Lightning Guy
Master Sergeant
- 2,511
- Apr 29, 2004
Interesting list twilight. I thought I would post a few facts about the P-38.
It was the first military aircraft (possibly first aircraft of any type) to use tricycle landing gear.
It was the only US fighter in production for the entire period of US involvement in the war.
It was the first aircraft to encounter compressibility.
It was the only fighter of the WWII era to ferry across the Atlantic.
It was the first Allied fighter plane over Berlin.
It was the first aircraft to be equipped with power-boosted controls.
It was used in every theater America was involved in.
It saw it's bomb capacity go from the designed 0lbs to 5,200lbs.
It could carry 4 x.50cal + 1 20mm + 2 x 1,600lb bombs + 10 x 5in rockets.
It was the only fighter to carry two torpedoes.
It was the only fighter (at the time) capable of flying 500miles over open ocean and still intercepting Yammamoto.
It shot down more Japanese aircraft that any other plane.
The top two American aces scored all of their victories in P-38s.
It earned a really cool nickname from the German pilots who flew against it.
This isn't meant to devalue the Mossie in anyway. I've just found that most people are terrible unaware of the P-38.
It was the first military aircraft (possibly first aircraft of any type) to use tricycle landing gear.
It was the only US fighter in production for the entire period of US involvement in the war.
It was the first aircraft to encounter compressibility.
It was the only fighter of the WWII era to ferry across the Atlantic.
It was the first Allied fighter plane over Berlin.
It was the first aircraft to be equipped with power-boosted controls.
It was used in every theater America was involved in.
It saw it's bomb capacity go from the designed 0lbs to 5,200lbs.
It could carry 4 x.50cal + 1 20mm + 2 x 1,600lb bombs + 10 x 5in rockets.
It was the only fighter to carry two torpedoes.
It was the only fighter (at the time) capable of flying 500miles over open ocean and still intercepting Yammamoto.
It shot down more Japanese aircraft that any other plane.
The top two American aces scored all of their victories in P-38s.
It earned a really cool nickname from the German pilots who flew against it.
This isn't meant to devalue the Mossie in anyway. I've just found that most people are terrible unaware of the P-38.