B-17engineer
Colonel
Just want to here your opinions
P-38 vs Mosquito?
- Thread starter B-17engineer
- Start date
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syscom3
Pacific Historian
Two different airplanes for two different missions.
ScOoTeR1992
Senior Airman
I agree with you there syscom. The p-38 was more of a fighter and the Mossie a light bomber, but both dam sexy lookin A/C
syscom3
Pacific Historian
The P38 was designed from the beginning to be a interceptor, and had enough performance to be pressed into a regular fighter, with some good fighter bomber characteristics.
Thorlifter
Captain
So, would it be safe to say both planes performed their primary roles very well, and fulfilled many other roles well?
I think so........
I think so........
syscom3
Pacific Historian
The P38 is a fighter.
The Mosquito a light bomber.
The Mosquito a light bomber.
kool kitty89
Senior Master Sergeant
The Mossie made a better Night fighter too. (though the P-38M never saw combat, I don't think it would have been as capable in any case)
Lucky13
Forum Mascot
Wouldn't mind to have both in my hangar...
tankie1rtr
Airman
Hi All.
My Uncle was on Mossies in Burma, and they were known as the "Yellow Peril" he told me when they were first sent overseas, they started falling apart, he said the glue that was used would come unstuck due to the heat and humidity, but he loved them. I was at an Airdisplay at a place in the UK called Manston. and the most beautiful site I have ever seen, was a Mossie on full power doing a fly past about 10foot off the deck. it was so breathtaking.
Regards
tankie1rtr
My Uncle was on Mossies in Burma, and they were known as the "Yellow Peril" he told me when they were first sent overseas, they started falling apart, he said the glue that was used would come unstuck due to the heat and humidity, but he loved them. I was at an Airdisplay at a place in the UK called Manston. and the most beautiful site I have ever seen, was a Mossie on full power doing a fly past about 10foot off the deck. it was so breathtaking.
Regards
tankie1rtr
If Lanc was here, he would say the The Mossie was better because it could be fitted with a turret..."
drgondog
Major
Two excellent aircraft, multi role, with Mossie having more bombing versatility and Lightning more fighter capability. Both superb recce, low level attack, one a far superior day fighter, one a better night fighter.
I have always wondered how good the P-38M would have been in nightfighter role... the radar was the wild card for the F7F, the F4U and the P-38 as an effective night fighter.
syscom3
Pacific Historian
If Lanc was here, he would say the The Mossie was better because it could be fitted with a turret..."
TheMustangRider
Senior Airman
Both were excellent airplanes, the P-38 as a great fighter and the Mosquito as veratile night fighter and light bomber and both contributed greatly for the allied victory.
pbfoot
1st Lieutenant
I have just finished reading Allan MacNutt's book called Altimeter Rising my 50 years in the cockpit Iwould estimate this man flew well into the 1000hour area on both types as a post war photo surveyor all over the world . I have to take his opinion seriously as he has done just about every type of flying imagineable and also is a AME
"The weakness of the P38 was that the aircraft often went unserviceable , an awkward situation in the far north where maintainence facilities existed only in the engineers toolbox. They were a rather fragile effeminate type aircraft that needed to be babied and operated from improved airstrips. by improved in those days I mean better then rough gravel , muskeg and dry river beds . The P38 was a beautiful aircraft to fly but not a money maker. The Allison engines were trouble prone .Air ducts kept blowing and the liquid cool system leaked.
The next step up for the company from an economic standpoint and a step down for the pilots for the pilots in discomfort and austerity was the purchase of the fleet of DH Mosquitos .These were high speed long range high performance aircraft that could take a beating. "
Other interesting things stated was the P38 was a warm aircraft and the Mosquito was built on the cheap missing things that should or would have been standard on other aircraft ame xample pf this was am oil resovoir so if you lost oil pressure you could still feather the prop
i
"The weakness of the P38 was that the aircraft often went unserviceable , an awkward situation in the far north where maintainence facilities existed only in the engineers toolbox. They were a rather fragile effeminate type aircraft that needed to be babied and operated from improved airstrips. by improved in those days I mean better then rough gravel , muskeg and dry river beds . The P38 was a beautiful aircraft to fly but not a money maker. The Allison engines were trouble prone .Air ducts kept blowing and the liquid cool system leaked.
The next step up for the company from an economic standpoint and a step down for the pilots for the pilots in discomfort and austerity was the purchase of the fleet of DH Mosquitos .These were high speed long range high performance aircraft that could take a beating. "
Other interesting things stated was the P38 was a warm aircraft and the Mosquito was built on the cheap missing things that should or would have been standard on other aircraft ame xample pf this was am oil resovoir so if you lost oil pressure you could still feather the prop
i
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I wonder if the guy who wrote that ever spent time in the South Pacific with the 8th or 475th fighter groups.
pbfoot
1st Lieutenant
nope he was Seafire pilot but his 100's of hours on both types are more then most . But he flew in all climates with both and all continents with the exception of Australia
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Both of those groups were the most successful P-38 fighter groups of the war and it seems they never had the probelms or even complained about the things that chap cites. The produced such aces as Bong, McGuire, Johnson, Roberts and Watkins to name a few. BTW those groups were very close to Australia and many of the brass who ran them were stationed there, maybe that explains it.
The guy may of flown P-38s, it seems he didn't fly them in the South Pacific.
pbfoot
1st Lieutenant
WTF I bring up some guy who flew both had more hours on type then all those guys combined , fixed them as well , worked in the harshest regions of the earth and he doesn't know what he's talking about , he was on the crew modding them for photo survey work with Wendy Phipps . these guys modded as the picture shows the 38 for photo mapping but as you stated they know not what they say
Attachments
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Modding? Did he fly them in combat?? No. he giving a perspective in a post war operational enviornment and with that said I could say just about any WW2 fighter "were a rather fragile effeminate type aircraft that needed to be babied and operated from improved airstrips."
BTW - the guys I mentioned had hundreds if not THOUSANDS of hours in the P-38. All of them shot down at least 10 or more aircraft and were the top US aces of the war.
