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.
Friday, March 20, 2020
The P-38. With firepower concentrated and along the center-line of the aircraft, it was a stable and lethal platform for gunnery.
No, the P-47 was. And later versions of the P-47 were faster than the P-51, and farther ranging on internal fuel.
One of the few pilots who shot down 7 planes in one mission was Lt.Col William Leverette.
Read about it here. http://www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/dogfight-over-the-aegean-the-leverette-report-illustrated-p-38-lightnings-against-ju-87-stukas-on-9-october-1943/
I always wondered why the US spent time building anything but the P 38 for land based fighter/escorts....What a machine....I think Lindbergh agreed....what did the Germans call it, the Forked Tail Devil....
Several years ago I had the pleasure of working as a contractor for the man that now owns Glacier Girl. One day while waiting to fly out to a job site in West Texas we had the opportunity to explore the hanger where the plane was (and several more WWII fighter planes). Somewhere this a photo of me standing next to Glacier Girl. I think I'll go find it...
the big cat showed up in 1944. P-38 was somewhat older but that didn't stop lockheed for selling the army on something not, shall we say; completely tested? lockheed did no cold climate testing, terminal velocity testing, early aircraft had poor roll at speed, tended to dive into the ground; but still many of the faults that showed up in use had been found outside the parameters of the original contract for the aircraft. originally designed as an high altitude interceptor, it was used as a dive bomber, dogfighter, straffer, long range escort fighter, photoreconnance aircraft, level bomber, anti shipping bomber, pathfinder bomber, night fighter, and if they could have found a way to carry a torpedo it would have been used for that too. it stayed at the leading edge of aeronautical development until the jets arrived and even then, the wing was used on the P-80. so, while the P-38 first flew in jan. 1941, what was the big grumman doing?
Admiral Yamamoto would agree.......................
ReplyDelete#5757 is Glacier Girl, dug out of the Greenland Icecap to become the most expensive P-38F ever built. ain't she pretty!
ReplyDeletein 2007 she proved once again that fate did not want her in europe.
DeleteWasn't the P-38 the fastest fighter in the arsenal, until the P-51?
ReplyDeleteMemo
No, the P-47 was. And later versions of the P-47 were faster than the P-51, and farther ranging on internal fuel.
DeleteOne of the few pilots who shot down 7 planes in one mission was Lt.Col William Leverette.
Read about it here. http://www.ww2wrecks.com/portfolio/dogfight-over-the-aegean-the-leverette-report-illustrated-p-38-lightnings-against-ju-87-stukas-on-9-october-1943/
IIRC, Robin Olds made most or maybe all of his WWII victories in the P-38.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why the US spent time building anything but the P 38 for land based fighter/escorts....What a machine....I think Lindbergh agreed....what did the Germans call it, the Forked Tail Devil....
ReplyDeleteBecause single-engine aircraft are usually cheaper to make. And tend to be more maneuverable.
DeleteSeveral years ago I had the pleasure of working as a contractor for the man that now owns Glacier Girl. One day while waiting to fly out to a job site in West Texas we had the opportunity to explore the hanger where the plane was (and several more WWII fighter planes). Somewhere this a photo of me standing next to Glacier Girl. I think I'll go find it...
ReplyDeleteSteve in Texas
Richard Ira ( Dick ) Bong, the highest scoring U.S. ace, flew in P-38s.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
The F7F had 4 fifties, and 4 20mms.
ReplyDeletethe big cat showed up in 1944. P-38 was somewhat older but that didn't stop lockheed for selling the army on something not, shall we say; completely tested? lockheed did no cold climate testing, terminal velocity testing, early aircraft had poor roll at speed, tended to dive into the ground; but still many of the faults that showed up in use had been found outside the parameters of the original contract for the aircraft. originally designed as an high altitude interceptor, it was used as a dive bomber, dogfighter, straffer, long range escort fighter, photoreconnance aircraft, level bomber, anti shipping bomber, pathfinder bomber, night fighter, and if they could have found a way to carry a torpedo it would have been used for that too. it stayed at the leading edge of aeronautical development until the jets arrived and even then, the wing was used on the P-80.
Deleteso, while the P-38 first flew in jan. 1941, what was the big grumman doing?