And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I would love to have been able to have been there and done that, but my unrealistic zeal is tempered by the fact that I'm too tall to have been selected to fly a P-38.
to bad lockheed was stuck with having to design around a allison engine. they did ok but their systems design left plenty to do. their original idea of using the wing leading edge as the intercooler for the engines was brilliant. and then the engine backfired at night and the pilots could see all the loose rivits with blue fire blowing out of the gaps. must have been thrilling to see in the dark. that brought about the chin scoop under the props for the intercooler. imagine this aircraft with an Rolls Griffin under the cowls. HVAC for cockpit and weapons compartment was very poor. cramped cockpit. aerodynamicly challanged. just what was needed in the pacific theater. what a great weapon!
I would love to have been able to have been there and done that, but my unrealistic zeal is tempered by the fact that I'm too tall to have been selected to fly a P-38.
ReplyDeleteto bad lockheed was stuck with having to design around a allison engine. they did ok but their systems design left plenty to do. their original idea of using the wing leading edge as the intercooler for the engines was brilliant. and then the engine backfired at night and the pilots could see all the loose rivits with blue fire blowing out of the gaps. must have been thrilling to see in the dark. that brought about the chin scoop under the props for the intercooler. imagine this aircraft with an Rolls Griffin under the cowls. HVAC for cockpit and weapons compartment was very poor. cramped cockpit. aerodynamicly challanged.
ReplyDeletejust what was needed in the pacific theater. what a great weapon!
I can only imagine the sound of a flight of these at low level if they were fitted with Griffons - wow! that would be something!
ReplyDeleteprobably have to deploy the dive flaps in level flight...
ReplyDeleteMy dad so wanted to fly those but he wasn't a general's or congressman's son as he use to say...
ReplyDelete