lockheed p-38 has wide range of tactical uses

5/26/2018 Lockheed P-38 Has Wide Range of Tactical Uses.

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Lockheed P-38 Has WideRange of Tactical Uses

VERSATILITY appears to be one ofthe outstanding characteristics of theLockheed P-38 Lightning twin-enginefighter. Details just revealed after the

plane had been in action for some timein the Aleutian, the South Pacific,Europe, and North Africa show it hasbeen used as both a low- and high-altitude fighter, as a dive bomber, andas a photographic ship.

Powered by two 1,150 hp. Allisoninline, liquid cooled turbo-superchargedengines, the P-38 has a ceiling above40,000 ft. and a top speed of well over400 mph. Its 48 lb. per sq. ft. wing

loading is unusually high for a fightercraft.

Landing speed, however, is but 80mph., the unusual range of performance

being attributed in large measure to aquick-acting maneuvering flap whichwas developed by Lockheed and whichhas been in production for manymonths. An improved version of theLockheed-Fowler flap, it can beextended into the down position inthree seconds and raised in four. Use ofthe flap is not restricted to landings andtakeoffs, for it is reported that the flapcan be lowered during flight to increase

maneuverability essential to succescombat work. Maneuverability enhanced by the fact that the propelrotate in opposite directions, teliminating torque.

The P-38 has an effective comrange of 750 mi., considerably higthan that of many modern fighter cr

due to jettisonable gas tanks of 150 capacity. These tanks, designed Lockheed engineers who have twthe capacity of earlier standard tanyet permit a 10-mph. higher cruispeed. Either gas tanks or bombs mbe hung from the same racks, so one bomb and one extra tank maycarried if the mission requires, or extra weight-carrying ability mayutilized for carrying tanks for lay

Lockheed P-38 2005 JL McClellan p 1 of

Kept well under wrapsuntil after African invasion in which it played a large part Lockheed P-38

Lightning, it is now revealed, has been in action as a highaltitude fighter, low level bomber, and photographic

plane !ith a top speed of "well over #$$ mph,% it landsat but 8$ mph, the wide performance range being due toa new Lockheed-&owler flap which can be lowered inthree seconds and raised in but four

Details just released reveal it to be everything from bomber to high

altitude fighter. Unusual Lockheed-Fowler flap aids maneuverability.


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smoke screens, to accommodateequipment for ground troops, or forsome other purpose.

Armament consists of four heavy-calibre machine guns and one cannonmounted in the nose and firing betweenthe propeller arcs, thus eliminating thecone of fire encountered when guns aremounted in the wings. Conforming tostandard American practice, the pilot

and vital parts of the plane are protectedby armor plate, and the plane isequipped with self-sealing fuel tanks.

The wing has no ribs, being ofdouble-skinned, double-stresseddesign.

In combat operation, the P-38 hasbeen found to possess unusual flyingability on one engine. In Coral Seaengagements, for example, a P-38 on aphotographic mission with one enginedisabled was able to outclimb threedifferent groups of Jap Zeros. In

another engagement in the Aleutians, apilot flew a P-38 150 mi. back to hisbase with one engine shot away.

Specifications released to date include:Wing span..........52 ft.Length...............38 ft.Height................9 ft.Wing loading.....48 lb.sq.ft.Gross wt............13,500 lb.Maximum speed Above 400 mph.Landing speed.. .80 mph.Power plant........Two 1,150 hp.Allisons

Propellers...........Three bladed, constantspeed, electric, 11ft arc.

Lockheed P-38 2005 JL McClellan p 2 of 50


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DESIGN ANALYSIS NO. 8

The Lockheed P-38

y !"LL L. !#"$DVice-President and Chie En!ineer" Lockheed Aircrat Cor#.

%ne of the world&s outstanding triple-duty warplanes ' which serves as long- range hior low altitude fighter( bomber( or photo reconnaissance craft ' presented in "viationunmatched style. $evealed here are details of flue daring pioneering design featurwhich have made #t one of the most controversial as well as successful combat planes.


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Three-$ie% si&ho'ette o Lockheed P-38 (Li!htnin!) i!hter.A&& di*ensions on %in! s'race are !i$en ne!&ectin!incidence and are *eas'red hori+onta&&,. Dihedra& an!&e is*eas'red at asic chord #&ane and does not inc&'deincidence. in! is 'i&t %ith /0 12" dihedra& and then

rotated ao't intersection #oint o *ain ea* center&ine and%in! chord &ine at center&ine o shi# 'nti& 40 incidence isotained. A&& di*ensions reerrin! to e*#enna!e $ertica&s'races on&, are rotated 50 5/ co'nterc&ock%ise o $ertica&and hori+onta&" res#ecti$e&,.


