above that altitude. External store stations are added.

P-38F: 28 August 1942. 1st FG (England). V1710-49/53.

29 August 1942: P-38Fs 1st attempt to intercept German A/C: No Contact.

P-38F-5: A new A-12 oxygen system is installed.

P-38F-13: Instruments are modified.

P-38F-15: (Date?) Maneuver flap settings introduced.

P-38G-1: (ES) June 1942. (Unit?) v-1710-51/55/47"Hg: 1,325 hp./T.O./S.L., 1,325 hp./25,000 ft.

P-38G-3: New B-13 turbosuperchargers allow cruising at higher power.

P-38G-5: A new A-9 oxygen system and new radio are installed. Changes are made to the
turbosuperchargers and instruments.

P-38G-10 (Date?) (Unit?) External load capacity increased to 3,200 lbs. V-1710-51/55. Last 200
are modified to carry two 300 gallon drop tanks.

27 December 1942 P-38s 1st mission in the Southwest Pacific. 39th FS/35th FG.

F-5A-1: (ES) August 1942. (Unit?) V-1710-51/55.

October 1942: The P-38F's V-1710-49/53 47"Hg boost altitude is increased to 4,000 ft.

P-38F/G: 16 November 1942. 14th FG becomes operational in North Africa.

February 1943: Ben Kelsey P-38 operational boosting limits report: "We found that below 25,000 ft. we could pull up to 60"Hg (1,600 hp.) of manifold pressure without material harm, and we could run as high as 40" at 40,000 ft." Ben warned of limiting to short duration.

March 1943 Kelsey recommended a combat rating of 47"Hg at 3,000 rpm (1,325 hp.) up to 20,000 ft.
Wright Field recommended 41"Hg (1,240 hp.) and no war emergency. Eighth fighter command eventually
established 45" up to 25,000 ft. Wright Field recommended 41" (1,240 hp.) and no war emergency.

Note: For Eighth Air Force pilots and their crews it was not uncommon for the throttle stops to be removed allowing 60-70"Hg manifold pressure in their P-38H, P-38Js or P-38Ls.

P-38H: April 1943 Deliveries begin. V-1710-89/91 @ 54"Hg: 1,425 hp./T.O., 60"Hg: 1,600 hp./26,500 ft.
New B-33 turbosuperchargers. 1st Lightnings with fully automatic engine control and oil radiator flaps.
The M-1 20 mm cannon is replaced by the M-2C 20 mm cannon.

P-38H: (ES)(Unit?) Mid-1943.

P-38H: 15 October 1943. 1st fully combat operational. 55th FG (England)

P-38J-5: 28 December 1943. 1st combat mission. 20th FG/8th AF. V-1710-89/91.

Note: The P-38J, with its redesigned cooling system, was the first Lightning capable of using full rated power without fear of overheating the engine. New propellers were installed.

P-38J/L March 1944: 55 gallon internal fuel tanks added to inner wing panel leading edges.
2 x 90 gallon + 2 x 60 gallon + 2 x 55 gallon = 410 gallons total internal fuel.

P-38J-15: Is the first to receive the new internal wing tanks. The intercoolers are moved from wings to
engine nacelles.

Early 1944 The P-38J becomes the standard model Lightning in the ETO.

P-38J-25: June 1944: New dive recovery flaps & 3,000 lbs. hydrayulic boosted ailerons along with proper cockpit heating and defrosting are introduced.

Dive Recovery Flaps: An added benefit of the dive recovery flaps was their ability to pitch the nose 10-20 degrees "up" momentarily when turning, even if the flap combat position on the selector is being used.

P-38J-5-LOs (June 1944) are modified at Langford Lodge by the addition of replacement kits (dive recovery flaps and boosted ailerons).

P-38J-10/15: June 1944: Some are being retrofitted in the field with replacement kits.

P-38L: (ES) June 1944. (Unit?) V-1710-111/113 @ 54 ": 1,425 hp./T.O./S.L., 60"Hg: 1,600 hp./28,700 ft., 54"Hg: 1,425 hp./29,000 ft. Automatic power plant controls & 1st tail warning radar in a (USAAF) fighter.

June 1944: 65"Hg boost approved by Allison on V-1710-89/91

3 July 1944: Charles A. Lindbergh works with the 8th and 475th FGs showing them how to extend the
P-38s range. He demonstrates the Late models ability to perform 1,280 ml. round trips using 1,600 rpm.
and auto-lean mixture making 9 hour endurance possible.

