MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Barrett has mentioned the questionable performance of the P-61. I recently obtained a copy of the P-61 Pilot's Training Manual. Note what it says:
Not that it says the P-61 "edged out" the P-70 in speed at all altitudes. This is not a ringing endorsement. The P-70 was a modified A-20, the aircraft being made available because they were supposed to be the turbosupercharged version of the airplane, a program that was canceled because a turbo failure caused a crash (of course I am not sure anything ever equipped with a GE turbo did not have a prototype crash). So the aircraft did not have turbos added and became P-70's, most of which were used for training in Florida. The P-70 was at best a minimally capable night fighter, not really being fast enough or fast climbing enough for the job, and being only lightly armed. It was built only in small numbers and its limitations in the Solomans Islands campaign led to a local adaptation, a P-38F being equipped with radar. And except for climb and altitude performance the P-61 seemingly was only a little better than the P-70. The P-38M was found by the combat users to be better than the P-61 in terms of performance but no more effective overall since the guy in the back seat running the radar apparantly was almost useless for aiding in spotting targets visually.
Now, the P-61C, which was equipped with tubosuperchargers liek the P-47 rather then the P-61A and P-61B engines which were like the F4U and F6F, was a much faster airplane, exceeding the performance of just about every other WW2 night fighter. But it was effectively a postwar airplane, by which time a radar equipped P-82C probably would have proved to be far superior.
Not that it says the P-61 "edged out" the P-70 in speed at all altitudes. This is not a ringing endorsement. The P-70 was a modified A-20, the aircraft being made available because they were supposed to be the turbosupercharged version of the airplane, a program that was canceled because a turbo failure caused a crash (of course I am not sure anything ever equipped with a GE turbo did not have a prototype crash). So the aircraft did not have turbos added and became P-70's, most of which were used for training in Florida. The P-70 was at best a minimally capable night fighter, not really being fast enough or fast climbing enough for the job, and being only lightly armed. It was built only in small numbers and its limitations in the Solomans Islands campaign led to a local adaptation, a P-38F being equipped with radar. And except for climb and altitude performance the P-61 seemingly was only a little better than the P-70. The P-38M was found by the combat users to be better than the P-61 in terms of performance but no more effective overall since the guy in the back seat running the radar apparantly was almost useless for aiding in spotting targets visually.
Now, the P-61C, which was equipped with tubosuperchargers liek the P-47 rather then the P-61A and P-61B engines which were like the F4U and F6F, was a much faster airplane, exceeding the performance of just about every other WW2 night fighter. But it was effectively a postwar airplane, by which time a radar equipped P-82C probably would have proved to be far superior.