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'( Lockheed P-38 Lightningfighter has been )uite appropri-ately called the most controver-

sial airplane ever adopted by the *+armed services n thousands of sortiesand hundreds of combat victories manyof the points of controversy have beenresolved, but there still persists muchthat is either erroneous or due to mis-understanding

Perhaps some of the derogatory itemsin the P-38 legends are traceable to thesuperlative re)uirements contained inthe Army s specifications o meet orsurpass those re)uirements, and morerecently to modify the P-38 as ware.perience and developments re)uired,it has been necessary to do considerablepioneering Particularly is that true inthe higher speed ranges And for suchpioneering, the Lightning has had toaccept the penalties of popularmisunderstanding and the criticismsmost pioneers undergo

he P-38 was the first modern fighter

e)uipped with tricycle landing gear/ thefirst to use the Allison engine/ the firste)uipped with a turbosupercharger/ firstin the "above #$$ mph% class/ firstsuccessful twin-boom design/ first twin-engine "interceptor% fighter / firstAmerican airplane to have flush or butt0oined e.ternal surfaces/ first fighter ofits weight/ first to mount its guns aheadof the pilot where they fire straightahead, rather than in a 1cone1/ first to


E6#&oded $ie% o *ain ea* in center section" sho%in! do'&e %e" o6 t,#e constr'ctioNote $ariet, o '&kheads" and '##er and &o%er channe&s 7ri!ht" at" ront inoard" and roo'toard %e asse*&ies 7center ri!ht" '##er and &o%er %in! ittin!s 7center &et" aco*#&eted center section ea* %ith end '&kheads 7&et. Position o *ain ea* in censection is sho%n at e6tre*e &et.

9ain ea* ittin! at %in!. :ittin!s are *'&ti-in!ered" #in ;oined"and o 51ST or stee& or!in!s de#endin! on #&ace o 'se.


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make e.tensive use of stainless steel/first to be delivered under its ownpower to bases overseas/ first fighter tocarry and launch torpedoes2 and firstfighter to tow gliders

he list could be continued, particu-larly in the field of combat versatilityhowever, these "firsts% illustrate manyof the sources of P-38 legends espe-cially those partially or entirely inaccu-

rate n pioneering high altitudes andspeeds for e.ample, the Lightning hashad to temporarily take the blame foroperational peculiarities later provencommon to all airplanes at such speedsand altitudes

ersatility now credited to the P-38is a pure byproduct, rather than de-signed intent !e designed a superla-tively fast, rapid climbing, hard hitting,high altitude fighter hat fact re)uiredthe ultimate in clean design and greathorsepower, which in turn establishedthe plane4s other specifications hesein turn have made possible the carrying

of bombs and droppable fuel tanks forlong range operation he high speedhas made possible the photographicversion And the concentratedfirepower has been found e.cellent forground strafing missions

he current P-385 is the 36th devel-opment, including several designswhich were never built, of the originalLockheed 7odel , and representsseven basic model variations his evo-lution has resulted in the airplane nowcredited with being the fastest, mostmaneuverable, hardest hitting fighterwith the greatest ceiling, longest range

and fastest sustained climb of any nowin combat operation9imensionally the Lightning is big

for a fighter, having a wing span of :ft, an over-all length of 3; ft


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C't-a%a, sketches sho%in! detai&s o center section 7to# and %in!&a# 7otto*.


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and lower surfaceflat and corrugatedstructures +panwise corrugationsstiffen the skin and help carry bendingand air loads on the wing !ebs of themain beam are :C in apart and $#$ +Alclad aluminum Dorrugations in thecenter wing section are $6# +E and $3 +E Alclad he upper and lowerskin is $#$ + aluminum with lowerskin strengthened with an $#$ doubler

e.tending inboard from the outboardend to a diagonal line appro.imatelyhalf way to the center line

he rear shear beam is a single-web,modified !agner type, constructed ofe.truded s and sheet stock

!ing fittings which attach to theupper and lower caps of the main beamare of


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mately to the trailing edge of the winghe flap is actuated by an irreversiblescrew driving a guided push-pull tube,which runs outboard from the fuselagethrough each wing and to which theflap carriages are connected by meansof a system of G-in e.tra fle.ible, pre-formed tinned carbon steel cables Allpulleys and other rotating parts of theflap actuating system are mounted onanti-friction type bearings hismechanism permits the flap to bee.tended to its optimum setting or heldin any intermediate position desiredwithout loading the driving mechanismhe irreversible screw is hydraulicallyoperated, with activation by means ofcontrols in the pilot4s cockpit An

au.iliary hydraulic hand pump providesoperating power in case of failure ordamage to the engine-driven hydraulicpump

Huter wing panels consist of mainbeam, rear shear beam, and upper andlower stressed skin, forming a bo.beam, and hydro-pressed sheet #+ribs spaced at 71 i&ter

%e&&> 7/ corr'!ations> 7? ca# stri#> 7@ in!er#&ate> 78 do'&er> 7 s'*# %e&&" and 752 ris.


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panels have a combined chord of


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steel piano-type hinges(ngine nacelles e.tend forward from

the main beam of the wing and 0oin thebooms at the firewall, the latter beingmerely a bulkhead and not a structuralmember he nacelles consist of anengine mount with two


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Phanto* $ie% sho%in! contin'it, o r'dder contro& ca&es ro* r'dder#eda&s ack to *ain ea*" o't to and ack thro'!h oo*s" to r'dder

hin!e rackets and tor'e t'es attached to rear s#ars o stai&i+Tas in &'sh-ri$eted r'dders are a&so contro&&ed ro* cock#it.