Early July 1944: 8th AF was operating at 65"Hg boost settings.

P-38M: January 5,1945. (Unit?) V-1710-111/113

REFERENCES:
wwwiiaircraftperformance.com, Mike Williams
America's Hundred Thousand, Francis H. Dean
P-38 Lightning vs. Ki-61 Tony, New Guinea 1943-44, Donald Nijboer
The P-38 Lightning Evolution of Speed and Climb Performance, Wayne Cunningham
Der Gabelschwanz Teufel, Carlo Kopp
Vees for Victory by Daniel D. Whitney

I welcome any additional information or corrections to this quick reference.

:), Jeff
 
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for the statistical digest P-38 gone in Alaska in june '42
statistical digest give 69 P-38 on hand to end of november '41
same source
first P-38 in eto (USAAF colours) julliet '42
same in MTO november '42
same FEAF august '42

factory acceptances until november '41 (incluse) 154 (prototypes uncluse)
december '41: 52
 
Last edited:
for the statistical digest P-38 gone in Alaska in june '42
statistical digest give 69 P-38 on hand to end of november '41
same source
first P-38 in eto (USAAF colours) julliet '42
same in MTO november '42
same FEAF august '42

No such thing as a P-38LO. The suffix system was not use prior to the start of the war.

Duane
 
No such thing as a P-38LO. The suffix system was not use prior to the start of the war.

Duane
In 1941, an unarmed photo-recon airframe was produced from a P-38E, designated F-4-1-LO

The LO simply meant it was manufactured at Lockheed's Burbank plant and that identifier system was in place between the mid-1920's through the early 1960's
 
Cheers, Jeff :)

Note: The first P-38s to arrive in England were rated at 42"Hg up to about 20,000 ft., 40"Hg at 25,000 ft., and with further reductions above that altitude.

Those should be the P-38F. The engines were up-rated at October 1942, 1325 HP up to 4000 ft (47 in Hg), 1240 HP from 4000 to 25000 ft, per 'Vee's for victory'. The intercoolers were weak spot, eg. here it was only 41.5 in Hg at 3000 rpm (some 1150 HP) at 25000 ft.
This table is from 1944, granted not many P-38F were left by then. I'm afraid that critical altitudes should be for 'no ram' rather than for 'with ram':

tab1.jpg


Model 322-61: Dec.'41 1st delivered to England. V-1710-C15/3,000 rpm. 1,150 hp./T.O./S.L. 930 hp./2,600 rpm./15,000 ft.

Military power for the V-1710-C15 (per Allison nomenclature; V-1710-33 per USAF nomenclature) at altitude was 1040 HP at 3000 rpm at 13600 ft (table)

P-38F-15: (Date?) Maneuver flap settings introduced.

The -F was 1st delivered in Feb 1942, the -G was 1st delivered in June 1942, if that might help :)

P-38G-1: (ES) June 1942. (Unit?) v-1710-51/55/47"Hg: 1,325 hp./T.O./S.L., 1,325 hp./25,000 ft.

P-38G-10 (Date?) (Unit?) External load capacity increased to 3,200 lbs. V-1710-51/55.

1240 HP up to 21000 ft, lower power above that:

tab3.JPG


Eventually (1944) all P-38s were rated for 2 x 2000 lb external payloads. We know that Lightning II (RAF's aircraft that never was; equivalent of the P-38F) carried 2 x 2000 lb torpedoes. It would be cool if we'd have a better chronology of P-38's external loads.

tab2.JPG
 
If you are a P-38 fan, look for a copy of Warren Bodies' book.
 

For example, he states, twice in the opening chapter, and again in pg. 188, that Brittish fuel was source of problems for P-38 in ETO, and, again at least twice, that early V-1710s have had epicyclic reduction gear. Glossing over the shortcomings of P-38 (rate of roll before 1944, cockpit heating, lack of another generator, low attainable mach number and thus low dive speed...) is also a minus, so is the claim that no Allied fighter - until P-38 arrived - was capable to go beyond 100 miles from England to cover the bombers
On the other hand, I still recomend the book, since I'm aware that there are no perfect books around.
 
I hadn't read this topic before. Most people have the impression that the P-38 carried the burden almost alone in the 8th, assisted by a few P-47s. In fact the P-51s of the 354th were six weeks after the P-38s debut, and in those weeks the bombers were recovering from the second Schweinfurt mission and didn't do any long penetrations. The P-47 carried most of the load at least until Spring 44, and the P-38 might as well have not been there.
 

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