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num panels, attached by means of flushtype fasteners to supporting frameworkof pressed aluminum alloy and steelattached to the engine itself and to themount @ottom skin of the cowling andsections around the e.haust manifoldsare of steel ntercoolers are below theengines and housed within the engine,

cowling@ooms begin at the firewall and e.-tend aft to support the empennage,

tapering from #;J in in height and3863 in in width at their deepest sec-tion 0ust aft of the trailing edge of thewing, to an ellipse, 78 scre%s sec'rin! or%ard '&khead to&o%er intake> 7 coo&ant ret'rn &ine> 752 oi& ret'rn &ine> 755 s%itch #&'!> and 754 intercoo&erd'cts.

En!ine *o'nt and s'##ort asse*&," sho%in! 75 dia!ona& t''&ar *e*ers> 74 ,oke attachin!o&t> 73 '##er dia!ona& o&t> 71at s'##er attachin! #oints> 7/ dia!ona& asse*&,> 7? atdia!ona&> 7@ and 78 attachin! o&ts> 7 #ads> 752 and 755 or%ard attachin! o&ts> 754 #ads>753 ore dia!ona& attachin! #oint> 751 a, asse*&,> 75/ ,oke attachin! o&t> 75? and 75@dia!ona&s> 758 dia!ona& attachin! #oint> 75 &o%er tr'ss o&t> and 742 tr'ss.


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+tabiliFer tips are also made up witha smooth aluminum alloy skin, flush-riveted to hydro-pressed #+ ribs andchannel strips, and attach to theempennage booms by means of #$screws around the inboard contourEight and left stabiliFer tips are inter-changeable

he elevator has an area of #: s) ftand angular movement of 3I up and

8CI down t is statically balanced byfour weights, one in each boom and twoat the centerline t is metal covered,flush-riveted and its internal structure issimilar to that of the stabiliFer and othercontrol surface units ts trim tab,placed at the plane of symmetry, has anarea of


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upper sections are the rudder tabactuating units, a navigation lightshowing on the outboard side only, oneelevator control pulley and two ruddertab control pulleys (ach lower sectioncarries one elevator control pulley and asteel shoe to protect the lower tipagainst damage in the event of a taildown landing he rudder hingebrackets and tor)ue tubes attach to therear spars of the stabiliFers Eight andleft fins or vertical stabiliFers are

interchangeable hey have a combinedarea of ## s) ft

Eudders are of all-metal construction,flush-riveted and have a total surfacearea of


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cables e.tend from the rudder pedalsand control column back through thefuselage, diverging outward at thecenter section main beam to each boom

Hne set of control cables for bothelevator and rudders e.tends aftthrough each boom Anti-friction typetearing pulleys and micarta or fiberguide blocks are used throughout theentire cable system All control system

bell cranks and masts for actuating thecontrol system are mounted on antif-riction bearings and are housed entirelywithin the airplane contour nspectionand service openings with flush-typecover plates are provided throughout

&uselage or gondola of the P-38 at-taches to the center section at the planeof symmetry of the airplane and its lineof 0uncture is covered by fillets tsma.imum height is ; in and itsgreatest width 38 in t is fabricated ofhigh strength aluminum alloy and is ofstiffened monoco)ue construction,e.cept where reinforcements for cut-

outs renders this impractical 'ighstrength aluminum-coated, aluminumalloy-formed bulkheads are spaced


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Dockpit enclosure incorporates sidepanels which may be lowered by thepilot, a top center transparent panelhinged at the top aft edge to permit en-trance of the pilot when the left sidepanel is lowered, and which can beinstantly released by means of a )uick-

release mechanism +ide panels can beopened or closed on the ground or inflight at reduced speed and may belocked in the open, closed or anyintermediate positions Denter panel ofthe front windshield is of bullet-proof

glasshe Lightnings tricycle landinggear is fully retractable with automati-cally opening and closing wheel welldoors he main gear has single oleo--pneumatic shock struts with a


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with a feather angle of 8;:IDlearances are2 to ground, levellanding, appro.imately


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providing double ignition from a singleunit, and mounted by two bolts betweenthe cylinder banks at the upper rearsection of the P-384s engines

hrottle, mi.ture and propeller gov-ernor controls are levers mounted in theside control stand at the pilot4s left inthe cockpit he starting system iscomposed of2 a start switch with threepositions, off, E', and L'/ an engage

switch with three positions, off, E',

and L'/ two starters, with manualcrank e.tensions/ and two boostercoils +tart and engage switches arelocated atop the main switch bo. ad-0acent to the master ignition switch inthe cockpit he starters are located onthe lower right-hand side of eachengine accessory case/ and manualcrank e.tensions are accessiblethrough doors in the engine cowl

panels

(ngines are cooled with ethyleneglycol, +pe A?-(-, by separate sys-tems, each consisting of a radiatormounted on each side of each aft boom,air scoops and e.it flaps that control theflow of air through the radiators, atemperature-reactant four- way valvethat automatically controls the e.it flapsby hydraulic operation of an actuatingcylinder, an engine-driven coolantpump, a coolant supply tank mountedastride the engine propeller reductiongear case, an absolute-pressure valvethat vents the supply tank to the

atmosphere and compensates forpressure variations

&ive drain cocks are installed at lowpoints of the system and a bleed cockis located at the highest point A teerestrictor is located between the cylin-der banks to prevent e.cessive coolantbypassing A coolant temperature bulbis inserted in the coolant outlet tube onthe inboard side of each engine hesupply tank provides for coolant storagespace and vents the system to theatmosphere through the sniffle valvewhich maintains a constant absolutepressure of 3 lb per s) in in the system

at all altitudesAn independent pressure-lubricationsystem provides oil for each engine


74 *achine !'n eed ch'te ad;'st*ent>73 a**'nition tra, tracks> 71 *achine!'n case e;ection ch'te ad;'st*ent> 7/cannon eed ch'te ad;'st*ent> and 7?*achine !'n so&enoids.


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with oil gravity-fed from the reservoirtank through the hopper and the slidevalve for inverted flight, to the pressurepump &low then is through a checkvalve which opens at < lb pressure andcloses when engine is stopped, to astrainer and thence to the engine hreeoil passages distribute oil from thestrainer to the supercharger and allaccessory drives contained in the ac-

cessories housing &rom the straineroutlet, oil is also distributed to themoving parts of the engine &rom themain scavenger pump outlet oil flows tothe temperature regulator and when theoil is hot and does not e.ceed a pressureof ;: lb per s) in, it enters the regulatorand flows through the core, out of theradiator, and back to the tank Hil tanksare fabricated from 3+H aluminumalloy and are mounted on the front faceof each firewall emperatureregulation is automatically controlledby an electric actuator motor connectedto the air duct e.it flap

+eparate fuel systems supply eachengine, with the two interconnected sothat fuel from any tank e.cept the outerwing tanks, is available for eitherengine hree tanks supply each engine2MN 7ain MN reserve and M3N outer wingleading edge n addition, droppablefuel tanks are carried under the centerwing on both sides of the gondola and

inboard of the engine nacelles(lectrically driven fuel boost pumpsare mounted in the lower aft section ofthe fuselage and in the outer wing toassist the engine driven fuel pumps

Air intake scoops on the outboardsides of the forward booms provide airfor the induction system &rom the

scoop air passes through an intake ter, if desired, and through the intduct to the turbosupercharger cpressor t is discharged from compressor into a duct leading tointercooler and thence enters the enginduction system where it is mi.ed wfuel and distributed to the eng


Li!htnin! instr'*ent #ane&B 75 Co*#ass de$iation card ho&der> 74 $ac''* !a!e> 73 c&ockt'ro %arnin!> 7/ 'e& #ress're !a!es> 7? radio co*#ass indicator 7o#tiona&> 7@ re*co*#ass indicator> 78 t'rn indicator> 7 &i!ht indicator> 752 *anio&d #ress're !a!es> coo&ant te*#erat're !a!e> 754 'e& 'antit, !a!e 7ront> 753 a&ti*eter> 751 airs#eed indic75/ ank and t'rn indicator> 75? rate o c&i* indicator> 75@ tacho*eters> 758 car'retote*#erat're> 75 'e& e'ani*it, !a!e 7rear> 742 h,dra'&ic #ress're !a!e> 745 ank andre!'&atin! $a&$e> 744 &andin! !ear and &a# indicator> 743 en!ine !a!es> 741 radio contaand 74/ a**eter.


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cylinders AiEesearch intercoolers aremounted on four Lord mounts bolted tothe engine trusses he cooling air flowthrough the intercooler radiator may bemanually controlled by an electricmotor-operated shutter

+uperchargers are Oeneral (lectric,e.haust-driven turbo type mounted as

previously mentioned, immediately be-hind the rear shear beam of the wing inthe forward booms Automatic electricregulators are connected through apush-pull rod and bellcrank linkagefrom the throttle control pulley at thefirewall and operate in combinationwith the throttles

he hydraulic system of the P-38 op-erates the landing gear, landing geardoors wing flaps, coolant radiator e.itflaps, and aileron boosters Pressure issupplied by two engine-driven variablevolume pumps and maintains a fluidpressure in the system of 7/ side str't> 7? act'atin!c,&inder> and 7@ 4@-in %hee&.


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supplemented by two 7/ en!ine starter> 7? #osition &i!ht>7@ &et &andin! &i!ht> 78 re*ote co*#asss%itch> 7 &'orescent cock#it &i!ht rheostat>752 $o&t*eter> 755 #ro#e&&er eatherin!s%itches> 754 a'to*atic oi& coo&er &a#> 753!enerator> 751 atter, disconnect> 75/ #itotheater> 75? a'to-*atic coo&ant contro&o$erride s%itch> 75@ intercoo&er &a#> 758cock#it &i!ht> and 75 !'nsi!ht &i!ht.


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Phanto* $ie% o %in! &a#" &andin! !ear and en!ine contro& s,ste*" sho%in!B75 ri!ht thrott&e> 74 and 73 ri!ht *i6t're> 71 ri!ht thrott&e> 7/ ri!ht #ro#e&&er>7? ri!ht car'retor air" center> 7@ &et car'retor air" center> 78 &et *i6t're>

7 &et thrott&e> 752 &et #ro#e&&er> 755 &et *i6t're> 754 &et thrott&e> 753 &et#ro#e&&er> 751 ri!ht #ro#e&&er> 75/ and 75? &et and ri!ht car'retor airor%ard> 75@ and 758 ore and at &a# 1-%a, $a&$es> 75" 742" and 745 &etand ri!ht tank se&ectors> 744 ri!ht tank se&ector> 743 &et se&ector> 741 ri!httank se&ector> 74/ &et tank se&ector> 74? ri!ht tank se&ector> 74@ &et and ri!htcar'retor air" at> 748 and 74 ri!ht and &et car'retor air" center> A" andC #'&&e, racket asse*&ies> D" A&&ison rod&et thrott&e> E" rod&et *i6t're>:" #'&&e, racket asse*&,> G and < rods" &et and ri!ht #ro#e&&er !o$ernors> I"

#'&&e, racket asse*&,> H" A&&ison rodri!ht thrott&e> " rod ri!ht*i6t're> L"9 and N" #'&&e, racket asse*&ies> O" #'&&e,> P" #'&&e, asse*&,> J" and F.dr'*s.


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support fairing is a type 7-6 guncamera t may be operated indepen-dently or in con0unction with the guns

Armor plate consists of small piecesof face-hardened steel, attached sepa-rately to facilitate handling, removaland replacement he pilot is protectedfrom frontal attack by armor platemounted on the aft bulkhead of thearmament compartment and by a bullet-proof glass windshield wo pieces ofarmor plate line the back and bottom ofthe pilot s seat and give protectionfrombelow and behind A single piece ofarmorplate mounted behind and abovethe seat provides additional rearwardprotection Armor plate on inboard

sides of the superchargers or circulardeflectors on the superchargers protectthe pilot against possible fragmentationof turbosupercharger blades

he photographic version, known as&-:@, is a modification of the standardP-385 he armament compartment isredesigned to accommodate any one offour arrangements of aerial camerasDombinations of type -l8 with #-in,lens cone and type - 71" /" @" 55" and 58 Lord *o'nts> 7 '*#er%ashers> 752 and 53 tr'ss asse*&ies> 754" 5/" and 5? s'##ortsand 73 ca#s on crad&es.

Dia!ra**atic &a,o't o P-38 (Li!htnin!) oi& coo&in! s,ste*"sho%in! connections r'nnin! ro* oi& radiators" thro'!hther*ostat and ;'nction o6es to &a# act'ator.

T%o $ie%s o o* or a'6i&iar, 'e& tank shack&es" %ith rontaccess doors re*o$ed. Located on each side o 'se&a!e inoardo en!ines" these 'nits s'##ort tanks %hich ha$e !i$en P-38sran!e eno'!h to e &o%n ro* K.S. to En!&and> ro* there to

Arica and" consistent&," as escort i!hters co$erin! hea$,o*ers on &on! ran!e attacks on Ger*an,. (Li!htnin!s) no%carr, t%o 4"222-&. o*s.


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Phanto* $ie% !i$in! s'#erchar!er insta&&ationB 75 scoo#e6ha'st *anio&d and shro'd> 74 e6ha'st *anio&d> 73s#ark#&'! &ast t'e> 71 e&ectrica& re&a, o6> 7/ *a!neto>7? *a!neto &ast t'e> 7@ air #ress're to distri'torho'sin!> 78 air #ress're to *a!neto ho'sin!> 7

distri'tor ho'sin!> 752 car'retor intake d'ct> 755intensiier t'ecain and ar*a*ent heat> 754 e6ha'st(Y) tai& #i#e> 753 co$er asse*&, s'#er-char!er a&es>751 &ast t'e s'#erchar!er *ain earin! and coo&in!a&es> 75/ coo&in! ca# s'#erchar!er> 75? -33s'#erchar!er 7or detai& o s'#erchar!er see insert e&o%>75@ intake scoo#oi& coo&er re!'&ator> 758 e6it d'ctoi&coo&er re!'&ator> 75 d'ct to e&ectrica& oi& coo&er re&a,>742 intake scoo#intercoo&er> 745 e6it d'ctintercoo&er>744 &ast t'e to tacho*eter !enerator> 743 intercoo&erair> 741 !enerator &ast t'e> 74/ intake d'ctintercoo&er> 74? air i&ter> and 74@ s'#erchar!er air intakescoo#.


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cockpit heating systemDockpit heat is by hot air, the in-

tensifier tube in both engine e.haustmanifolds being ducted into the cockpitand directed on the pilot4s feet Afle.ible defroster tube may be used todefrost the top of the canopy

!hile much of the design and e)uip-ment information given here probablyappears as "standard% now, it should berecalled that when the P-38 first in-troduced it, such was not the case Andevery design feature, every installation,every alternate was introduced throughnecessity to meet the new conditionsencountered at the Lightning's higherspeed and ceilings !ith the recent

addition of dive flaps and aileronboosters, the Lightning again pioneersthrough use of these devices to helpcombat the effects of compressibilityhe P-38 thus overcomes anydisadvantages of large siFe and weighthe present airplane is an improvementupon the plane the enemy so aptlynamed the "&ork-ailed 9evil%


Q)aj. $ichard ong( *outh +acific

+-, ace with / victories to hiscredit( recently inspected and flewthe new Lightnings with dive flapsand aileron booster. #n the new

job( he said( he found all thesuggestions he had intended tooffer.

S'#erchar!er insta&&ationB 75 ar*or #&ate> 74s'#erchar!er> 73 %aste !ate> 71 oi& tank $ent&ine> 7/ oi& tank> 7? stain&ess stee& str'ct're>7@ s'#erchar!er air intake scoo#> 78 airintake> 7 d'ct> 752 air o't&et to intercoo&er>755 to en!ine oi& s,ste*> 754 s'#erchar!erre!'&ator> 753 center section rear shearea*> 751 #ane& asse*&,> 75/ and 75?co$er asse*&ies> and 75@ inoard deckasse*&,.

Dia!ra**atic &a,o't o h,dra'&ic s,ste* '#to acc'*'&ator" sho%in!B 75 e*er!enc,

reser$oir> 74 e*er!enc, #'*# check $a&$e>73 h,dra'&ic hand #'*#> 71 hand #'*#check $a&$e> 7/ e*er!enc, s,ste* re&ie$a&$e> 7? ,#ass $a&$e> 7@ e*er!enc, ret'rncheck $a&$e> 78 ri!ht hand en!ine #'*#> 7ri!ht hand #'*# check $a&$e> 752 *ains,ste* reser$oir> 755 &et hand #'*# check$a&$e> 754 s'ction test check $a&$e> 753 &ethand en!ine #'*#> 751 #ress're test check$a&$e> 75/ *ain s,ste* i&ter> 75? #ress'rere!'&ator> 75@ acc'*'&ator> and 758 s,ste*

#ress're !a!e.


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he Lockheed P-38Lightningis uni)ue among fighteraircraft, due principally to its versatility t is used as a

high, low and medium altitude fighter, interceptor,bomber escort, light bomber, skip bomber, dive bomber,attack bomber and strafer, supply dropping plane, smokescreen layer, and as a photo-reconnaissance plane t hasbeen tried as a torpedo plane and a glider tow, and beforethis war is over it will be put to other important uses whichfor the moment must remain undisclosed

9istinctive in appearance, P-38 is among the larges and

heaviest fighter planes t is one of the world4s fastest alsoand at its best altitude, it outspeeds any other productionfighter ts single engine speed is in e.cess of 3$$ mph, and

its service ceiling, where it still climbs


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outboard in separate nacelles he engine nacelles fair backinto the booms which support the tail unit, their streamliningbroken only by coolant radiators located appro.imatelyhalfway aft from the wing centerline here is no orthodo.fuselage, the gondola being at the trailing edge of the wingat the plane of symmetry and e.tending forward only+eparate compartments are provided for armament, Mall guns

are concentrated in the noseN cockpit, retractable nosewheel, radio, hydraulics and fuel +ince the plane sits levelon its tricycle gear, access over the wing is provided by aretractable ladder mounted in the aft end of the fuselage(ntrance to the cockpit is by hinged canopy used incon0unction with windows on both sides of the cockpitenclosure

Body Group

he body group, consisting of the center section, fuselage



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and forward booms, is 0ig-mated, riveted and bolted, and assuch is considered an irreplaceable unit he aft end boomsare also 0ig-mated and bolted but may be replaced

he fuselage is an all-metal, semi-monoco)ue gondolatype structure, framed primarily with bulkheads hydropressstamped from #+- sheet with transverse partitionsbetween the different compartments which provideadditional strength Longitudinal stringers are of bent upsheet aluminum alloy, the skin varying from $:


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lowered by a hand crank and locked in the raised position bya ratchet and pawl he cockpit hatch is a molded plasticpanel fitted to a metal frame he hatch opens aft on a hingeand incorporated in the hinge is a telescope stop A pin andcable assembly, controlled from in or outside the hatch,locks the hatch in the down position A red-paintedemergency handle is provided in the cockpit f hatch isreleased by this handle in flight it raises about % Airpressure will then tear the hatch away leaving freeemergency egress for the pilot

he aft canopy is made up of two plastic panels R%molded sheet set in metal frames and secured by Airlocfasteners for )uick removal hese act as a cover for theradio compartment

Hn the underside of the fuselage is the nose gear

compartment and door he gear retracts directly aft andupward in its fully e.tended position and the door isautomatically operated by a hydraulic cylinder connecteddirectly to the aft end of the door A hydraulic latchingdevice holds the front end of the door tightly closed

Forward Booms

he forward booms e.tend from the engine firewall to0ust forward of the coolant radiators and are 0ig-mated to thecenter section he main landing gear and turbosupercharger

installations are contained in these sections +tressed skinconstruction is used including the inside skin of the wheelwells, e.cept for that portion of the upper surface which ise.posed to the supercharger heat his area is fabricatedfrom $


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main panel directly before the pilot A map case and first aidkit are carried behind the seat on the right side and a flarepistol assembly is on the left he seat is molded of plastic,and both seat and back are protected by J% face hardenedsteel armor plate Eegulation seat belt and )uick-actingshoulder harness are provided and a pilot relief tube is at theleft edge of the seat +ilhouette armor plate is placedbetween the cockpit and the radio compartment immediatelyaft

Wing

he wing group consists of the center section, two outerpanels and the e.treme wing tips n the center section, amain beam and front and rear shear beams are the mainstructural members

he main beam is located at 3:S chord and is of doubleweb construction t is built up of top and bottom cap stripsof #+- aluminum e.trusions and double webs which are $6#% in thickness in the cockpit section and $#$% outboardhe forward section and does not e.tend into the outer wing

panels t serves as a strengthening unit between the cocstructure and the outboard ends of the center section on eside he e.truded cap strip and web construction is usedall wing beams with the e.ception of the inboard front wof the main beam in the center section 'ere, a built up trsection is used for added strength Longitudinal ribs are uin the center section e.cept between stations


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Huter skin of the wing is in effect a double layercomposed of a corrugated inner skin and a butt-0ointed,flush riveted outer covering Dorrugations in the centersection are of $6#% #+- and the skin of $#$%/ on theouter panels the corrugations are of $3% material on thelower surface and $6#% on the upper Huter panel skinvaries in thickness from $$% to $#$%

he wing panels are skin stressed only between beamshe trailing edge section is composed of ribs and skin on theupper surface with intercostal stiffeners between the ribs n

the latest model, the leading wing edge contains shells, andis composed of chord-wise corrugations and smooth skin,with few ribs Huter skin is attached to


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Flaps

!ing flaps are Lockheed-&owler type which roll aft anddown from the trailing edge on tracks beneath the wing,e.tending the actual area of the wing as well as increasinglift Eelatively slow landings of highly wing-loaded aircraftare made possible because of the high lift coefficients !iththe flap in a partly e.tended position, a large increase in liftis provided with a minimum increase in drag his makespossible the use of these flaps for takeoff as well as for amaneuvering flap in combat he P-38 is the first and onlyfighter plane e)uipped with this type of flap

&laps, divided into four panels, are interconnected andoperate together hey are installed in the lower wingsurface between wing stations 8 and ;;R in the centersection, and between


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Moa!le Controls

All movable control surfaces are similar in constructionhey are built up of ribs, stringers, and outer skin withinternal spars of sheet metal angle and stamped webconstruction *nlike the wings these surfaces have nocorrugated inner skin Huter skin varies in thickness from $$% to $3% on the long horiFontal stabiliFer All controlsurfaces are actuated by cables which run outboard from thecockpit through the center section, the tail surface cablesbeing carried aft on pulleys

Power "nstallation

he twin-engined arrangement of the P-38 was specifiedin the original design in


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engagements on one engine so fre)uently that they known as "the round-trip ticket% t has been shown too enemy fire most fre)uently enters a fighter plane throthe fuselage aft of the pilot station +ince the P-38 hasfuselage aft of the wing, enemy bullets pass harmlethrough the open section between booms or enter the boothemselves where they do little damage

Locating the engines remote from the pilot and armamallowed for wide latitude in power lant installation provided widely spaced main wheel wells for ma.im

tread and landing safetyhis arrangement also removes from the vicinity of pilot the hot Prestone, hot oil and much of the fuel +inflammables are in separate engine nacelles on each wwhere a power plant fire may be dealt with by side-slippor isolated and e.tinguished t also lessens chancee.plosion in combat

Hne of the most important combat advantages of the twengine design is that it permits the concentration of all power in the nose he tra0ectories of the fi.ed guns parallel with the pilot4s gunsight and ma.imum firepowepossible at any point directly ahead of the plane up to



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range of the guns his in not true in wing installationswhich feature a "cone of fire% for which there is only oneoptimum range

#ngine Mounts

(ngines are mounted on forged aluminum alloy of heavyconstruction and of triangular shape, and bolted to fittings atthe forward corners of the support bay he bay is also offorged aluminum alloy and is 0oined by two large machinebolts to heavy fittings on the forward boom wheel wellchannels @oth the support bay and the longitudinal trussesare supported by tubular diagonal hangers bolted at theirupper ends to fittings on the cross members of the forwardboom

#ngines

he P-385 is powered by two,


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made for emergency hand-inertia starting and a crank ismounted in the wheel well

Propellers

Propellers are Durtis, three-bladed, full-feathering,controllable pitch type hey counter-rotate out from the topof the propeller swing Hn the P-385, the blades are of a newtype which give much better performance at e.tremely highaltitudes Props are


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the center of gravity well forward of the main alightingwheels, the P-38 handles so well that even ine.periencedpilots have no difficulty in controlling it at high speeds ofthe ground he level ground position of the plane affordsthe pilot the best of vision while ta.iing, taking off orlanding

All wheels are operated by the main hydraulic systemhe gear travel is directly fore and aft about the fulcrumpoint !hen retracted the gear is completely enclosed byflush doors hydraulically operated Automatic locks are

provided for both the up and down positionshe main landing gear assemblies are located in wells inthe front section of the forward booms he tread is


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seat to a slide valve, on the right side of the center controlstand his valve directs air on the pilot4s feet A fle.iblehose carries hot air behind the instrument panel to a tubedirecting hot air on the windshield A spot defroster tubestowed in a clip on the left side of the seat may be directedat any part of the canopy or may be clipped to the canopybehind the pilot4s shoulder to direct heated air along the topof the canopy A butterfly valve in the end of the tubecontrols the flow of hot air

he left engine supplies the heated air for the armament

compartment he supply system is through a series of tubessimilar to those of the cockpit heating arrangement !ithinthe cockpit a tube passes under the pilot4s seat above thefuselage floor to the forward edge of the pilot4s seat &romthere, it is carried under the floor along the top of the nosewheel well into the left rear of the armament compartmenthe outlet is covered with a wire screen 'eat is regulatedthrough controls by a knob on the left windshield frame Asa later modification, electric gun heaters were added, andthe output of the left engine intensifier tube was directedinto the cockpit

he o.ygen system has been changed from the highpressure system on early P-38s to a low-pressure demandtype, three-bottle system Hne cylinder is located in the rightboom aft of the wheel well and is accessible through a

removable panel he other two cylinders are in the leftboom, one 0ust aft of the wheel well and the other one 0ustforward of the battery All three cylinders are filled from thesame filler coupler in the right boom on the forward side ofthe aft wall of the wheel well A check valve is located inthe filler line immediately preceding each bottle to prevento.ygen from escaping through the filler lines n the leftboom there is a check valve in the supply line near eachbottle n case one bottle develops a leak the check valvewill prevent escape of o.ygen

he pressure gage is mounted on the side control stand Apressure signal is connected electrically to a warning lampthrough the airplane electrical system he signal is ad0ustedto light the lamp when cylinder pressure drops toappro.imately


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LC" F-5F$'#! pho!o 'elea#ed #ho$n% cae'a $n#!alla!$on $n no#Lockheed F-5 pho!o-'econna$##ance .e'#$on of Li!htnin!, (.a'$e! of $n#!alla!$on# a'e u#ed $!h cae'a# ha.$n% 'unn$n% f'o 6 !o 40 $n, ope'a!ed #$n%l o' a# %'oup, Lade.$ce $# #hu!!e'le## con!$nuou#-#!'$p cae'a $n h$ch $nd# pa#! na''o #l$! $!# #peed #nch'on$Bed $!h #peed al!$!ude of plane, F-5 ene $n#!alla!$on# f'o 'oo!o #u=#!'a!o#phe'e le.el#, )na'ed DFocu# Ca!> p$lo!# 'elh$%h #peed and aneu.e'a=$l$! !o e.ade ene f$%h!e'#flak #a.$n% of 400 l=, ha.$n% upped c'af!


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OFLDS :ASTEST A9KLANCELockheeds P-38 (Li!htnin!) see*s to ha$eno &i*itations. As ein! de*onstrated hereat an AA: Paciic ase it has een ada#tedto carr, a &itter #atient eneath each %in!inside *odiied %in! 'e& tanks. Tanks ha$ea trans#arent nose and tai& cone isdetacha&e or ease o hand&in!.

7Press Assn. #hoto


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Afterword9uring the prosperous years following !orld !ar ,

aviation caught and held the public4s attention

@arnstormers, the advent of air mail, the almost routine

setting and breaking of new records for performance, death-

defying feats like Lindbergh4s crossing of the Atlantic,

'oward 'ughes ma0estic movie Wings, and a general

cultural alignment toward the visible signs of progress kept

public interest high

+uch an atmosphere creates a demand for information,

specifically for information more detailed than can generally

be found in the newpapers hat market has traditionally

been filled by magaFines n the *nited +tates, two

publishers who have since become among the largest, had

started aviation-oriented magaFines somewhat before our

entry into !orld !ar and were well placed to become

ma0or players in the market

he magaFine from 7cOraw-'ill started life asAviation

and Aeronautical Engineering @y the mid-


50/50

corrected +ome terminologies and e.pressions of

measurement have been changed to give a consistent format

across the range of articles here have been a few changes,

some deliberate and some inadvertently, in punctuation,

especially in the use of commas he consistency there is

not )uite so good &inally, there may be a few errors of the

type that spell checkers ignore and that sneak past the weary

eyes of the proofreader &or those, we apologiFe

+ome illustrations have been modified in siFe compared

to their original publication form his may have been done

to improve visibility of features in the illustration or to fit

into available space on the page

Sources for this monograh!

he introductory article was originally published in the

5anuary,

lockheed p-38 has wide range of tactical uses

Documents

laylockheed p

jl mcclellan p

ofthe flap

designed lockheed engineers

toa new lockheedowler

wide range of tactical

highaltitude fighter

wide performance range